As I've said so many times when I talk to kids and parents about cyberbullying, the statistics are so high that it is more than likely our children are both the victims and the participants in this high tech form of bullying. It's going to take an effort from each of us, working with our children, to turn this ugly trend around. We need our children to understand and recognize bullying when it occurs (whether in person or online) and give them the tools and techniques to address it.
I just came across a fascinating teen-led effort in this area. A teenager in Florida started a website (projectantibully.com) and, what's even more impressive, was the youngest presenter in 160 years at this past April's American Psychiatric Association conference in San Diego. Fabianna Pergolizzi, in partnership with fellow Florida teen Darren Richmond, fielded a survey in 5 schools on the Eastern seaboard. They summarized their findings in a paper presented at the conference. You can view their poster here.
Their data shows that 86% of kids are being bullied in an ongoing fashion and 25% are cyberbullying victims as well. The website is designed to be a resource for kids to help other kids. I encourage you to visit and show these impressive kids your support! Share the site and its objectives with your own children.