Armed with increasingly sophisticated tools, bullies are almost every therapist’s problem. The results of digital harassment and cyberbullying can be a cornerstone of child abuse, sexual abuse, sibling abuse, elder abuse, or homicide threats. Most cyberbullying and incivility occur with children, a growing body of literature points to cyberbullying in almost every threatened group served by psychotherapists and healthcare providers. Although offering services without asking about a client’s or patient’s experience with bullying or cyberbullying may need to be reconsidered.
Definitions of Cyberbullying
Researchers in the field agree that cyberbullying is a form of digital harassment intended to intimidate, humiliate or threaten the victim and includes the following:
Bullies can harass their victims in their own homes at all hours of the day.
They can spread vicious rumors instantly.
Pictures and photoshopped images can humiliate and shame the victim.
Direct links to cybersecurity and social engineering, where evil-doers intentionally harm others, particularly in older populations.
In a widely cited, foundational article published by the Journal of Clinical Practice and Epidemiology (2015), lead author Elisa Cantone and colleagues conducted a systematic search and reported on 17 studies evaluating randomized-controlled trials (RTCs) to assess the effectiveness of school interventions on bullying and cyberbullying. The researchers provide vivid examples of cyberbullying in their definition:
Cyberbullying is characterized by the use of electronic forms of contact (e.g., phone calls, text messages, picture/video clips, e-mails, chat rooms, instant messaging, websites), that allow the perpetrator to remain anonymous and intensify feelings of discomfort in the victim. Cyberbullying can take on the following forms: flaming (online fights using electronic messages with angry and vulgar language); harassment (repeatedly sending mean, insulting messages); cyberstalking (repeated, intense harassment and denigration that includes threats or creates significant fear); denigration (spreading rumors online; sending or posting gossip about a person to damage his/her reputation or friendships); impersonation (pretending to be someone else and sending or posting material to get that person in trouble or danger, or damage that person’s reputation or friendships); outing (sharing someone’s secrets or embarrassing information or images online); trickery (tricking someone into revealing secrets or embarrassing information, then sharing it online); and exclusion (intentionally and cruelly excluding someone from an online group).
Repercussions of Cyberbullying
Despite the almost 30 years since a foundational Smith and Sharp publication (1994), cyberbullying persists and can profoundly affect individuals’ personal lives, professional productivity, and academic lives. Current research has further revealed the extreme potential outcomes of these negative effects, including suicidal ideations (Hinduja & Patchin, 2019; Mitchell et al. (2018). A separate study by Kwan et al. (2020) established a strong link between cyberbullying and numerous psychological difficulties, such as depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies, aggression, substance abuse, self-harm, ADHD, and impulsivity. The effects of cyberbullying can also manifest as psychological stress, digital-induced tension, and heightened burnout, collectively diminishing overall well-being (Oksanen, Oksa, Savela, Kaakinen, & Ellonen, 2020).
Cyberbullying is also understood to correlate with adverse social behaviors, encompassing low self-esteem, issues with peers, delinquent behavior, and increased stress levels. Moreover, individuals subjected to cyberbullying are more likely to suffer from sleep disturbances