Cyberbullying Public Awareness Research

FINAL REPORT

Prepared for Public Safety Canada

Supplier name: Environics Research Group
Contract number: 0D160-196106/001/CY
POR Registration Number: POR 125-18
Contract date: 2019-02-19
Report date: 2019-03-29
Fieldwork dates: March 8 to March 21, 2019
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For more information on this report:
ps.communications-communications.sp@canada.ca
Cyberbullying Research
Final Report
Prepared for Public Safety Canada by Environics Research
March 2019
Permission to reproduce
This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from Public Safety Canada. For more information on this report, please contact Public Safety Canada at: ps.communications-communications.sp@canada.ca
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, 2019.
Cat. No. PS4-251/2019E-PDF
ISBN 978-0-660-30474-8

Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre Recherche sur la sensibilisation à la cyberintimidation

Table of contents
Executive Summary
Political Neutrality Certification
I. Political neutrality statement and contact information
Introduction
Detailed findings
II. Safety and technology
III. Perceptions of Cyberbullying
IV. Experiencing cyberbullying
V. Witnessing cyberbullying
VI. Perpetrating cyberbullying
VII. Responding to cyberbullying
Appendix A: Methodology
Appendix B: Quantitative research instruments
I. Youth Questionnaire
II. Parents' Questionnaire

Executive Summary

Background and objectives

Public Safety Canada (PSC) wants to better understand how to effectively prevent and address cyberbullying. The objectives of this research include obtaining a baseline measurement of Canadian youth and parents of youth in terms of their knowledge, experience, awareness, attitudes, and behaviours with respect to cyberbullying.
Using this information, it will be possible to develop and implement a public awareness campaign in an effective and efficient manner. Information obtained through this public opinion research will allow PSC to optimize the impact of its marketing initiatives. The findings will help inform PSC and relevant stakeholders on the types of tools and resources they should produce to educate the public on this issue and promote safe online behaviour.

Methodology

The following sample disposition was achieved: Environics Research conducted two online surveys of Canadians. The first survey was with 800 youth aged 14 to 24, and the second survey was of 600 parents with children between 10 and 24 years of age. Quotas were set by age, gender, and region, and the data were weighted to ensure the sample is representative of these populations according to the most recently available Census information.
As an online survey is a non-probability sample, no margin of sampling error is reported.
This size of sample provides robust data to understand behaviours, opinions, and attitudes within the total population and subgroups of interest for each parents and youth.

More information about the methodology for this survey is included in Appendix A.

Cost of research

The cost of this research was $81,979.24 (HST included).

Key findings

Cyberbullying affects a substantial minority of youth.
Safety and technology. Virtually all youth spend several hours online each day and use the internet for social interaction multiple times daily. Text messaging, YouTube, email, Instagram, and Facebook are the most common types of social media sites or apps used by youth. Parents' perceptions of their children's technology use are similar.

• Only one-third of youth indicate that they feel very safe while online, and fewer parents feel the same way about their children when online.
• Most youth report positive experiences with texting, messaging, gaming, and using social media.

Perceptions of cyberbullying. Almost all youth and parents are aware of cyberbullying and think it is common, affecting a lot of young people. Most youth and parents agree that it is a serious problem, and most believe that cyberbullying is illegal.

• Youth most often learn about cyberbullying from school or teachers, followed by ads or public service announcements and news stories.
• While a plurality of youth and parents say that everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied, others say specific targets of cyberbullying include those perceived to be unattractive, gender diverse, or LGBTQ.

Experiences of cyberbullying. Three in ten youth say they have personally experienced cyberbullying at some point, and a similar proportion of parents say the same of their children.
Most who were cyberbullied say that it took place over a year ago, and the most common platforms where youth experienced cyberbullying are Facebook and text messaging. Name-calling and negative comments about physical experience are the most common types of cyberbullying experienced, with only one-quarter or fewer youth reporting they received physically threatening or sexually explicit messages. Most cyberbullied youth report that the cyberbully was someone from school, a friend or former friend.

• Youth report taking a variety of actions in response to cyberbullying, including blocking the bully, ignoring it, and talking to a parent or a friend. Most parents say they talked to their child about it and tried to be supportive.
• Most parents and youth say the cyberbullying stopped after they took action.

About half of the youth who were cyberbullied say that it was a very hurtful experience, while almost all parents say it was a very hurtful experience both for their child and for themselves personally. A majority of youth express concern about being cyberbullied in the future, as do most parents about their children.
Witnessing cyberbullying. About half of youth say they have witnessed cyberbullying directed at someone else, while three in ten parents say the same.
Of those who have witnessed it, most youth say it happened to someone at school or a friend, while parents are most likely to say that happened to a child of one of their friends, or a friend of their children.  The most common types of cyberbullying witnessed by youth involved name-calling and negative comments about physical appearance.

• Youth are most likely to say that they talked to the victim and tried to be supportive, or that they talked to friends about it. Parents are most likely to say they talked to their own child about cyberbullying or tried to be supportive to the victim.

Perpetrating cyberbullying. One in ten youth admit to having cyberbullied someone. While a smaller proportion of parents say the same of their children, one-third are at least somewhat concerned that their child might cyberbully someone in the future.
Youth who may have cyberbullied someone say that the victim was most often someone from school, or a friend or former friend. The most common reasons for doing it are out of anger, thinking it was funny, and not knowing any better at the time.

• Parents who say their child may have committed cyberbullying are most likely to say that they confronted their child, disciplined them, or took away their phone.

Responding to cyberbullying. Parents are most likely to say that they would respond to their child being cyberbullied by being supportive, keeping records of incidents, showing their child how to block the cyberbully, or contacting the police. Youth are most likely to say they would block the cyberbully or to ignore it and not respond.
Most parents and youth express concern about cyberbullying and think that it is not being taken seriously enough. Most think that cyberbullies tend to get away with it, and just half agree that the authorities would take it seriously if it was reported. Most parents agree that they do not have enough information on how to deal with cyberbullying when it occurs. Few parents or youth are aware of any available resources for support with cyberbullying issues.

Political Neutrality Certification

Political neutrality statement and contact information

I hereby certify as senior officer of Environics that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research. Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate, or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.

Derek Leebosh
Vice President, Public Affairs
Environics Research Group
derek.leebosh@environics.ca
(416) 820-1963
Supplier name: Environics Research Group
PWGSC contract number: 0D160-196106/001/CY
Original contract date: 2019-02-19
For more information, contact ps.communications-communications.sp@canada.ca.

