Cyberbullying in schools

In the 21st century, cyberbullying in the United States has generated both scholarly attention and popular concern. Sensationalized media about young victims of cyberbullying have perhaps contributed to the perception that cyberbullying is a serious threat to the wellbeing of youth. This chapter provides a review of empirical cyberbullying research conducted in the United States with a focus on school-aged children and adolescents. Although cyberbullying often occurs outside of school, it is frequently a component of more general mistreatment of peers that crosses over into the school context. We examine historical trends including the appearance of different devices and platforms. We discuss the overlap of cyberbullying and traditional bullying and of cyberbullying and cybervictimization. We review individual differences in involvement and vulnerability, and how policies and laws have attempted to address cyberbullying in schools. We look specifically at the gaming context, which receives less attention in the scholarly literature, and discuss parental socialization, mediation, and monitoring of children’s engagement with digital communication technology. We conclude with recommendations for future studies that could improve our knowledge of this phenomenon with a focus on prevention and intervention in US schools.