Cyberbullying Facts: 45 Statistics to Make Texting Safer

Updated May 6, 2026

Cyberbullying remains a serious issue for teens, parents, schools, and online communities. In 2025, the Cyberbullying Research Center found that 58% of U.S. middle and high school students ages 13–17 had experienced cyberbullying at some point, and 33% had experienced it in the previous 30 days. Common forms include being excluded from a group text or chat, hurtful comments, online humiliation, and rumors spread online.

Because cyberbullying often happens through phones, social media, group chats, and text messages, parents and caregivers need to know the warning signs, understand the latest statistics, and help kids build safer digital habits.

Keep reading for the most relevant statistics about cyberbullying in 2026 to help you better spot, understand, and put a stop to cyberbullying — plus some advice for parents on how to keep kids safe. 

Cyberbullying Statistics for 2026

Here are some of the most important cyberbullying statistics parents should know:

• 58% of surveyed U.S. students ages 13–17 said they had experienced cyberbullying at some point.
• 33% said they had been cyberbullied in the previous 30 days.
• The most common recent experiences included being excluded from a group text or chat, hurtful comments posted online, online humiliation, and rumors spread online.
• 24.5% of students said they had cyberbullied others at some point.
• 16.1% said they had cyberbullied someone in the previous 30 days.

These numbers show that cyberbullying is not limited to one app, platform, or behavior. It can happen anywhere kids communicate online, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, and text messages.

Parents can limit cyberbullying via text message

Text messaging is an excellent way to communicate both professionally and personally, but some groups use text messaging for nefarious purposes, including various cyberbullying behaviors such as name-calling, rumor-spreading, and sending unwanted explicit images.

Here are some measures that parents can take to prevent bullying over text message.

Help create a plan for smartphone use in high school students

In our recent survey about smartphone use in schools, we found that 39% of teachers thought the biggest challenge when it comes to using phones at school is that students use them inappropriately.

Bullying can be a big part of this problem. While 46.4% of parents want teachers to incorporate smartphones into their lesson plans more often, creating a plan to reduce inappropriate smartphone use is likely something that would require collaboration between both parents and teachers.

Beware of online harassment and text scams

Text scams are becoming more popular. Children, who have yet to develop critical reasoning skills can easily be bullied by scammers into threatening situations. Brush up on the latest text scams and educate your children so they can distinguish between a spam text and a real one. Always let your children know to come to you immediately if they feel uncomfortable or have been contacted by an unknown number.

Consider Screen Time Limits

The average screen time for teens and kids has skyrocketed since COVID-19. Consider setting screen time limits to prevent your child from spending too much time on their phone, which can negatively affect their mental health.

What do statistics from the cyberbullying research center say about how often it occurs? 

1. Of the student respondents in one study, 23% reported that they’ve said or done something mean or cruel to someone on the internet. 27% reported that they’ve been the victim of the same treatment from someone else.
2. 58% of U.S. students ages 13–17 said they had experienced cyberbullying at some point, and 33% said they had experienced it in the previous 30 days.
3. Over one in three young people have been threatened while online.
4. Anywhere from 9% and 35% of young people say they have been a victim of electronic aggression in some form.
5. Roughly 14.9% of high school students were electronically bullied in the 12 months prior to one survey about cyberbullying.
6. In 2025, 58% of surveyed U.S. middle and high school students ages 13–17 reported lifetime cyberbullying victimization.
7. 64% of victims who receive an aggressive instant message report knowing the perpetrator from interactions in-person in 2020.
8. About 75% of victims have visited a website that bashes another student.

Cyberbullying statistics show who’s most at risk on social media platforms

10. 10. About 37% of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 have been cyber-bullied, while 30% have had it happen more than one time.
    11. Girls are approximately twice as likely as boys to be both victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying in 2019 and 2020.
    12. 15% of teenage girls have been the target of at least four different kinds of abusive online behaviors, compared with only 6% of boys.
    13. Roughly half of LGBTQ+ students experience harassment online, which is a rate higher than average.
    14. Facts about bullying show over half of adolescents and teens have been cyberbullied.
    15. 59% of teens in the United States have been bullied or harassed online.
    16. Reports of cyberbullying are highest for middle schools at about 33%, followed by high schools at 30% of reported cyberbullying. 

    17. 29% of teenage girls have received unsolicited explicit images, compared to 20% of teenage boys who encountered similar abusive behavior.

    18. The most common things people were cyber-bullied about include appearance, intelligence, and race.

    Cyberbullying statistics: where does it occur?