Introduction

Background

In recent years, as online communication technologies have become increasingly ubiquitous, cyberbullying has emerged as a major issue in Canada. Although Canadians of all background can be victims of cyberbullying, most cyberbullying victims tend to be young girl and women, or members of other vulnerable communities. There is currently a lack of empirical data on what works to prevent and reduce cyberbullying behaviours among youth and there are very few programs that have been designed to focus specifically on addressing and preventing cyberbullying.
This research will be used to support Public Safety Canada (PSC) expand its knowledge base about cyberbullying and what works to prevent cyberbullying, and to develop educational activities for parents, youth and educators about the harm and consequences of cyberbullying.

Research rationale and objectives

The purpose of this research is to obtain data about the general awareness, attitudes and behaviours about cyberbullying among youth aged 14 to 24 and among parents of youth aged 10 to 24. The specific objectives of the research are to establish a quantitative baseline of the state of public opinion on the issues of cyberbullying including awareness, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours.
The data provided will help identify and establish target audience segments for a marketing campaign and develop and implement a public awareness campaign in an effective and efficient manner. In this case the two target audiences are Canadian youth, aged 14 to 24, as well as parents of youth who are between the ages of 10 and 24. Information obtained through this public opinion research will allow PSC to optimize the impact of its marketing initiatives.

Report

This report begins with an executive summary outlining key findings and conclusions, followed by a detailed analysis of the results. A detailed description of the methodology used to conduct this research is presented in Appendix A. The research instruments are presented in Appendix B.

Detailed findings

Safety and technology

Perceptions of safety by location

Only one-third of youth feel very safe when online. Just two in ten parents feel that their children are very safe online.
Asked to what extent they personally feel safe in a variety of places, almost all youth said they feel very safe when at home, and about six in ten say the same about their workplace or school. However, only four in ten youth feel very safe when walking alone in their neighbourhood, and just one-third feel very safe while online.
Parents have similar perceptions of their children's safety at home and walking alone in their neighbourhood. However, fewer parents feel their children are very safe in their workplace, at school, or online, compared to youths' perception of their safety.
Impressions of youth safety by location

* Excluding respondents who indicate category does not apply to them
Youth - Q1. To what extent do you personally feel safe in each of these places?
Parents - Q1. To what extent do you personally feel that your children are safe in each of these places?
Among youth, the following demographic groups are most likely to feel very safe while online:

• Males (40% vs. 26% among females)
• Anglophones (36% vs. 22% of Francophones)

Youths who are younger are more likely to feel very safe while online than older youth. Correspondingly, youths who are in high school or have completed high school are more likely to feel very safe while online than youths with higher levels of education.
Youths who later in the survey indicated that they are very aware of cyberbullying are more likely to feel very safe online than those with less awareness of cyberbullying. However, youth who have been cyberbullied or have witnessed cyberbullying are less likely to feel very safe when online.
Among parents, the following groups are most likely to feel their children are very safe while online:

• Older than 50 (22% vs. 14% who are younger than 50)
• Anglophones (22% vs. 8% of Francophones)

Time spent online

Youth report spending over five hours a day online.
Almost one-half of youth report spending over five hours each day online. Just four percent spend one hour or less online.
Hours each day spent online

Youth – Q2. About how many hours a day would you say that you spend online?
Among youths, the following demographic groups are most likely to spend at least five hours a day online:

• Aged 18 or older (53% vs. 33% who are 14 to 17 years old)
• Lives in Ontario (52% vs. 38% in Quebec)
• University education (57% vs. 35% in high school)
• Does not live with parents (55% vs. 40% who live with their parents)

Racialized youths, those identifying as having a mental illness, and youths who identify as LGBTQ+ are also more likely than youth who are not a member of an equity group to spend at least five hours a day online. Spending more than five hours a day online is also linked with having online social interactions at least hourly, having been cyberbullied, witnessing cyberbullying, and perpetrating cyberbullying.

Use of internet for social interactions

Almost all youth report using the internet at least several times a day for social interaction. Parent perceptions of youth behavior are similar.
Four in ten youths say they use the internet for any social interaction, including texting, messaging, or chatting, at least hourly, and a further one-half say they do so several times a day. Few youths report using the internet for any social interaction less than daily. Parents have similar perceptions of their children's online social behaviour.

• Use of internet for any social interaction

Youth – Q3. How often do you use the internet for any social interaction (such as texting, messaging or chatting online with friends or acquaintances, gaming, or sharing on social media)?
Parents – Q2. How often do your children use the internet for any social interaction (such as texting, messaging or chatting online with friends or acquaintances, gaming, or sharing on social media)?
Among youth, the following demographic groups are most likely to use the internet at least hourly for social interactions:

• 18 to 21 years old (48% vs. 33% who are 14 to 17 years old)
• Have completed high school (47%, vs. 33% who are currently in high school and 36% who are in university)
• Does not live with parents (47% vs. 37% who currently live with their parents)
• Currently work (42% vs 34% who are not currently working)

Using the internet at least hourly is higher among youth who identify as having a mental illness or identify as being LGBTQ and is also linked with being very aware of cyberbullying, as well as witnessing or perpetrating cyberbullying.
Parents who are most likely to indicate their children use the internet at least hourly includes those who are:

• Older than 50 (41% vs. 28% who are younger than 50)
• Post-graduate education (45% vs. 29% of parents with a high school or less education)

Use of social media sites and apps

Most youth report using text messaging, YouTube, Instagram, e-mail, Facebook, and Snapchat in the past week.
Seven in ten or more youth report using text messaging, YouTube, e-mail, Instagram, and Facebook in the past week. Six in ten report using Snapchat, while other social media sites or apps (including WhatsApp, Twitter, and Reddit) are used by a minority of youth.
Parents generally report that their children use similar social media sites. Parents are slightly less likely to report that their children use email, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Reddit, and are slightly more likely to report their children using Twitter.

• Use of social media sites or apps in the past week

Youth – Q4. Which of the following online social media sites or apps have you used in the last week?
Parents – Q3. As far as you know, which of the following online social media sites or apps do your children use?

• Among youth:
• Females are more likely than males to report using text messaging, email, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. Males are more likely than females to report using Reddit, PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Discord, and Twitch.
• Youth aged 22 to 24 years old are most likely to report using WhatsApp. Those aged 18 to 21 are most likely to report using text messaging, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and Discord. Youth younger than 18 are most likely to report using PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. Younger youth are also least likely to report using Facebook, email, and Reddit.
• Geographically, use of WhatsApp is lowest in Atlantic Canada and Quebec. Use of Facebook is highest in Quebec. Youth living in Ontario are most likely to use Twitter and Reddit.
• Those who have been cyberbullied are more likely to use Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat than those who have not been cyberbullied.
• Youth who identify as a member of any equity group are most likely to use YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Reddit compared to youth who do not identify as a member of any equity group.

Parents who are older than 50 or anglophones are more likely than younger parents to indicate their children use most types of social media sites or apps.

