Research from Rory Meyers College of Nursing in New York suggests that young people between the ages of 11 and 15 are more likely to cyberbully if they felt that their parents are not supportive, helpful, or loving, while those who felt that their parents are loving and supportive were less likely to bully others online.
In a study of 12,642 adolescents, the researchers found that young people who felt their parents were "almost never" loving or supportive were over six times more likely to engage in cyberbullying compared to those who said their parents were "almost always" loving and supportive.
Our findings point to the importance of parental emotional support as a factor that may influence whether teens cyberbully - and more importantly, it is how teens perceive the support they receive from their parents.
Laura Grunin, Lead Author, NYU Meyers
The study also indicated that girls were far less inclined than boys to exhibit high levels of cyberbullying and that respondents who felt their parents understood and helped them were less likely to say hurtful things to others online.
Researchers point out that from the responses they received from participants, there was a clear gap in perception in relation to what support young people felt they were getting and what parents think they are doing to support their child.
I would stress to parents it is not necessarily if they think they are being supportive, but what their adolescent thinks. Parents should strive to discern their teen's perception of parental emotional support as it might be associated with youth cyberbullying behavior.
Laura Grunin, Lead Author, NYU Meyers
Cyberbullying remains one of the most prominent issues for young people and parents as social media and video game user numbers continue to rise. Our recent national Social America Report identified TikTok as the fastest-growing social media platform among young people, with Instagram and Snapchat in second and third place, respectively.