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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. Although 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…
