Survey Shows Cyber Activity Starting at Younger Ages

By: Jackie Wernz

The Office of the Illinois Attorney General recently released results of a survey of more than 4,200 youth throughout Illinois regarding their use of cell phones and the internet. The survey highlights the challenges school districts face when attempting to abide by Illinois laws governing bullying prevention and internet safety because students are using cyber technology at earlier ages and are experiencing or participating in inappropriate cyber behavior with increasing frequency throughout their school careers.

The Cyber Safety Survey makes clear that many children—and especially many high school students—are the perpetrators and/or the victims of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can be defined as the use of electronic communications to deliberately bully, haze, harass, threaten or intimidate someone. Cyberbullying can include, but is not limited to, such acts as making threats, provocative insults or demeaning remarks of a racial, ethnic or sexual nature. Specifically, the Cyber Safety Survey indicates that nearly 19 percent of surveyed children, who range from third to twelfth grade in school, have been threatened by someone online or by text, and more than 21 percent have felt uncomfortable with a conversation they have had with someone online or by text. Twenty-five (25) percent of surveyed students also report having said something inappropriate to someone else online or by text.

Moreover, the Cyber Safety Survey statistics indicate that incidences of cyberbullying increase with age. For example, 43 percent of surveyed students age 14 or above admitted to having said something inappropriate to someone online or by text, more than a 37 percent increase from the 5.72% of eight to 10 year olds who admitted to the same behavior.

The survey results also indicate that students are receiving cell phones and are starting profiles on social networking websites, such as MySpace and Facebook, at increasingly younger ages. While students age 14 or above reported having received a cell phone at an average age of 12.71 years old, and having started their first social networking page at an average age of 13.18 years old.  The average student surveyed between ages eight and 10 reported getting their first cell phone at an average age of 8.17 years old and starting their social networking page at 8.49 years old.

The results of the survey highlight the challenges that face school districts in educating students about internet safety and protecting students from cyberbullying. School districts have various duties under Illinois Law relating to internet safety and cyberbullying, which are made all the more difficult by the increasing prevalence of, and misuse of, cyber technology. Specifically, school districts are required by Illinois law to: (1) address bullying through student discipline policies and procedures, 105 ILCS 5/10-20.14(d); (2) create and maintain a policy on bullying, which must be communicated to students and parents and must be updated every two school years, 105 ILCS 5/27-23.7; (3) make suitable provision for instruction in bullying prevention; (4) incorporate into the school curriculum a component on internet safety; and (5) report any evidence of cyberbullying to the authorities, see 720 ILCS 5/12-7.5 (making cyberbullying/cyberstalking a crime under Illinois law). In light of the new data on risks to cyber safety among school age children, school districts should verify that all necessary bullying, internet safety, and related policies and procedures are in place and up to date.