Students with Disabilities are Almost Twice as Likely to Be Victims of Cyberbullying

Researchers found that almost one third of students with disabilities (30%) have experienced cyberbullying within the past year, as a victim, perpetrator, or both, compared to 20% of students without disabilities.

This white paper on cyberbullying from the Ruderman Family Foundation analyzes data from 20,000 Boston-area high school students with and without disabilities.

• Looking at victimization only, students with disabilities are almost twice as likely (1.8x) as their peers without disabilities to be victims of cyberbullying.

Overall, students involved in cyberbullying – as a victim, perpetrator, or both – are more likely to experience depression that students who do not experience cyberbullying at all (34%, 24% and 41% respectively versus 13%).

• The link between cyberbullying and depression is especially strong for students with disabilities.

For example, 45% of victims with disabilities experience depression, compared to 31% of victims without disabilities.

As with depression, the connection between cyberbullying and suicidality is especially strong for students with disabilities.

• Thirty eight percent of cyberbullying victims with disabilities report suicidality, compared to 23% of victims without disabilities.

Twenty percent of high school students have some type of visible or invisible disability.

Read the full white paper on Cyberbullying on the Ruderman Family Foundation website.