Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Cyberbullying: Dealing with Online Meanness, Cruelty and Threats

Cyberbullying: Dealing with Online
Meanness, Cruelty and Threats
March 2014
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Cyberbullying: Dealing with
Online Meanness, Cruelty and Threats
© 2014 MediaSmarts

Mean or Cruel Behaviour
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Cyberbullying: Dealing with Online Meanness, Cruelty and Threats © 2014 MediaSmarts
He said She said: Mean or Cruel
Behaviour

In 2013, MediaSmarts conducted a national
survey of 5,436 Canadian students, grades 4
through 11, in every province and territory, to
explore the role of networked technologies in
their lives.
Cyberbullying: Dealing with Online Meanness,
Cruelty and Threats is the third in a series of
reports which draw on the rich data that was
collected.
What is the prevalence and impact of online
conflict on Canadian youth?

Types of Mean or Cruel Behaviours
If you answered Yes, what did you do?
Percentage
Yes
Called someone a name 78%
Spread rumours 20%
Posted or shared an embarrassing photo or video of
someone else 16%
Harassed someone sexually (said or did something sexual
when the person did not want you to) (Gr 7-11 only) 4%
Made fun of someone’s race, religion or ethnicity 12%
Made fun of someone’s sexual orientation 7%
Harassed someone in an online game 26%
Other 20%

Mean or Cruel Behaviours: Gender

Reasons for Being Mean or Cruel Online
If you answered Yes, why did you do it?
Percentage
Yes
I was just joking around 55%
The person said something mean and cruel about me first 48%
The person said something mean and cruel about my friend first 32%
I wanted to get even with the person for another reason 22%
My friends were doing it 8%
I was bored 15%
I was angry 25%
I did not like the person 32%
Other 12%
I don’t know 5%

Reasons for Mean or Cruel Behaviours: Gender

Problems with Mean or Cruel Online Behaviour
If you answered Yes, how often was it a
serious problem for you? Percentage
Often 9%
Sometimes 21%
Rarely 56%
Never 14%
• Younger students and girls are most likely to say this
was ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ a serious problem for them
• Students who reported that online meanness was
‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ a serious problem represent 11%
of the total sample

“You’re Going to Get It” – Threats

• 9% of students say that they have threatened someone online
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Grade
Yes

• 31% of students say that they have been threatened online
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Grade
At least once a day
At least once a week
At least once a month
At least once a year
Less than once a year
Never

• Boys and older students are more likely to make threats
• However, most threats are rare occurrences
Has anyone ever threatened you online (for
example, said things like “I’m going to get you”
or “You’re going to get it”)? Percentage
At least once a day 2%
At least once a week 2%
At least once a month 5%
At least once a year 8%
Less than once a year 13%
Never 69%

Problems with Threatening Behaviour
If you answered ‘At least once a day’, ‘At least once a
week’ or ‘At least once a month’, did you think it was a
serious problem for you? Percentage
Often 12%
Sometimes 19%
Rarely 27%
Never 43%
• Students who often or sometimes report online threats as being a
serious problem represent 3% of the total sample
• Girls (46%) are twice as likely as boys (21%) to see threats as being
more problematic

Frequency of online threats being a problem: Grade
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Grade
O en
Some mes
Rarely
Never
• Younger students are less likely to be threatened but most likely to
say this is ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ a serious problem for them

Strategies for Dealing with Online
Conflict
Conflict

Conflict
Grades 4-6 Grades 7-11
Ask parent(s) for help (74%) Ignore it and hope it would go away (43%)
Ignore it and hope it would go away (40%) Talk face to face with the person who
posted it (39%)
Ask another trusted adult (40%) Ask friends for help (39%)
Ask a teacher for help (28%) Ask parents for help (36%)
Talk face to face with the person who posted
it (26%)
It would not bother me so I would do
nothing (35%)
Ask friends for help (25%) Privately email or message the person who
posted it (29%)
Most common strategies for dealing with online meanness and cruelty

Conflict
Grades 4-6 Grades 7-11
Ask parent(s) for help (75%) Ask parent(s) for help (43%)
Ask another trusted adult (40%) Ask friends for help (42%)
Ask friends for help (38%) It would not bother me so I would do
nothing (34%)
Ask a teacher for help (32%) Ignore it and hope it would go away (34%)
Ignore it and hope it would go away (32%) Talk face to face with the person who
posted it (28%)
Call the police (26%) Ask a teacher for help (23%)
Most common strategies for dealing with online threats

Conflict
Parents matter:
• Even in Grade 11 many students will turn to their parents for help
with online meanness (19%) and threats (26%)
• Half of students would tell their parents if someone sent them
something that made them really uncomfortable
• 72% agree with the statement “If I have a problem online
(for example, someone posts something hurtful or sends
me a photo that makes me uncomfortable) I can trust
my parent(s) to help me solve it.”

