Myth #9
Bullying and cyberbullying stop after high school
Summary
Bullying is a behavior we tend to associate with immaturity and thoughtlessness. However, in a 2018 survey, approximately 26% of the college students reported having had an experience with harassment, bullying, cyberbullying, or similar problems with peers while at college. Some problems happen between roommates or classmates, or between young adult students who date each other. Bullying, cyberbullying, and sexting in college do not come out of nowhere. In a 2014 survey, it was found that the risk of having such peer problems in college was highest for students who also reported being victims of bullying and cyberbullying while in high school. Despite all this, it is important to keep in mind that bullying and cyberbullying victimization appear to decline during the college years. Targets often become more resilient, and offenders may become more mature or even more sensitive. But bullying and cyberbullying are problems that can persist into higher education and adulthood.