1 of 28

Cyberbullying on Social Media and Impact on Minors

Presented by Lauren Floroff, LPC and Carol Brown, LCSW

2/15/2023

SLIDESMANIA.COM

2 of 28

When you hear the word ‘cyberbullying’ what comes to mind?

Cyberbullying is bullying in a digital space, such as on cell phones, computers, tablets, etc., in arenas such as text messaging, social media, forums, online gaming, etc. to bully, threaten, or intimidate another person.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

3 of 28

How is cyberbullying different than in-person bullying?

First, the potential for bullies to remain anonymous. Abusers are able to keep their identities hidden on social media which can lead to harsher and longer-lasting torment.

Bullying over social media is also often much more public. Traditional bullying typically only involves those directly involved, while cyberbullying can be made visible to hundreds of people, regardless of their involvement in the situation.

Lastly, cyberbullying can have much more permanent effects. Anything said and done online can never be erased entirely, causing potentially permanent damage to both the bully’s and the victim’s reputation.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

4 of 28

Statistics about Cyberbullying

36.5% of people feel they were cyberbullied in their lifetime and 14.4% in the last 30 days.
60% of teenagers have experienced some sort of cyberbullying.
70% of teenagers have reported someone spreading rumors about them online

87% of young people have seen cyberbullying occur online
95% of teenagers are connected to the internet and 85% are connected to social media.

Are any of these statistics surprising to you?

SLIDESMANIA.COM

5 of 28

SLIDESMANIA.COM

6 of 28

SLIDESMANIA.COM

7 of 28

Types of Cyberbullying

Making critical comments about the shape or size of someone else’s body.

This type of cyberbullying can take place on all forms of social media. While it is completely normal (and even common for individuals to experience some form of self-doubt or shame once in a while), body shaming can make these feelings become constant and overwhelming.

94% of teenage girls have reported being body shamed and 57% of 12-20-year olds think that the cause of their bullying was due to their appearance.
According to the Girls’ Attitudes Survey conducted in 2016, 47 percent of girls aged 11-21 disclosed that the way they look holds them back and limits what they can do.

Body Shaming

SLIDESMANIA.COM

8 of 28

Types of Cyberbullying

(Continued)

A cyberbully can intentionally leave someone else out of an online group or message thread. This can leave a victim feeling isolated and depressed.

Exclusion

Harassment

Harassment occurs when a cyberbully sends persistent and hurtful online messages to a victim. These messages can contain threats.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

9 of 28

Types of Cyberbullying

(Continued)

Fraping occurs when a cyberbully uses a victim’s social media accounts to post inappropriate content with the victim’s name attached to it. In this scenario, the victim is tied to online content that can damage their reputation.

Fraping

Dissing

A cyberbully disses a victim by spreading cruel information about them. The bully does so via public posts or private messages, with the intent of damaging the victim’s reputation or relationships with others.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

10 of 28

Types of Cyberbullying

(Continued)

A cyberbully denigrates a victim by sending, posting, or publishing false information online about the individual. Denigration usually consists of cruel rumors and gossip about a victim.

Denigration

Impersonation

A cyberbully can impersonate a victim by posting comments on social media and chat rooms in the individual’s name. Doing so can cause a victim to experience backlash from others based on the bully’s online comments.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

11 of 28

Types of Cyberbullying

(Continued)

Cyberbullies can set up fake online profiles on behalf of victims. They can use these profiles to publish false content in their victims’ names without the victim’s consent.

Fake Profiles

Catfishing

With catfishing, a cyberbully exploits a victim’s emotions. A cyberbully attempting to catfish a victim creates a fake online identity and pretends to be someone else. The bully can then engage with a victim using this false identity and build an online romance. Over time, the victim may trust the online user and share sensitive information with the individual. Then, the cyberbully can use this information to embarrass the victim and damage their reputation or expose them.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

12 of 28

SLIDESMANIA.COM

13 of 28

Mental Health

SLIDESMANIA.COM

14 of 28

What are some issues children feel as a result of cyberbullying?

SLIDESMANIA.COM

15 of 28

Dr. Anna Lembke,

Stanford University School of Medicine, Medical Director of Addiction Medicine

“We have a need/desire to connect to people—social media is a vehicle that amplifies it and has the potential for addiction.”

SLIDESMANIA.COM

16 of 28

Why are teens especially vulnerable to catfishing?

Humans are wired for social connectivity, and this is especially true of adolescents. One of the most significant factors leading to social media addiction is the involvement of the brain’s reward system in response to social cues.

