Approximately 26.5% of U.S. teenagers reported experiencing cyberbullying within the past 30 days in 2023, marking a steady increase from previous years and affecting about 1 in 4 middle and high school students. This translates to millions of kids impacted annually, with girls aged 15-17 facing higher rates (54%) compared to boys (44%).

One in six school-aged children (about 15%) worldwide has experienced cyberbullying, with similar rates in the U.S. where 37% of middle and high school students report online harassment. In the U.S. specifically, 21.6% of students ages 12-18 who were bullied at school during the 2021-22 school year reported it occurring online or via text.

Around 30% of U.S. teens have been cyberbullied at some point in their lives, with 15% admitting to cyberbullying others. One in five tweens (ages 8-12) has either been cyberbullied, cyberbullied someone else, or witnessed it, underscoring early onset in families.

Girls are disproportionately affected, with 36% reporting cyberbullying compared to 26% of boys. Among young adults (18-29), 67% have been targets of online harassment, including severe forms, with women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and young adults being the most vulnerable groups.

Nearly half (41-50%) of U.S. adults have experienced online harassment or cyberbullying, affecting family dynamics as 40% of adults report personal encounters. This extends to parents, with 34% of teenagers overall reporting bullying (including online) in the last 12 months from 2021-2023 data.

Cyberstalking impacts about 7.5 million people annually in the U.S., with 80% involving technology like GPS tracking or social media monitoring. It’s a subset of broader stalking, affecting millions more, and often starts young: 24% of females and 19% of males first experience it at age 17 or younger.

The most frequent cyberbullying tactics among U.S. teens include offensive name-calling (32%) and spreading false rumors (22%). For cyberstalking, 75% of victims receive unwanted phone calls, and 57% get unwanted emails, texts, or social media messages, often overlapping with harassment on platforms like YouTube (79% of kids cyberbullied there) and Snapchat (69%).

Social media is a hotspot, with 50% of teens experiencing harassment in the past year per 2024 reports. Meta removed 6.7 million pieces of content violating bullying and harassment policies in Q4 2024 alone, indicating the massive volume platforms face. Overall, 34% of U.S. teenagers were bullied (online or offline) in the last 12 months as of late 2023.