Cyberbullying linked to PTSD in children

Cyberbullying should be considered an adverse childhood experience (ACE) – a category of childhood trauma linked to long-term emotional, psychological and physical harm, new research suggests.

While many assume that only extreme forms of online harassment – like threats or identity-based attacks – can cause significant harm, the findings suggest that even less visible or indirect forms of cyberbullying can have equally damaging effects.

Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D. is lead author, a professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice within Florida State University’s College of Social Work and Criminal Justice, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, and a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University.

The researcher said: “As our research clearly shows, cyberbullying in any form – whether it’s exclusion from a group chat or direct threats – can lead to significant trauma in youth.

 “We were surprised to find that no single type of cyberbullying caused more harm than others; all carried a similar risk of traumatic outcomes.

“This means we can’t afford to dismiss or trivialise certain behaviors as ‘less serious’ – being left out or targeted by rumors can be just as detrimental as more overt attacks.”

The study investigated the link between cyberbullying and trauma in a nationally-representative sample of 2,697 middle and high school students (ages 13 to 17) in the United States.

Researchers investigated the relationship between the prevalence of 18 different types of cyberbullying, including exclusion (being left out of an online group chat); impersonation (e.g., creating fake social media accounts in someone else’s name); and stalking behaviors (e.g., being tracked or monitored after the victim told the aggressor to stop) – and symptoms of PTSD.

The study also explored how demographic factors like age, sex and socioeconomic status influence the severity of psychological outcomes, identifying which groups of youth may be especially vulnerable.

Results reveal that cyberbullying is both widespread and strongly linked to a validated nine-item Post Traumatic Stress clinical scale.

What was especially striking was that exclusion and rejection, often dismissed as less serious, were just as trauma-inducing as explicit threats to one’s physical safety.

Likewise, being the subject of gossip or cruel online comments had an emotional toll comparable to being harassed for personal traits like one’s race or religion.

Findings challenge common assumptions that only the most extreme cases of cyberbullying lead to psychological damage and spotlight the importance of understanding the unique lived experiences of each target.

In reality, the emotional impact of online mistreatment – regardless of the form it takes – can deeply affect a young person’s sense of safety, identity and well-being depending on personal factors, situational context, and the strength of support from adults, institutions and peers.

Among the different forms of online harassment, indirect forms were the most common.

More than half of the surveyed students reported being the target of mean or hurtful comments or rumours, and a similar number said they were deliberately excluded from group chats or texts.

Notably, almost 9 in 10 (87 per cent) experienced at least one of the 18 forms of victimisation, underscoring the increasing ubiquity of digital aggression and its normative presence when youth interact online.

When the researchers analysed how cyberbullying relates to trauma, they found that girls and younger teens were more likely to experience higher levels of traumatic symptoms than boys or older teens.

However, once they factored in how much cyberbullying each student had experienced, these demographic differences became less important.

Hinduja said: “To truly protect young people, we must take a trauma-informed approach, one that prioritises emotional and psychological safety, incorporates grounding techniques, and includes strong crisis intervention plans.

“This requires training educators, counselors and youth-serving adults to recognize signs of trauma, understand its root causes, and respond with empathy, emotional safety protocols and scientifically proven mindfulness interventions.

“Equally important is creating safe environments where students feel supported and seen, and where even subtle forms of bullying are taken seriously given the potentially serious outcomes that compromise youth well-being.”

Image: Florida Atlantic University