    19. Cyberbullying occurs on online platforms including websites, social media pages, email, instant messaging, and text messaging.  
    20. 95% of teens in the U.S. have an online presence, and the vast majority access the internet on their mobile device, making phones the most common medium for cyberbullying.
    21. Over 25% of young people have been bullied more than once through their own smartphones.
    22. The social media site where most young people report experiencing cyberbullying is YouTube, with 79% of those surveyed experiencing harassment on the platform.
    23. Snapchat closely trails Instagram in cyberbullying frequency at 69%. 
    24. Close to one in five teens have posted or sent sexually suggestive or nude pictures of themselves to others.
    25. 32% of cyberbullying victims say someone made rude or nasty comments about them online.
    26. 70% of teenagers say someone spread rumors about them online.
    27. 14% of cyberbullying victims said they have been threatened or someone has made aggressive comments about them.
    28. Among teens aged 12 to 18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, 15% were bullied online or by text.
    29. According to cyberbullying facts, one in ten adolescents reports someone taking embarrassing or damaging pictures of them without their permission.
    30. Cyberbullying can look like a lot of different things. It can include harassment, insults or threats, spreading rumors, impersonation, outing, and trickery.
    31. About 21% of kids have received mean or threatening messages via email.
    32. Four out of ten middle school students have had their password stolen, changed, or been locked out of online accounts by a bully.
    33. It’s not just kids—40% of adults have experienced some form of harassment online, and 75% of adults have witnessed cyberbullying.

    What are the effects of cyberbullying? 

    34. There are significant effects of cyberbullying that can pose an immediate risk to life and wellbeing. Young people who experience cyberbullying are at a greater risk for both self-harm and suicidal behaviors than those who do not. If a child is in immediate danger or may hurt themselves, call emergency services right away. In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
    35. Cyberbullying facts prove that out of children currently experiencing problems with their mental health, over two-thirds (68%) say they experienced cyberbullying within the last year.
    36. The most common forms of cyberbullying include being ignored and disrespected online. 

10. Statistics on cyberbullying: lack of prevention

    35. Only one in ten teenage cyberbullying victims will report their abuse to a parent or trusted adult.
    36. 60% of young people have witnessed cyberbullying, while most do not intervene.
    37. Four out of five students would intervene in instances of cyberbullying if they could do so anonymously. Potential helpers fear becoming an additional victim of cyberbullying.
    38. 83% of young people believe social media companies should be doing more to tackle cyberbullying on their platforms.
    39. Less than one in five incidents of cyberbullying are reported to law enforcement.
    40. Only one in 10 teens tells a parent if they’ve been a victim of cyberbullying.
    41. 95% of young people who use social media and have witnessed unkind behavior on social networking sites say they have seen others ignoring the mean behavior.
    42. 40% to 50% of cyberbullying victims report knowing who the person bullying them is.
    43. Cyberbullying also provides anonymity to the bully, which isn’t always possible with traditional bullying.
    44. Approximately 50% of children report using prevention tactics like blocking a screen name, changing their passwords, or cutting back their friend list.
    45. More than 60% of tweens report trying to help peers who were being bullied online.

Cyberbullying and Mental Health

The impact of cyberbullying on mental health is profound and far-reaching. Research by the Cyberbullying Research Center has shown that victims of cyberbullying are at a higher risk of experiencing depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. The constant barrage of negative messages can lead to low self-esteem, anger, and frustration. Victims often feel isolated and lonely, as the harassment can make them feel targeted and ostracized. The emotional toll of cyberbullying can be severe, affecting not just the mental well-being of the victims but also their academic performance and social relationships.

10. Ways to Combat Cyberbullying

    • Report bullies on platforms. Most social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit have reporting functions. Include the name of the account that’s doing the harassing, as well as some details on what’s been said.
    • Block the bully’s number. Your cell phone carrier should allow you to block specific numbers. If you or your child is being harassed, block the number so they can’t contact you anymore.
    • Reach out to authority figures. If your child is being bullied at school, reach out to a guidance counselor, teacher, or principal to discuss the issue and possible solutions.
    • Keep track of what’s said. Create a detailed record of any harassment in case it’s needed for proof in the future.
    • Don’t engage. Responding to a bully only adds fuel to the fire. Don’t acknowledge any messages or posts, and block and report the bully wherever possible so you won’t see anything from them in the future.

     

     

    Sources

    https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying

    https://enough.org/stats_cyberbullying

    https://www.verywellfamily.com/cyberbullying-statistics-4589988 

    https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/facts

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4276384/

    https://www.annapolis.gov/908/Facts-About-Cyberbullying

    www.statista.com/statistics/1106766/media-consumption-growth-coronavirus-worldwide-by-country/

    https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/cyber-bullying-statistics