Adolescence is the period in which peer acceptance becomes highly prioritized. While social rewards activate the neurotransmitter dopamine, being in love results in an even stronger response involving another neurotransmitter, oxytocin, also known as the love hormone.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

17 of 28

Social Media: Similar to Slot Machines

Slot machines use intermittent variable reward schemes
Slot machine: pull the lever and wait while the dials spin
Social media: log on and wait while your feeds update
Wait time is designed for both slot machines and social media to give you time to think “I might win”

SLIDESMANIA.COM

18 of 28

Multiple studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts.

Social media may promote negative experiences such as:

Inadequacy about your life or appearance.
Fear of missing out
Isolation
Depression and Anxiety

SLIDESMANIA.COM

19 of 28

Inadequacy of life or appearance

Even if you know that images you’re viewing on social media are manipulated, they can still make you feel insecure about how you look or what’s going on in your own life. Similarly, we’re all aware that other people tend to share just the highlights of their lives, rarely the low points that everyone experiences.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

20 of 28

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

FOMO has been around far longer than social media, sites such as Facebook and Instagram seem to exacerbate feelings that others are having more fun or living better lives than you are.

The idea that you’re missing out on certain things can impact your self-esteem, trigger anxiety, and fuel even greater social media use.

FOMO can compel you to pick up your phone every few minutes to check for updates, or compulsively respond to each and every alert—even if that means taking risks while you’re driving, missing out on sleep at night, or prioritizing social media interaction over real world relationships.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

21 of 28

Isolation

A study at the University of Pennsylvania found that high usage of Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram increased rather decreased feelings of loneliness.

The study also found that reducing social media usage can actually make you feel less lonely and isolated and improve your overall well being.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

22 of 28

Depression and Anxiety

Human beings need face-to-face contact to be mentally healthy. Nothing reduces stress and boosts your mood faster or more effectively than eye-to-eye contact with someone who cares about you.

The more you prioritize social media interaction over in-person relationships, the more you’re at risk for developing or exacerbating mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

23 of 28

What are signs a child is a victim of Cyberbullying?

Become shy and withdrawn
Became moody, agitated, anxious or stressed out
Act more aggressively towards others
Protest more about going to school
Get into trouble at school
Skip school
Experience a dip in academic performance
Have stopped using technology that connect to the internet
Change in eating and sleeping habits (i.e. nightmares)
Attempts self-harm or threatens suicide
Suddenly started hanging out with a new group of friends

SLIDESMANIA.COM

24 of 28

What can I do as a Parent?

The most important preventive measure parents can take is to talk to their teens about catfishing and foster an environment of open communication. The safer your teen feels talking to you, the more likely your teen will keep you informed about online interactions.

Parents should encourage teens to avoid oversharing details that could make it easier for scammers to target them.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

25 of 28

What can I do as a Parent? (Cont’d)

Also, educate teens about the signs to watch for when talking to someone new online:

Use a reverse image search to see if the user’s profile photo is used elsewhere.
Ask plenty of questions and proceed slowly.
Be wary if the user seems too good to be true.
Be skeptical if the other user attempts to move the conversation to another platform.
Be skeptical if the user solicits explicit photos.
Be skeptical of individuals that make excuses to avoid meeting in real life.
Be concerned if the user asks for money for any reason.

If your teen seems overly attached to someone they met online, review the above information with your teen and help them investigate the individual’s authenticity.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

26 of 28

If you suspect your child is a victim of cyberbullying…

Ask your child to go over a list of contact in their phone and messages in apps so you can know more about the people with whom they communicate.

Talk to your children about cyberbullying, so they know what it is and how to understand when it’s happening.

Emphasize to children that they will not lose their current internet privileges if they are being cyberbullied. According to National Crime Prevention Council, this is the main reason children do not speak up about cyberbullying.

Reach out to school counselor and/or principal to look for signs of bullying in school and to address the problem the best way possible.

SLIDESMANIA.COM

27 of 28

Future Presentations

4/19/23: Appropriate Use of Social Media for Minors and Parental Controls

All presentations will be held virtually at 12 pm and 7 pm.

Google Meet Link
Otherwise, to join by phone, dial +1 732-630-8030 and enter this PIN: 445 741 786#

SLIDESMANIA.COM

28 of 28

Thank you!

Lauren Floroff, LPC

SEL Specialist

lfloroff@warrentboe.org

Carol Brown, LCSW

Student Assistance Counselor

cbrown@warrentboe.org

SLIDESMANIA.COM