Cyberbullying takes many forms – sending hurtful text messages and pictures, posting cruel comments online, or creating fake Facebook or MySpace pages – and it can have a devastating effect. A new white paper from Common Sense Media explains and suggests actions to deal with and prevent cyberbullying. Cyberbullying has quickly become a major issue for kids, families, and schools. A recent survey found that one in three 10- to 17-year-olds say they’ve been cyberbullied, and 52% said they know someone who has experienced cyberbullying.

While this behavior has received considerable news attention, the coverage rarely explores the complexity of the issue. Cyberbullying can take many forms – sending hurtful text messages and pictures, posting cruel comments online, or creating fake Facebook or MySpace pages to impersonate other kids – and it can have a devastating effect, especially considering the amount of time kids today spend online, texting, and using digital media. And while cyberbullying may start from home, it can quickly move to the school environment, yet many schools aren’t prepared to handle it.

This timely white paper is designed to help parents, educators, policymakers, and the online industry explore proactive steps to prevent cyberbullying – including through digital literacy and citizenship education programs.