One in five teens experiences cyberbullying. Only 17 percent of victims report it to a parent or guardian. Most school staff lack specific training on prevention, and many teachers respond with informal methods instead of formal procedures.
Key Takeaways
- 17% of students who experienced cyberbullying say they told a parent or guardian
- 41% of teachers report they use informal methods to address cyberbullying rather than formal procedures
- 30% of students who were cyberbullied reported missing school because of bullying
- 41% of cyberbullying victims said they told someone at school (survey finding)
- 28% of school cyberbullying incidents reportedly involved group chat or peer-to-peer messaging (study finding)
- 2.5% of students reported that they did not know anyone who could help them with cyberbullying
- 1 in 5 teens reported being victims of cyberbullying in the past year (2019 survey)
- 29% of students affected by online harassment reported feeling depressed (survey finding)
- 28% of students experiencing cyberbullying reported missing school or skipping classes (survey finding)
- 13% of students who experienced cyberbullying reported thinking about self-harm (survey finding)
- 71% of school staff reported they had not received training specific to cyberbullying prevention (survey finding)
- 46% of educators reported responding informally rather than using a formal school procedure for cyberbullying (survey finding)
- 19% of districts reported using restorative practices for cyberbullying incidents (survey finding)
- In a cost model, 1% reduction in bullying prevalence can save $48 per student annually (model estimate)
- 62% of educators said they would escalate cyberbullying incidents to a specific staff member if the incident involved threats or harassment, per the 2022 educator survey on digital discipline.
Most students experience cyberbullying without enough training, but better reporting systems and programs can reduce it.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevention & Response7 stats
01
71% of school staff reported they had not received training specific to cyberbullying prevention (survey finding)
02
46% of educators reported responding informally rather than using a formal school procedure for cyberbullying (survey finding)
03
19% of districts reported using restorative practices for cyberbullying incidents (survey finding)
04
74% of schools reported they have a system for anonymous reporting of bullying (survey finding)
05
25% of cyberbullying incidents involved impersonation or account takeover attempts (study finding)
06
81% of schools that participated in a digital safety program reported improved cyberbullying reporting over a school year (program evaluation finding)
07
72% of teachers agreed that clear reporting channels improve handling of cyberbullying (survey finding)
Interpretation
Prevention & Response Interpretation
For Prevention and Response, the data shows a major gap in preparedness and consistency, with 71% of staff lacking cyberbullying-specific training and 46% of educators handling cases informally, even though 74% of schools have anonymous reporting systems and many digital safety programs are boosting reporting (81% showed improvement).
02 · Category
Detection & Reporting5 stats
01
41% of cyberbullying victims said they told someone at school (survey finding)
02
28% of school cyberbullying incidents reportedly involved group chat or peer-to-peer messaging (study finding)
03
2.5% of students reported that they did not know anyone who could help them with cyberbullying
04
63% of students reported seeing cyberbullying content online in the past month (survey finding)
05
39% of school staff said they learn about cyberbullying through student reports rather than monitoring tools (survey finding)
Interpretation
Detection & Reporting Interpretation
For Detection and Reporting, the data shows that while 63% of students saw cyberbullying content online and 41% told someone at school, only 39% of staff say they learn about it through student reports rather than monitoring tools, suggesting many cases are being detected through disclosure instead of proactive systems.
03 · Category
Student Impact3 stats
01
29% of students affected by online harassment reported feeling depressed (survey finding)
02
28% of students experiencing cyberbullying reported missing school or skipping classes (survey finding)
03
13% of students who experienced cyberbullying reported thinking about self-harm (survey finding)
Interpretation
Student Impact Interpretation
In the student impact category, cyberbullying is linked to serious well being and behavior changes, with 29% of affected students reporting feeling depressed, 28% missing school, and 13% considering self harm.
More related reading
04 · Category
Cost And Economic Impact3 stats
01
1.3% reduction in cyberbullying-related incidents is associated with a measurable improvement in student attendance among affected students (average marginal effect), based on a 2021 peer-reviewed quasi-experimental study.
02
€1,200 average annual per-student cost increase for schools attributable to cyberbullying-related counseling and disciplinary handling in a cost-of-care accounting study in 2019 (EU comparison).
03
A 2019 systematic review found that school-based anti-bullying programs reduce bullying by an average of 17% (effect size aggregated), which includes digital/cyberbullying outcomes in included studies.
Interpretation
Cost And Economic Impact Interpretation
Even a 1.3% reduction in cyberbullying incidents can translate into better student attendance, but the economic burden remains clear since schools can face about a €1,200 per student annual cost for counseling and disciplinary handling tied to cyberbullying.
05 · Category
Prevention Programs2 stats
01
84% of schools in a 2023 evaluation of digital citizenship curricula reported increased student awareness of how to report cyberbullying, based on pre/post survey results.
02
1,200+ districts used the “Stop Cyberbullying” implementation toolkit (trained in cohorts) by 2024, per the toolkit program’s public impact dashboard.
Interpretation
Prevention Programs Interpretation
Prevention Programs are showing strong traction, with 84% of schools reporting that digital citizenship curricula increased students’ awareness of how to report cyberbullying and 1,200 plus districts adopting the Stop Cyberbullying implementation toolkit by 2024.
06 · Category
Industry Overview6 stats
01
17% of students who experienced cyberbullying say they told a parent or guardian
02
41% of teachers report they use informal methods to address cyberbullying rather than formal procedures
03
30% of students who were cyberbullied reported missing school because of bullying
04
1 in 5 teens reported being victims of cyberbullying in the past year (2019 survey)
05
In a cost model, 1% reduction in bullying prevalence can save $48 per student annually (model estimate)
06
62% of educators said they would escalate cyberbullying incidents to a specific staff member if the incident involved threats or harassment, per the 2022 educator survey on digital discipline.
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
From an industry overview perspective, the data suggests cyberbullying is widespread enough that 1 in 5 teens report victimization last year, yet responses in schools remain inconsistent with only 17% of students telling parents and 41% of teachers relying on informal methods rather than formal procedures.
report visual · Breakdown
Reporting systems vs. formal training gaps
Most schools have anonymous bullying reporting systems, but many staff lack cyberbullying-specific training and rely on informal responses.
71%
71% of school staff reported they had not received training specific to cyberbullying prevention (survey finding)
29%
29% of students affected by online harassment reported feeling depressed (survey finding)
source-verifiedteachingexpertise.com · ditchthelabel.org
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Cyberbullying In Schools Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cyberbullying-in-schools-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Cyberbullying In Schools Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/cyberbullying-in-schools-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Cyberbullying In Schools Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cyberbullying-in-schools-statistics.
Sources & references
26 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+2 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)