NEW YORK—More than two-thirds of New York students have either witnessed cyberbullying or have been victims themselves, according to a survey of almost 10,000 New York students.
Cyberbullying includes harassment and denigration through electronic means, such as cellphone texts, instant messages, or postings on websites such as Facebook.
The nine-month survey drew responses from nearly 10,000 students from 350 schools across the state, including all five New York City boroughs, and 40 other counties. Survey results included responses from students from 3rd to 12th grade. The majority, a little more than 59 percent of respondents, were grades six to eight.
“I would like grownups to know that cyberbullying could crush a kid’s dreams or hurt them forever,” wrote a fourth-grader, answering the survey question: “What are your final thoughts on cyberbullying?”
More than 80 percent of students who have been victimized by cyberbullies or witnessed such actions did not report the bullying to an adult. When asked why they didn’t tell an adult a 10th-grader wrote “Because it makes it worse and people start to call you a snitch.” A third-grader replied, “Because they tell you not to tell.” An eighth-grader said, “I didn’t think there was much anyone could do.”
One question asked whether students had been cyberbullies themselves. Six percent said they had cyberbullied others; almost 12 percent had said “nasty things online but don’t consider it cyberbullying;” about 6 percent explained they had cyberbullied someone with their friends just for fun; and 14.6 percent had sent jokes to someone, but that someone considered the joke cyberbullying.
Almost 70 percent of the surveyed students said cyberbullying should be illegal.
Two state senators who joined in the release of the survey results have sponsored legislation that would make cyberbullying a crime in New York.
“Sometimes, what is obvious to our children should be just as obvious to us as lawmakers,” said Sen. Jeff Klein in a release. “Yes, we need greater education on the issue: but education is not enough. Any legislative solution must also make cyberbullying a crime in New York state once and for all.”
The proposed legislation would make cyberbullying a misdemeanor. Legislatures are hoping to pass cyberbullying legislation before the end of this year’s legislative session on June 21, according to the release.
The survey was administered anonymously through email, paper, and the Internet, over a period of eight months. A variety of means were used by the Independent Democratic Conference to inform students about the survey, including requesting school superintendents and principals to tell children about the survey.
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