Experience of online social activities

Most youth report at least mostly positive experiences with texting and messaging, gaming, and using social media.
More than eight in ten youth say that their experiences texting and messaging are at least mostly positive, as do three quarter of those who game and two-thirds of youth with social media.

• Impression of online social activities

* Excluding respondents who indicate category does not apply to them
Youth – Q5. To what extent have each of the following online social activities (such as chatting with friends, gaming, and using social media), been a positive or negative experience for you?

Perceptions of Cyberbullying

Awareness of cyberbullying

Awareness of cyberbullying is almost universal. Six in ten youth say they are very aware of cyberbullying as are five in ten parents.
Almost all youth and parents say that they are at least somewhat aware of cyberbullying. While six in ten youth say that they are very aware, one-half of parents say the same. Very few parents and youth say that they are not very aware, with just one percent in each group saying that they have never heard of the term before.

• Awareness of cyberbullying

Youth – Q6. How aware would you say you are of “cyberbullying”? Are you?
Parents – Q4. How aware would you say you are of “cyberbullying”? Are you?

• Among youth, the following demographic groups are most likely to be very aware of cyberbullying:
• Anglophones (64% vs. 48% of Francophones)
• Currently working (64% vs. 54% of those not working)
• Those who use the internet at least hourly are also more likely to say they are very aware of cyberbullying, as are those who have been cyberbullied or have witnessed cyberbullying. Youth who identify as having a mental illness are also most likely to say they are very aware of cyberbullying.

Parents who are most likely to say they are very aware of cyberbullying includes those who are:

• Younger than 50 (53% vs. 46% who are older than 50)
• Post-graduate education (61%)

Sources of information about cyberbullying

Youth tend to learn about cyberbullying from school or teachers, ads, news stories or from friends who have experienced it. Four in ten learned about it from their parents.
Eight in ten youth have learned about cyberbullying from school or teachers. More than one-half have learned about it from ads or public service announcements, or from news stories. Fewer than one-half say they have learned about cyberbullying from their peers, including friends or people they know online who have been cyberbullied. Only four in ten say they have learned about the issue from their parents. Two in ten youth say that they have learned about cyberbullying from personal experience.

• Sources of information about cyberbullying

Youth – Q7. Where and how have you learned about cyberbullying?

• Among youth:
• Females are more likely than males to learn about cyberbullying from ads or public service announcements, news stories, and from personal experience.
• Youth under 18 are most likely to have learned about cyberbullying from their parents, and those older than 21 are most likely to have learned about it from ads or public service announcements, or from news stories.
• Youth with a university education are most likely to have learned about it from ads or public service announcements, or from news stories.

Perception of seriousness of cyberbullying

While most youth think that cyberbullying is a very serious problem for young people in Canada, parents are more likely to say it is a very serious problem.
Asked to rate how much of a problem cyberbullying is for young people in Canada, most youth consider it to be a very serious problem, with three-quarters giving it a seven or more on a scale from zero to ten. Fewer than one in ten say it is not much of a problem at all. Parents tend to rate the severity of the problem somewhat higher than youth, with an average score of 7.8 compared to 7.4 among youth.

• How much of a problem cyberbullying is perceived to be

Youth – Q8. How much of a problem do you think cyberbullying is for young people in Canada?
Parents – Q5. How much of a problem do you think cyberbullying is for young people (i.e. 10 to 24-year olds) in Canada?

• Among youth, two in ten rated the issue as a ten out of ten in terms of severity (19%). Demographic groups most likely to rate the problem as a ten out of ten include females (23% vs. 15% of males). As well, those very aware of cyberbullying were more likely to say it is an extremely serious problem, as are those who were cyberbullied or witnessed cyberbullying, and youth who identify as having a mental illness.

Parents who are most likely rate cyberbullying as a very serious problem includes those who are female, Francophones, and those who are very aware of cyberbullying.

Perceptions of frequency of cyberbullying

More than one-half of youth and parents think that cyberbullying is pretty common and affects a lot of young people.
Youth and parents have similar perceptions of the frequency of young people experiencing cyberbullying. Six in ten youth and parents say that cyberbullying is a common occurrence which affects many young people. Just two in ten say that cyberbullying is everywhere and almost everyone experiences it. On the other side, two in ten parents and youth say that it occurs occasionally affecting a minority of young people, and very few say that cyberbullying is quite rare.

• Perception of frequency of cyberbullying

Youth – Q9. How common do you think it is for young people to experience cyberbullying?
Parents – Q6. How common do you think it is for young people to experience cyberbullying?

• Among youth:
• Those who say they are very aware of cyberbullying, who have been cyberbullied, have witnessed it, or perpetrated it, are the most likely to say that it is everywhere and almost everyone experiences it.
• Females, those who have witnessed cyberbullying, and those who have perpetrated cyberbullying are most likely to say that cyberbullying is pretty common and affects a lot of young people.
• Males, younger youth, those with less education, those who have not witnessed cyberbullying or have not been cyberbullied, are most likely to say that cyberbullying happens occasionally and affects a minority of young people.
• Parents who are female and those who indicate that they are very aware of cyberbullying are most likely to say cyberbullying is almost everywhere. Parents who are males are most likely to say cyberbullying happens occasionally.

Perceptions of most likely cyberbullying victims

Four in ten youth and half of parents think that everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied. Specific targets of cyberbullying are seen to be those perceived to be unattractive, gender diverse or LGBTQ.
Four in ten youth each say that the most likely types of people to be victims of cyberbullying are people who are perceived to be physically unattractive or over- or under-weight, transgender or gender diverse, and people who are gay or lesbian, or that everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied. One-half of parents believe that everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied, followed by physically unattractive people and young women or girls. Few parents and youth say young men or boys are most likely to be bullied.

• Categories of young people most likely to be victims of cyberbullying

Youth - Q10. What specific categories of young people do you think are most likely to be the victims of cyberbullying?
Parents – Q7. What specific categories of young people do you think are most likely to be the victims of cyberbullying?

• Among youth:
• Females are most likely to say that transgender or gender diverse people, those who identify as gay or lesbian, and young women or girls are most likely to be victims of cyberbullying. Males are most likely to say young men or boys.
• Youth aged 18 to 21 are least likely to say that everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied, and most likely to mention most equity groups.
• Youth in high school and those with a college education are most likely to say that everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied. Those with a high school education are mostly likely to say that people who are physically unattractive, transgender or gender diverse people, people who identify as gay or lesbian, and people with a mental illness.
• Francophones are most likely to say that everyone is equally likely to be bullied, while anglophones are most likely to say young women or girls, and young men or boys.
• Parents who are females or have a college education are most likely to say that everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied, while parents who are male are most likely to say young women or girls. Parents with a university education are most likely to select people that identify as gay or lesbian.

