Cyber-bullying Victims and Depression: National Institutes of Health Findings

Depression high among youth victims of school cyber bullying, NIM researchers report
Excerpt: "Finding underscores need to monitor, obtain treatment for recipients of cyber bullying"

"Unlike traditional forms of bullying, youth who are the targets of cyber bullying at school are at greater risk for depression than are the youth who bully them, according to a survey conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health."

"The new finding is in contrast to earlier studies of traditional bullying, which found that the highest depression scores were reported by another category of youth involved in bullying-bully victims. Past studies on traditional bullying show that bully-victims — those who both bully others and are bullied themselves — are more likely to report feelings of depression than are other groups."

"Traditional forms of bullying involve physical violence, verbal taunts, or social exclusion. Cyber bullying, or electronic aggression, involves aggressive behaviors communicated over a computer or a cell phone."

RESOURCES
Electronic aggression for parents, educators, and researchers:
http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/youthviolence/electronicaggression/index.html


Stop Bullying Now (U.S. Health Resources and Service Administration)
http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adults/default.aspx


Information about depression and treatment, National Institutes of Health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml


RELATED (From the National Association of School Psychologists "NASP Announce" newsletter)
Poor Problem Solving Is a Predictor of Bullying"Predictors of Bullying and Victimization in Childhood and Adolescence: A Meta-analytic Investigation is a review of 153 bullying studies that found difficulty with social problem-solving was a significant marker of bullies, victims, and those who are both bullies and victims. Combined with academic problems, such students tend to be more likely to bully. For victims, negative attitudes about self compound the risk of being bullied. The most promising programs for the prevention of bullying address the development of individual skills and improving the peer context simultaneously."