Conflict
Most Common Responses to Mean or Cruel Behaviour
Boys:
• Ask parents for help (39%)
• Ignore and hope it will
go away (37%)
• Do nothing because it doesn’t
bother them (36%)
• Talk face to face with
the poster (33%)
• Ask friends for help (26%)
Girls:
• Ignore and hope it will go
away (46%)
• Talk face to face with the
poster (36%)
• Ask another trusted adult
(30%)

Conflict
Most Common Responses to Being Threatened Online
Girls:
• Ignore and hope it will go
away (36%)
• Ask another trusted adult
(33%)
• Ask teachers for help or call
police (24% for both
responses)
Boys:
• Do nothing because it doesn’t
bother them (36%)
• Ignore and hope it will go away
(30%)
• Talk face to face with the poster
(26%)

Conflict
First, Second and Third Most Common Responses to Mean or Cruel
Behaviour
First responses: 1. Ask parents for help (22%)
2. Ignore the problem and hope it will go away (22%)
3. Do nothing because it doesn’t bother you (20%)
4. Talk face to face with the poster (11%)
Second responses: 1. Ask parents for help (17%)
2. Ask friends for help (17%)
Third responses: 1. Ask parents for help (16%)
4. Call the police (12%)

Conflict
First, Second and Third Most Common Responses to Being Threatened Online
First responses: 1. Ask parents for help (27%)
2. Do nothing because it doesn’t bother you (21%)
Second responses: 1. Ask parents for help (19%)
Third responses: 1. Call the police (21%)
2. Ask parents for help (14%)

Bystanders and Interveners
Bystanders and Interveners:
Helping Others in Conflict

Percentage
Yes
Overall 65%
Students who have been recipients of mean/cruel comments or
threats 78%
Students who have not been recipients of mean/cruel comments
or threats 52%
Students who have made mean/cruel comments or threats 75%
Students who have not made mean/cruel comments or threats 61%
Helping Someone Who is Being Picked on Online

Helping someone being
picked on online: Gender

Helping someone being picked on online: Grade
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Grade
Yes

Rules and Attitudes about
Cyberbullying in School and at
Home

Rules and Attitudes
• 47% of students have household rules about treating
others with respect online
• Having this rule correlates with lower levels of mean/cruel
and threatening behaviour:
– Students with no household rules about treating
others with respect are 59% more likely
to be mean or cruel than students who
have this rule and are twice as
likely to make threats

Rules and Attitudes
When it comes to schools, the picture is more complicated…
• Although most students (62%) report their schools have rules or
policies to deal with cyberbullying, there is little correlation
between having school rules and whether or not a student has
engaged in, or been a recipient of, mean, cruel or threatening
online behaviour.

Rules and Attitudes
Relationship between being recipient of mean/cruel behaviour or
threats and school rules

Rules and Attitudes
If your school has rules or policies, do you think they are
helpful? Percentage
Often 36%
Sometimes 40%
Rarely 17%
Never 6%
Helpfulness of school rules and policies regarding cyberbullying

Rules and Attitudes
Helpfulness of School Rules and Policies: Grade

Rules and Attitudes
Helpfulness of School Rules and Policies: Students who have been recipients of
Mean/Cruel or Threatening Online Behaviour

Rules and Attitudes
Helpfulness of School Rules and Policies: Students who have engaged in
Mean/Cruel or Threatening Behaviours

Rules and Attitudes
Learning About Cyberbullying
From my
parent(s)
From
teachers
From
friends
From
reading
about it
online
I have
never
learned
about this
I have learned about how to
deal with cyberbullying 43% 62% 15% 13% 14%
Students are most likely to learn about cyberbullying from teachers, but not
as likely to go to them for help.
• Out of parents, friends, other trusted adults, teachers and police,
teachers come second-last for help with meanness and cruelty and last
for help with being threatened.

Rules and Attitudes
Would You Like to Learn More About Cyberbullying in School?

Rules and Attitudes
Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? School Culture
Agree Percentage
Overall
Has been
recipient of
mean/cruel
or
threatening
behaviour
Has NOT been
recipient of
mean/cruel or
threatening
behaviour
Has engaged
in
mean/cruel
or
threatening
behaviour
Has NOT
engaged in
mean/cruel
or
threatening
behaviour
I feel respected and
valued as a member
of my school
community
81% 76% 86% 73% 84%
Bullies are usually
popular at school
42% 49% 36% 49% 40%

Rules and Attitudes
Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
Agree Percentage
Overall
Has been
recipient of
mean/cruel
or
threatening
behaviour
Has NOT been
recipient of
mean/cruel or
threatening
behaviour
Has engaged
in
mean/cruel
or
threatening
behaviour
Has NOT
engaged in
mean/cruel
or
threatening
behaviour
Sometimes parent(s)
or teachers call it
bullying when kids are
really just joking
around.
76% 80% 71% 82% 83%

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