Survey for identifying patterns of social networking and cyber bullying among adolescents.
Internet usage among adolescents has increased tremendously in the last decade, resulting in an increase in unsupervised access to various forms of media and electronic content. A study by the Kaiser Foundation found that internet use among 8-18 year olds has increased from 47 to 85 percent in the past decade. Unfortunately, the rise of social media has come with the rise of a new, more modern form of bullying - cyber bullying. According to the CDC, more than 16 percent of students in the 9th through 12th grades indicated they had been electronically bullied during the 12 months preceding the survey. Despite the numerous statistics on bullying, most studies do not specifically label behaviors or experiences that encompass cyber bullying.
A researcher at Emory University has developed a survey to assess the prevalence and modes of cyber bullying among adolescent populations. The survey consists of 19 questions to determine general patterns of social networking, including types of social networking, frequency, means of access to sites, perceived parental awareness of patients’ social networking and their experience with cyber bullying. The survey is anonymous and does not contain protected health information. This questionnaire can serve to assess the need for and create a screening tool that identifies alienated and lonely adolescents.