According to a new study by Iowa State University researchers, one out of every two LGBT and allied adolescents are regular victims of cyberbullying, a form of harassment happening via Web sites, chat rooms, e-mail, cell phones and instant messaging. The study surveyed 444 youth, ages 11 to 22, including 350 self-identified LGBT subjects, as well as nearly 100 straight allies. More than 50 percent of non-heterosexual respondents reported being cyberbullied 30 days prior to the survey either about their sexual identifies or because they identify or are friends with LGBT peers. Among the LGBT respondents, in response to said bullying:

• 45 percent report feeling depressed
• 38 percent report feeling embarrassed
• 28 percent report feeling anxious about simply going to school
• One in four report having suicidal thoughts (Less than two months ago, a Massachusetts teen committed suicide in a case that has been linked to cyberbullying)

We’ve previously discussed the numerous challenges facing LGBT youth, including homelessness, violence, sexual abuse, and very often verbal harassment at school. Back when I was a geeky little tween, bullying was almost always verbal and most often done via folded-up note or overheard from a gaggle of girls outside a classroom. Today’s elementary to high school age kids now have cell phones, e-mail accounts, Facebook, MySpace, Tumblr, YouTube and Twitter, not to mention the terrifying Formspring.Me, a social media site allowing users to ask each other anonymous questions. Formspring.Me is already under fire for opening the door to harassment; less than three months after the site was launched, it helped start a near-riot at a Pennsylvania school.

So what to do? The effects of bullying can last for years, often with devastating emotional consequences. According to this article, these virtual assaults, be it embarrassing photos or spreading nasty rumors or private information, can be especially upsetting because “victims feel they have nowhere to turn.” According to survey respondents, 40 percent said their parents wouldn’t believe them if told, and ironically, more than half felt that their parents might restrict their Internet and phone access, which is particularly troublesome for LGBT youth, as it can often be their only connection to LGBT peers and allies. One of the study’s researchers, Warren Blumenfeld, states that “technology is often the ‘lifeline to the outside world’ for many young LGBT students who have been ostracized by their peers at school.”

One in four survey respondents said they needed to learn how to handle the problems themselves, but an overwhelming number (80 percent!) of those surveyed stated that peers should step in and do more to stop the attacks. Allies – this is where we can play a tremendous part. Act as positive role models to stem these types of bullying – don’t engage, rather help to educate others about LGBT youth and the struggles LGBT classmates face, and ways we can all help. 

As Blumendfeld states, “bullying can’t be seen as something that happens between an attacker and a victim, but must be looked at within the context of the community.” In the school community, teachers and administrators have unique opportunities to openly discuss the harmful effects of harassment, and can enact policies that prevent and punish bullying, both on and offline. In the online community, social networking sites need to establish more stringent rules and guidelines for its under-18 users, including account deactivations for repeated offenses, in order to demonstrate that cyberbullying will not be tolerated.