Why Is Cyberbullying So Damaging and How Can You Cope?

On September 22, 2010, 18-year-old Tyler Clementi jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge. He had been a student at Rutgers, one of many hopeful young people starting an exciting new phase of life at college. But three days before his suicide, he had experienced an extreme case of cyberbullying.

Tyler's roommate and another classmate had used a webcam to spy on him kissing another male student, and then they posted about it on Twitter. They even invited others to tune in for a second viewing. Tyler found out, and it’s impossible to say what he felt at that moment. All we know is that he took his own life within days.

Tyler’s tragedy isn't an isolated event. In 2019, a large survey by the Cyberbullying Research Center in the U.S. found that 30 percent of teens had experienced some form of cyber aggression in the previous 30 days. The things they experienced included:

• Being the target of rumors
• Mean or prejudiced comments
• Having someone impersonate them
• Threats

Cyberbullying is more than a matter of hurt feelings. A 2018 study of over 31,000 teens found that cyberbullying was a strong predictor of emotional and behavioral problems, and that this effect remained even when traditional bullying was accounted for. We also know that being a victim (and, interestingly, being a perpetrator) is linked to having more suicidal thoughts and attempts.

And it’s not only teens who are affected. Adults also experience online aggression and harassment. A 2015 survey of young women, mostly in their twenties, found that one in five had repeatedly received unsolicited sexually obscene messages and solicitations.

We have to be careful not to overlook people’s experiences of cyberbullying, regardless of their gender and age.

Although this particular study focused on women’s experiences, it’s important to point out that men also experience cyber aggression. Interestingly, one study on perceptions about cyberbullying found that men’s reports of these experiences are taken less seriously, and...

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