Cyberbullying.

No one would have known what this meant 10-years ago.

Honestly, it’s something I’ve never really thought about much. As many of us were adults as the internet began to blossom, there is an entire generation coming behind that has never know a world without it. The closest form of cyberbullying I’ve ever experienced has been rude comments on YouTube.

Unfortunately, I’m not the only one who has essentially ignored the problem, and only thinks about it when it leads to suicide or some kind of overt criminal behavior.

Here’s 11 facts about cyber bullying:

1. Nearly 42% of kids have been bullied online and almost one in four have had it happen more than once.
2. Among this percentage, being ignored and disrespected were the most common forms of cyber bullying.
3. Nine out of ten middle school students have had their feelings hurt online.
4. About 75% have visited a Web site bashing another student.
5. Four out of ten middle school students have had their password(s) stolen and changed by a bully who then locked them out of their own account or sent communications posing as them.
6. About 21% of kids have received mean or threatening e-mails.
7. The psychological and emotional outcomes of cyber bullying are similar to real-life bullying outcomes, except for the reality that with cyber bullying there is often no escape. School ends at 3 p.m., while the Internet is available all the time.
8. The primary cyber bullying location where victimizing occurs, at 56%, is in chat rooms.
9. Girls are about twice as likely as boys to be victims and perpetrators of cyber bullying.
10. About 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than four out of ten say it has happened more than once.
11. Cyber bullying has increased in recent years. In a national survey of 10-17 year olds, twice as many children indicated they had been victims and perpetrators.

If you’re a Youth Pastor or someone who works with youth, it’s good to know what’s really happening in their online lives, but is there anything we can do about it?

[via DoSomething]