Perceptions of legality of cyberbullying

Youth and parents tend to think that cyberbullying is illegal. Few believe there are no laws against it.
Most youth say that cyberbullying is illegal, with only one in ten saying that there are no laws against it. Parents have comparable opinion, with almost six in ten believing it is illegal, and just six percent saying that it is legal.

• Impression of illegality of cyberbullying

Youth - Q11. As far as you know is cyberbullying legal or illegal in Canada?
Parents – Q8. As far as you know is cyberbullying legal or illegal in Canada?

• Among youth, those most likely to say that cyberbullying is illegal include:
• Youth under 18 (61%, vs. 38% of those older than 21)
• Males (54% vs. 41% of females)
• High school students (61%, vs. 37% with a university education)
• Francophones (70% vs. 42% of anglophones)
• Those who are living with parents, are in school, have not been cyberbullied or have not perpetrated cyberbullying, are most likely to say that cyberbullying is illegal.
• Parents who are male or who are francophones are most likely to say cyberbullying is illegal.

Experiencing cyberbullying

Personal experience

Three in ten youth say that they have been personally cyberbullied at some point. One-quarter of parents say the same of their children.
Three in ten youth say that they have experienced cyberbullying. One-quarter of parents say their children have been cyberbullied. Two in ten parents say that one of their children has been cyberbullied, and four percent say the same of several of their children.

• Experience being cyberbullied

Youth – Q12. Have you ever personally been cyberbullied?
Parents - Q10. Have any of your own children aged 10 to 24 ever been cyberbullied?

• Among youth, the following demographic groups are most likely to have ever been cyberbullied:
• Females (33% vs 26% of males)
• Older youth - 22 to 24 years old (35% vs. 27% of younger youth)
• Other groups that are more likely to report ever having been cyberbullied include youth who use the internet for social interaction at least hourly, those who are very aware of cyberbullying, those who have witnessed cyberbullying, and those who have perpetrated cyberbullying. Being cyberbullied is also more common among those who identify as having a mental illness or a physical disability, or as being LGBTQ+.
• Parents who are most likely to say their children have been cyberbullied includes those who are anglophones and those who say they are very aware of cyberbullying.

Age and gender of cyberbullied children

Parents with children who have been cyberbullied say their children were younger and female.
Asked to indicate how old their children were when they were cyberbullied, almost two-thirds of parents say their children were aged 10 to 13, compared to fewer than two in ten who say they were older than 18. Seven in ten parents say their children who experienced cyberbullying were female, compared to four in ten who say they were male.

• Concern about future cyberbullying

• Parents –Q11A. How old was your child when they were cyberbullied?
• Parents –Q11B. How old were each of your children when they were cyberbullied?
• Parents –Q11C. What is the gender(s) of your child(ren) who was cyberbullied?

Concern about being cyberbullied

Almost one-half of youth who have never experienced cyberbullying express at least some concern about being cyberbullied in the future. Over seven in ten parents are concerned about their children being cyberbullied.
Fewer than one-half of youth express at least some concern about being cyberbullied in the future, but seven in ten parents say the same about their children. While one in ten youth are very concerned, one-quarter of parents are very concerned. Two in ten youth are not at all concerned, compared to just three percent of parents.

• Concern about future cyberbullying

Youth - Q12. How concerned are you about ever being cyberbullied in the future? Are you…?
Parents – Q9. How concerned are you that your own children might ever be cyberbullied? Are you…?

• Youth most likely to be very or somewhat concerned about being cyberbullied in the future include:
• 14 to 17 years old (62% vs. 27% of those 18 to 21 years old)
• Current high school students (62% vs. 27% of high school graduates)
• Currently live with parents (48% vs. 30% of those who do not live with their parents)
• Parents who are most likely to be somewhat or very concerned about their children being cyberbullied includes parents who are under 50 years of age, those with household income under $40,000, and those who say they are very aware of cyberbullying.

Recency of cyberbullying experience

Of youth who have been cyberbullied, two in ten have experienced it within the last three months. More than one-half have not been cyberbullied in over one year. Parents indicate similar timeframes for their children.
Youth who have been cyberbullied were asked when they last experienced it. About two in ten said they have been cyberbullied within the past three months, while almost six in ten said that they last experienced it more than a year ago. Parents give similar responses as to when their children were cyberbullied.

• Recency of cyberbullying experience

Youth - Q13. When was the last time you were cyberbullied? Was it…?
Parents - Q12. When was the last time any of your children were cyberbullied? Was it…?

• Youth who are most likely to be bullied within the past year include those 14 to 17 years old (68% vs 25% older than 21).
• Correspondingly with age, current high school students are most likely to have been bullied within the past year, as are those who live with their parents, are currently in school, and are not currently working. As well, those who have witnessed cyberbullying or have perpetrated cyberbullying are most likely to have been bullied within the past year.
• Responses of demographic groups within parents are similar.

How parents found out about their children being cyberbullied

Half of parents say their cyberbullied children only told them about it long after it began or never told them about it at all
One-half of parents say they found out about their child being cyberbullied right away, and almost four in ten found out about it by their child telling them long after it began. One in ten parents found out about it through a different source.

• How parents found out about children being cyberbullied

Parents – Q13. When your child(ren) was cyberbullied, which of the following best describes how you found out about it?

• Responses of demographic groups within parents are similar.

Platforms where youth experienced cyberbullying

When youth are cyberbullied, it tends to happen either on Facebook or through text messaging.
Asked where they experienced cyberbullying, almost one-half of youth who have experienced it said Facebook. Text messaging is also a common way that youth experience cyberbullying, mentioned by three in ten. Fewer than two in ten each mentioned Instagram or Snapchat. Other platforms, including gaming platforms, are mentioned infrequently. Parents provide similar responses when asked where their children were cyberbullied.

• Platforms where cyberbullying was experienced

Youth - Q14. Where have you been cyberbullied?
Parents - Q14. As far as you know, where or on what platform was your child(ren) cyberbullied?

• Among youth:
• Females are most likely to have experienced cyberbullying on Instagram and Snapchat. Males are most likely to mention PlayStation Network, Xbox Live and Discord.
• Youth older than 21 are most likely to mention Facebook. Those under 18 are most likely to mention Snapchat.
• Francophones are most likely to mention being cyberbullied on Facebook, while anglophones are most likely to mention Twitter.
• Responses of demographic groups within parents are similar.

Type of cyberbullying experienced

Name-calling and negative comments about physical appearance are the most common types of cyberbullying experienced. Parents generally have similar perceptions of the types of cyberbullying their children experienced.
Youth who were cyberbullied are most likely to experience name-calling, followed by negative comments about physical appearance. Fewer than one-quarter experienced physically threatening messages or sexually explicit messages, while about one in ten experienced negative comments about sexual orientation, mental illness, race or ethnicity, or had private information (including intimate photographs) posted publicly.
Parents report that their children encountered similar experiences but are less likely to say their child received negative comments about their physical appearance.

