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.”
