While cyberbullying has received more attention over the years, research has predominantly focused on teens and young adults. In a study with a New Zealand national sample (n = 20,849) the prevalence of cyberbullying among adults was examined. This research suggests that just over 1 in 7 adults experience cyberbullying, with rates of cyberbullying decreasing with age.Technological advances have expanded connectivity between people, but with it there are concerns about the potential for cyberbullying. Approximately 1 in 5 Australian children and adults experience cyberbullying, though there is considerable variability in estimates across prevalence studies. There is less research on the prevalence of cyberbullying among adults. In the APS’s 2017 community survey on digital technology use, about 1 in 5 adults reported that they had been bullied via social media in the previous 12 months.
Wang and colleagues examined the prevalence of cyberbullying among adults in more detail with a large New Zealand national sample (n = 20,849) of 18 to 97 year olds. The data analysed was a subset of data from a longitudinal study of New Zealand attitudes and values. Cyberbullying was measured via two items requiring a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response: “Has someone ever used the internet, a mobile phone, or digital camera to hurt, intimidate, or embarrass you?” and “Has this occurred in the past month?”
On average just over 1 in 7 (14.9%) adults reported having been a target of cyberbullying, with 2.2 per cent of participants reporting such experiences over the previous month.
Age differences
There were statistically significant age differences in cyberbullying rates across all age cohorts. The highest rates of cyberbullying were reported among young adults (18-25 years), with about two in five (40.5%) reporting that they had been cyberbullied. Among older adults, rates diminished with age (24% for 26–35 year olds, 15.1% for 36–45 year olds, 13% for 46–55 year olds and 6.5% for adults 66 years and older). There were similar patterns, but at lower rates, for cyberbullying in the past month. Young adults had experienced the highest level of cyberbullying (3.2%), with a small decrease with increasing age for each age cohort.
Gender differences
Women reported slightly greater levels (15.8%) of cyberbullying than men (13.7%), with this difference being statistically significant. There were no gender differences for rates in the previous month.
Ethnic differences
Significant ethnic differences were also found in reports of cyberbullying, with rates significantly higher for Pacific Nations (20.9% lifetime, 4.5% past month) and Maori participants (19.6% lifetime, 3.6% past month) than for Asian (14.8% lifetime, 3% past month) and New Zealand European (13.5% lifetime, 1.7% past month) participants. In each ethnic group the rates for having ever experienced cyberbullying showed a reduction with increasing age, but when considering past month experience, this pattern was only found among New Zealand European participants.
Implications
This research suggests that while the most concerning rates of cyberbullying are among young adults, cyberbullying can be experienced across the lifespan. The oldest age cohort (66 and over) showed the lowest rate, but this may change as current younger cohorts, who are regular uses of technology, age and as further advances in technology occur. This highlights the need for continued promotion of safe technology use and support for adults in preventing and coping with experiences of cyberbullying.
It is important to consider that some demographic groups of adults may be more vulnerable to cyberbullying than others, such as young women and certain ethnic groups. In Australia this includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI), and Indigenous Australians. However, research to date is largely limited to children, adolescents and young adults. Wang and colleagues suggest that future research could explore whether ethnic differences in cyberbullying may reflect an extension of prejudice and discrimination in online settings.
The published paper can be accessed at doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2019.0146