• Types of cyberbullying experienced

Youth - Q15. When you were cyberbullied, which of the following did you experience?
Parents - Q15. When your child(ren) were cyberbullied, which of the following did they experience?

• Among youth:
• Females are more likely than males to say they experienced negative comments about their physical appearance and sexually explicit messages.
• Older youth are most likely to say that they received physically threatening messages and sexually explicit messages.
• Youth who identify as racialized are most likely to mention negative comments about their physical appearance and negative comments about their race or ethnicity.
• Youth who identify as having a learning or physical disability are most likely to say they experienced negative comments about a physical disability.
• Youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are most likely to say they encounter negative comments about their sexual orientation.
• Among parents, females, anglophones, and those older than 50 are most likely to say their children received negative comments about their physical appearance.

Relationship to cyberbully

Cyberbullied youth most commonly report that the cyberbully was someone from school, or a friend or former friend. Three in ten were cyberbullied by an anonymous person.
About four in ten youth say that the person who cyberbullied them was someone from school, a friend, or former friend. Three in ten say the person was anonymous, while two in ten say it was someone they knew online.

• Relationship to person(s) who cyberbullied

Youth - Q16. What relationship did you have with the person(s) who cyberbullied you?

Emotional impact of cyberbullying

Half of those who have been cyberbullied say it was a very hurtful experience. The vast majority of parents say it was very hurtful for their child to be cyberbullied as well as hurtful for themselves as parents.
When asked how hurtful being cyberbullied was, on a scale where zero means not at all hurtful, and ten means very hurtful, one-half of youth and more than eight in ten parents rated it from seven to ten. Youth are also much more likely than parents to give a middling or low rating.

• Hurtfulness of being cyberbullied

Youth - Q17. On a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means that the experience of being cyberbullying didn't really bother you at all and you just ignored it and 10 means that being cyberbullying was a very hurtful experience that really shook you up, how would you say being cyberbullied affected you?
Parents - Q17. How would you say being cyberbullied affected your child(ren)? Use a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means that the experience of being cyberbullying didn't really bother your child at all and they just ignored it and 10 means that being cyberbullying was very hurtful experience that really shook your child up?

• Among youth, females tend to rate the experience of being cyberbullied as being more hurtful than males. Those who have also witnessed cyberbullying or identify as having a mental illness are also more likely to say it was a hurtful experience than their counterparts. Youth who identify as having a physical disability are most likely to say it was not a hurtful experience.
• Among parents, mothers are more likely to rate how cyberbullying affected their children as being more hurtful than did fathers.

The vast majority of parents say that the experience of their child being cyberbullied was a hurtful experience to themselves. Just five percent said that it didn't bother them.

• Impact of cyberbullying on parents

Parents – Q16. How would you say your child(ren) being cyberbullied affected you personally? Use a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means that the experience of being cyberbullying didn't really bother you at all and you just ignored it and 10 means that being cyberbullying was very hurtful experience that really shook you up.

• Mothers describe the experience of their children being cyberbullied as being more hurtful to them than fathers did.

Actions taken in response to being cyberbullied

Youth report that they responded to being cyberbullied by blocking the person, ignoring it, and/or talking to a parent or friend. Parents report that they talked to their child or showed them how to block the perpetrator, or talked to teachers.
The most common action youth take in response to cyberbullying is to block the perpetrator, taken by four in ten. About three in ten each ignored it or talked to a parent or a friend about it. Other actions taken less commonly include direct confrontation with the bully, talking to a teacher or school authority, record keeping, and reporting incidents to the site or platform.

• Actions taken by youth in response to cyberbullying

Youth - Q18. What did you do in response to being cyberbullied, if anything?

• Among youth:
• Females are most likely to say they talked to a parent, friend, or school authority, and were most likely to keep records of incidents. Males are most likely to ignore it or do nothing.
• Youth aged 14 to 17 are most likely to say they talked to a parent or school authority about it.
• Those who use the internet at least hourly for social interaction are most likely to say they ignored it and did nothing, as are those who have not witnessed others being cyberbullied.
• Most parents say that they talked to their child about it and tried to be supportive. About four in ten say they showed their child how to block the cyberbully or talked to a teacher or school authorities. One-quarter kept records of incidents or talked to the parents of the cyberbully.
• Actions taken by parents in response to cyberbullying

Parents - Q18. What did you do in response to your child being cyberbullied, if anything?

• Among parents, those older than 50 are more likely to say they directly confronted the cyberbully, while parents who have a household income greater than $150,000 are most likely to say they talked to a teacher or school authority about it.

Impact of taking action against cyberbullying

Most youth and parents say cyberbullying stopped after they took action.
Most youth and parents say that the cyberbullying stopped in response to their actions. Only about one-quarter or less say the cyberbullying continued or got worse.

• Response of cyberbully to actions

Youth - Q19. What happened after you took these steps in response to being cyberbullied?
Parents - Q19. What happened after you took these steps in response to your child being cyberbullied?

• Among youth, those 18 or older are most likely to say that the cyberbullying continued in response.
• Parents have similar responses across demographic groups.

Witnessing cyberbullying

Witnessed cyberbullying directed at others

Almost half of youth and three in ten parents have witnessed cyberbullying directed at others.
Fewer than one-half of youth and about three in ten parents have witnessed cyberbullying directed at someone else.

• Witnessed cyberbullying directed a someone else

Youth – Q20. In the past year, have you ever witnessed any cyberbullying that was not directed at you? (i.e. you heard about or saw it happen to someone else)?
Parents – Q20. In the past year, have you ever witnessed any cyberbullying that was directed at young people other than your own children? (i.e. you heard about or saw it happen to another kid)?

• Among youth, females are more likely to witness cyberbullying than males. Witnessing cyberbullying is linked with being very aware of cyberbullying, having been cyberbullied, and perpetrating cyberbullying. Youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are also most likely to say they have witnessed cyberbullying directed at someone else.
• Parents who say they are very aware of cyberbullying are more likely to indicate they witnessed cyberbullying directed at young people other than their own children.

Relationship to person witnessed being cyberbullied

Youth most often witness cyberbullying happening to someone at school or to a friend. Parents have seen it happen to children of friends or friends of their children.
Of the youth who have witnessed someone being cyberbullied, four in ten saw someone at school being cyberbullied, while a further three in ten have seen it happen to a friend or former friend. About two in ten each mention acquaintances, someone they knew online, or an anonymous person.

