More than half of students reported being targeted by hurtful comments or excluded online, with girls and younger teens showing more trauma symptoms. But once researchers factored in how much cyberbullying they experienced, age and gender mattered less.
“What mattered most was the overall amount of cyberbullying: the more often a student was targeted, the more trauma symptoms they showed,” Hinduja explained.
“In fact, cyberbullying alone accounted for a significant portion — 32% — of the differences in trauma levels among students.”
The study underscores the importance of trauma-informed care in schools and communities. It also calls for more research into protective factors like strong friendships, resilience, and family support.
“To truly protect young people, we must take a trauma-informed approach, one that prioritises emotional and psychological safety, incorporates grounding techniques, and includes strong crisis intervention plans,” said Hinduja.
“This requires training educators, counsellors and youth-serving adults to recognise signs of trauma, understand its root causes, and respond with empathy, emotional safety protocols and scientifically proven mindfulness interventions. Equally important is creating safe environments where students feel supported and seen, and where even subtle forms of bullying are taken seriously, given the potentially serious outcomes that compromise youth well-being.”