Cyberbullying

Although screen use before bedtime did not affect sleep onset or duration in children, using screens in bed not only impacted sleep quality but was also associated with cyberbullying and psychological distress, research showed.

Both victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying are more likely than other youths to experience eating disorder symptoms, according to study findings published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

Teen girls who experienced sexual abuse were more likely than their peers to be cyberbullied, according to a study published in Nature Human Behavior.

Cyberbullying, as well as content related to drugs, depression and violence, were major risk factors for subsequent youth suicide-related behavior, according to results of a matched case-control study published in JAMA Network Open.

Approximately 21% of children aged 9 to 12 years experience cyberbullying in some form, according to a survey conducted by the Cartoon Network and the Cyberbullying Research Center.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, with adolescents likely to use digital platforms even more for personal or educational purposes, there could be a concurrent increase in cyberbullying, an expert warned.

Adolescents who were cyberbullied experienced greater psychiatric symptom severity, including for depression and PTSD, according to results of a questionnaire-based study published in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Although very frequent use of social media may compromise the mental health and well-being of teenaged girls in England, these effects were largely mediated by cyberbullying, sleep and physical activity, longitudinal study findings published in Lancet Child & Adolescent Health revealed.