• Youths' relationship to person being cyberbullied

Youth – Q21. What relationship did you have to the person(s) who you witnessed being cyberbullied?
Of the parents who witnessed a young person other than their child being cyberbullied, almost three in ten saw it happen to a child of one of their friends, and two in ten each witnessed it happen to one on their children's friends or a child at their children's school.

• Parents' relationship to person being cyberbullied

Parents – Q21. What relationship did you have to the young person(s) who you witnessed being cyberbullied?

• Among parents, those younger than 50, and those with a college education are most likely to say they witnessed it happen to a child at their children's school.

Type of cyberbullying witnessed

Youth most commonly witnessed cyberbullying that involved name-calling or negative comments about physical appearance.
Of the youth who witnessed someone being cyberbullied, most say that name-calling was involved, and almost one-half mention negative comments about physical appearance. About two in ten witnessed negative comments about race or sexual orientation, physically threatening or sexually explicit messages, or private information being posted publicly.

• What was involved in cyberbullying witnessed

Youth – Q22. As far as you know, what was involved in the cyberbullying you witnessed?

• Anglophones are most likely to witness negative comments about physical appearance, sexual orientation, or physically threatening messages.

Action taken after witnessing cyberbullying

Most youth say they talked to the victim or friends about the cyberbullying they witnessed. Parents were most likely to take the opportunity to talk to their own child about cyberbullying.
Asked what actions they took after witnessing or hearing about someone being cyberbullied, four in ten youth say they talked to the victim and tried to be supportive, and a further one-third say they talked to friends about it. Two in ten each ignored it and did nothing or talked to a parent about it. Actions like talking to a teacher or school authorities, learning about website privacy settings, or direct confrontation, were taken by only one in ten.

• Actions taken by youth who witnessed cyberbullying

Youth – Q23. When you witnessed or heard about someone being cyberbullied what, if anything, did you do?

One-half of parents who witnessed cyberbullying said they talked to their own child about cyberbullying, while a minority talked to the child, a teacher, or school authorities about it.

• Actions taken by parents who witnessed cyberbullying

Parents – Q22. When you witnessed or heard about someone being cyberbullied what, if anything, did you do?

• Parents who are anglophones are more likely than francophone parents to say they talked to their own child about cyberbullying.

Perpetrating cyberbullying

Frequency of reported perpetration of cyberbullying

One in ten youth admit to having cyberbullied someone.
Almost one in ten youth admit to cyberbullying, acting in a way that could be considered cyberbullying, or say that they were accused of cyberbullying. Just four percent of parents say the same about their children.

• Perpetrating cyberbullying

Youth – Q24. Have you ever personally done anything to someone online in a way that could be considered cyberbullying or where you were accused of cyberbullying?
Parents – Q24. As far as you know, have any of your children ever done anything to someone online in a way that could be considered cyberbullying or where they were accused of cyberbullying?

• Youth who live with parents, who have been cyberbullied or have witnessed cyberbullying are most likely to say that they may have also perpetrated cyberbullying.

Concern about children committing cyberbullying

One third of parents say they are very or somewhat concerned that their child might ever cyberbully someone.
Asked how concerned they are that one of their children might do something online in a way that could be considered cyberbullying, one in ten parents say they are very concerned, and a further one-quarter say that they are somewhat concerned. Four in ten are not very concerned while three in ten are not at all concerned.

• Concern over child cyberbullying in future

Parents – Q23. How concerned are you that one of your own children might ever do something to someone online in a way that could be considered cyberbullying? Are you…?

• Parents who are younger or male are most likely to express concern that their child might do something that could be considered cyberbullying.

Relationship to victim

One-half say it was someone from school. Friends/former friends also common.
Most youth who say they may have cyberbullied someone say that it was someone from their school, a friend, or former friend. Fewer say that the person they cyberbullied was anonymous, someone known online, or an acquaintance. Parents who say their child may have cyberbullied someone report similar patterns.

• Relationship to cyberbullying victim

Youth – Q25. What relationship did you have to the person(s) who you may have cyberbullied?
Parents – Q25. What relationship did your child have to the person(s) who you may have cyberbullied?

Why did they do it?

The most common reasons are doing it out of anger, thinking it was funny, and not knowing better at the time.
Youth who committed cyberbullying provided a range of reasons as to why they cyberbullied, including out of anger, thinking it was funny, and not knowing better at the time.

• Reasons for committing cyberbullying

Youth – Q26. Thinking about this incident where you may have cyberbullied someone, why did you do it?
Parents who say their child may have committed cyberbullying are most likely to say that they confronted the child, disciplined them, or restricted access to phones or the internet.

• Actions taken by parents in response to their child cyberbullying

Parents - Q26. Thinking about this incident where your child may have cyberbullied someone, what, if anything did you do about it?

Responding to cyberbullying

Preferred response to cyberbullying

Parents are most likely to say they would be supportive and keep records of incidents, while youth are most likely to say they would block the cyberbully or ignore the incident.
Youth are most likely to say that that they would respond to cyberbullying by blocking the cyberbully, ignoring it, talking to a friend or parent, or keeping records. Most parents say that they would talk to their child and try to be supportive, keep records of incidents, or report it to the site where it happened. Parents are much more likely than youth to say they would keep records, report it to the site, talk to school authorities, or contact the police. Almost no parents say they would ignore it and not respond.

• Responses to cyberbullying

Youth – Q27. If you were being cyberbullied now, how do you think you would respond?
Parents – Q27. If one of your children were being cyberbullied, how would you respond?
Among youth:

• Females are most likely to say they would block the cyberbully, keep records of incidents, talk to a friend, or report it to the site.
• Youth under 18 are most likely to say they would talk to a parent about it, while older youth are most likely to say they would ignore it and not respond.

General attitudes towards cyberbullying

Parents and youth are concerned about cyberbullying and think it is not taken seriously enough.
Most youth agree that cyberbullying is a growing problem, and also say that most people who are cyberbullies get away with it and that we (as a society) do not take the issue seriously enough. Just one-half say that they think authorities would take it seriously if it was reported, or that they would feel comfortable discussing it with their teachers.

• Perceptions of cyberbullying

Youth – Q28. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about cyberbullying?
Parents - Q28. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about cyberbullying?
Among youth:

• Those under 18 are most likely to say that they would be comfortable discussing it with their parents, that they are confident authorities would take it seriously, and that they would be comfortable discussing it with their teachers.
• Those who say they are very aware of cyberbullying are most likely to agree with most statements, while youth who have been cyberbullied are most likely to agree that cyberbullies tend to get away with it.
• Witnesses to cyberbullying are most likely to agree that it is a growing problem, and that most people get away with it and that we do not take cyberbullying seriously enough.
• Youth who identify as having a mental illness or as LGBTQ are most likely to agree that we do not take cyberbullying seriously enough.
• Among parents, males are most likely to be confident the problem would go away if their child took steps to deal with it.

Awareness of resources about cyberbullying

Few parents or youth are aware of any available resources.
Two in ten youth and under one in ten parents say they know of any specific help lines or websites to turn to for support. Mentions include Kids Help Line, the police, bullyingcanada.ca, and Tel-jeune.

• Resources about cyberbullying

Youth - Q29. If you or someone you knew was being cyberbullied, are there any specific help lines or websites you know of where you could turn to for support?
Parents - Q1. To what extent do you feel that your children are safe in each of these places?

Appendix A: Methodology

This research consisted of two online surveys. The first was conducted among Canadian youth aged 14 to 24, with a total sample of 800 respondents. The second survey was conducted among parents of youth aged 10 to 24 and had a total sample of 600 respondents.
Survey respondents were selected from registered members of an online panel. Since the samples used in online panel surveys are based on self-selection and are not a random probability sample, no formal estimates of sampling error can be calculated. Although opt-in panels are not random probability samples, online surveys can be used for general population surveys provided they are well designed and employ a large, well-maintained panel.
Sample design and weighting
Environics Research conducted online surveys of Canadians who are members of an online panel, from March 8 to March 21, 2019. The sampling method was designed to complete interviews with 800 Canadians aged 14-24 and 600 interviews with parents of children aged 10 to 24. Quotas and weights were set by age, gender, and region.
To get feedback from younger respondents, invitations were sent to panellists profiled as parents, who were asked for permission to have their children aged 17 and younger complete the survey themselves.
The following distribution of interviews was achieved:

*Results are weighted by region, gender and age to 2016 Census data.
Questionnaire design
Public Safety Canada provided Environics with examples of previous research and advertising campaign data to use as reference material for the study design; Environics also researched additional surveys on the topic. Environics then designed questionnaires for youth and parents in consultation with PSC to ensure its research objectives were met. Upon approval of the English questionnaires, Environics arranged for the questionnaires to be translated into French by professional translators.
Environics' data analysts programmed the questionnaires, then performed thorough testing to ensure accuracy in set-up and data collection. This validation ensured that the data entry process conformed to the surveys' basic logic. The data collection system handles sampling invitations, quotas and questionnaire completion (skip patterns, branching, and valid ranges).
The final survey questionnaire is included in Appendix B.
Fieldwork
The survey was conducted by Environics using a secure, fully featured web-based survey environment. The interviews took place from March 8 to 21, 2019. The median interview length was 10 minutes.
All respondents were offered the opportunity to complete the surveys in their official language of choice. All research work was conducted in accordance with the Standards for the Conduct of Government of Canada Public Opinion Research – Online Surveys and recognized industry standards, as well as applicable federal legislation (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA).
The data from this survey are statistically weighted to ensure the sample is as representative of this population as possible according to the most recently available Census information.
Completion results
The completion results are presented in the following table.
Contact disposition

Respondent profile
The following table presents the weighted distribution of survey participants by key demographic and other variables.

Appendix B: Quantitative research instruments

Youth Questionnaire

Landing Page

Please select your preferred language for completing the survey / SVP choisissez votre langue préférée pour remplir le sondage.

1 English / Anglais
2 Français / French

The information collected through the research is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act, legislation of the Government of Canada, and to the provisions of relevant provincial privacy legislation.

Introduction

Welcome to this survey about young Canadians' online experiences, including cyberbullying. This survey is intended for persons aged 14 to 24 years old. Environics Research, an independent research company, is conducting this survey on behalf of the Government of Canada.

Your participation is voluntary, and your answers will remain anonymous. The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete.
The survey is best completed on a computer or a tablet. If you are completing this survey on a smart phone, please turn the device to landscape (horizontal/sideways) mode so that all questions display correctly.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact NAME of Environics Research at firstname.lastname@environics.ca.

Please click on >> to continue.

Section 1: Screening

D1. How old are you?

Numeric dropdown (<10 to >80).

IF D1 is between 14 and 24, GO TO D2.
IF D1 less than 14, TERMINATE AND THANK
IF D1 more than 24, THANK AND REDIRECT TO SCREENING FOR PARENTS SURVEY

D2. What is your gender?

1 Male gender
2 Female gender
3 Gender diverse
4 Prefer not to say

D3. What province or territory do you live in?

Province/territory drop-down list

D4. To ensure we include people from all parts of Canada, what are the first three characters of your postal code?

FSA open end

Section 2: Safety

Q1. To what extent do you personally feel safe in each of these places?

Randomize. Carousel.
A At school
B At home
C In your workplace
D While online
E Walking alone in your neighbourhood

1 Not at all safe
2 Not very safe
3 Somewhat safe
4 Very safe
9 Does not apply

Section 3: Technology

Q2. About how many hours a day would you say that you spend online?

Numeric open end: hours

Q3. How often do you use the internet for any social interaction (such as texting, messaging or chatting online with friends or acquaintances, gaming, or sharing on social media)?

• Hourly or more often/constantly
• Several times a day
• About once a day
• A few times a week
• Once a week or less

6 Never

Q4. Which of the following online social media sites or apps have you used in the last week?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

• Facebook
• WhatsApp
• Instagram
• Snapchat
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Twitch
• Discord
• Reddit
• Xbox Live
• PlayStation Network
• Text messaging
• E-mail
• Other (specify)                                            Anchor
• I don't use any of these sites or apps          Anchor. Exclusive

Q5. To what extent have each of the following online social activities (such as chatting with friends, gaming, and using social media), been a positive or negative experience for you?

Randomize. Carousel.
A Gaming
B Using social media
C Texting and messaging

Rotate scale
1 Totally positive
2 Mostly positive
3 An equal mix of positive and negative
4 Mostly negative
5 Totally negative
9 Does not apply/never do it

Section 4: Perceptions of Cyberbullying

Now some questions about the issue of cyberbullying. In this survey “cyberbullying” refers to the use of computers, smart phones, and other devices to embarrass, harass, threaten, torment, or humiliate someone.

Cyberbullying includes:

• Teasing, name-calling, flaming or bashing individuals
• Spreading rumours, private information (including intimate pictures), or fake information online
• Harassment, threatening messages, stalking, or pretending to be someone

Q6.  How aware would you say you are of “cyberbullying”? Are you?

Rotate scale
1 Very aware
2 Somewhat aware
3 Not very aware
4 Have never heard of it before SKIP TO Q. 8

Q7.  Where and how have you learned about cyberbullying?

Select all that apply.

Randomize.
1 From personally experiencing cyberbullying
2 From friends or people I know online who have been cyberbullied
3 From school or teachers
4 From ads or public service announcements about it
5 From news stories about it

• From my parents

7 Other (specify) Anchor

ASK ALL

Q8. How much of a problem do you think cyberbullying is for young people in Canada?

  Insert horizontal scale. Rotate scale.
0 = Cyberbullying is not much of a problem at all
10 = Cyberbullying is an extremely serious problem

Q9. How common do you think it is for young people to experience cyberbullying?

Rotate scale
1 Cyberbullying is quite rare and only affects a very small number of young people
2 Cyberbullying happens occasionally and affects a minority of young people
3 Cyberbullying is pretty common and affects a lot of young people
4 Cyberbullying is everywhere and almost everyone experiences it

Q10. What specific categories of young people do you think are most likely to be the victims of cyberbullying?

Select all that apply.

Randomize
1 Young men or boys
2 Young women or girls
3 Transgender or gender diverse people
4 People that identify as gay or lesbian
5 People who are physically unattractive, over or underweight  
6 People of colour/racialized people
7 People with a learning disability
8 People with a mental illness
9 People with a physical disability
10 Other types of people (specify)        Anchor
11 Everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied  Anchor. Exclusive

Q11. As far as you know is cyberbullying legal or illegal in Canada?

• Cyberbullying is illegal
• Cyberbullying is mostly illegal, but it depends on what it consists of
• There are no laws against cyberbullying. It is legal.
• Don't know

Section 5: Experiencing Cyberbullying

Q12. Have you ever personally been cyberbullied?

1 Yes, I have SKIP TO Q13
2 No, never Ask Q 12a, then Skip to Section 6
9 Prefer not to say Ask Q 12a, then Skip to Section 6

Q12a. How concerned are you about ever being cyberbullied in the future? Are you…?

• Very concerned
• Somewhat concerned
• Not very concerned
• Not at all concerned

Q13. When was the last time you were cyberbullied? Was it…?

1 Within the last week
2 Within the last month
3 One month up to three months ago
4 Three months to a year ago
5 More than a year ago
9 Don't remember

Q14. Where have you been cyberbullied?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

• Facebook
• WhatsApp
• Instagram
• Snapchat
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Twitch
• Discord
• Reddit
• Xbox Live
• PlayStation Network
• Text messaging
• E-mail
• Somewhere else (specify) Anchor

Q15. When you were cyberbullied, which of the following did you experience?

Select all that apply.

Randomize
1 Name-calling
2 Physically threatening messages
3 Sexually explicit messages
4 Private information (including intimate photos) posted publicly
5 Negative comments about your race or ethnicity
6 Negative comments about your sexual orientation
7 Negative comments about your gender identity
8 Negative comments about your physical appearance
9 Negative comments about your learning disability
10 Negative comments about your mental illness
11 Negative comments about your physical disability
98 Other (specify) Anchor
99 Prefer not to say Anchor

Q16. What relationship did you have with the person(s) who cyberbullied you?

Select all that apply.

Randomize
1 Friend/former friend
2 Acquaintance
3 Family-member
4 Person was anonymous
5 Someone I knew online
6 Current or past romantic partner
7 Someone from school
8 Someone I work with
99 Other (specify) Anchor

Q17. On a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means that the experience of being cyberbullying didn't really bother you at all and you just ignored it and 10 means that being cyberbullying was a very hurtful experience that really shook you up, how would you say being cyberbullied affected you?

  Insert scale. Rotate scale.
0 = Didn't bother you at all
10 = Very hurtful experience

Q18. What did you do in response to being cyberbullied, if anything?

Select all that apply.

Randomize
1 Ignored it and did nothing     Anchor
2 Kept records of the incidents
3 Blocked the cyberbully
4 Talked to a parent about it
5 Talked to a teacher or to school authorities about it
6 Talked to a friend about it
7 Contacted police
8 Learned about website and app privacy settings
9 Reported it to my employer or to human resources
10 Reported incidents to site
11 Directly confronted the cyberbully
12 Went online to try to find out what I ought to do
99 Other (specify)                Anchor

Q19 What happened after you took these steps in response to being cyberbullied?

1 The cyberbullying stopped
2 The cyberbullying continued as before
3 The cyberbullying got worse

Section 6: Witnessing Cyberbullying

Q20. In the past year, have you ever witnessed any cyberbullying that was not directed at you (i.e. you heard about or saw it happen to someone else)?

1 Yes
2 No Skip to Section 7
9 Prefer not to say Skip to Section 7

IF YES
Q21. What relationship did you have to the person(s) who you witnessed being cyberbullied?

Select all that apply.

Randomize
1 Friend/former friend
2 Acquaintance
3 Family-member
4 Person was anonymous
5 Someone I knew online
6 Current or past romantic partner
7 Someone at school
8 Someone I work with
99 Other (specify) Anchor

Q22. As far as you know, what was involved in the cyberbullying you witnessed?

Select all that apply.

Randomize
1 Name-calling
2 Physically threatening messages
3 Sexually explicit messages
4 Private information (including intimate photos) posted publicly
5 Negative comments about race or ethnicity
6 Negative comments about sexual orientation
7 Negative comments about gender identity
8 Negative comments about physical appearance
9 Negative comments about a learning disability
10 Negative comments about mental illness
11 Negative comments about a physical disability
97 Other (specify)         Anchor
98 Not sure                   Anchor
99 Prefer not to say      Anchor

Q23. When you witnessed or heard about someone being cyberbullied what, if anything, did you do?

Select all that apply.

Randomize
1 Ignored it and did nothing     Anchor
2 Talked to the victim and tried to be supportive
3 Talked to a parent about it
4 Talked to a teacher or to school authorities about it
5 Talked to friends about it
6 Contacted police
7 Learned about website and app privacy settings
8 Reported it to my employer or to human resources
9 Directly confronted the cyberbully
10 Went online to try to find out what I ought to do
99 Other (specify)                Anchor

Section 7: Perpetrating Cyberbullying

Q24. Have you ever personally done anything to someone online in a way that could be considered cyberbullying or where you were accused of cyberbullying?

1 Yes
2 No Skip to Section 8
9 Prefer not to say Skip to Section 8

IF YES

Q25. What relationship did you have to the person(s) who you may have cyberbullied?

Select all that apply.

Randomize
1 Friend/former friend
2 Acquaintance
3 Family-member
4 Person was anonymous
5 Someone I knew online
6 Current or past romantic partner
7 Someone from school
8 Someone I work with
99 Other (specify) Anchor

Q26. Thinking about this incident where you may have cyberbullied someone, why did you do it?

Section 8: Responding to cyberbullying – ASK ALL

Q27. If you were being cyberbullied now, how do you think you would respond?

Select all that apply

Randomize

• Ignore it and not respond Anchor

2 I would not know how to respond or what to do Anchor
3 Keep records of incidents
4 Block the cyberbully
5 Talk to a parent about it
6 Talk to a teacher or school authorities about it
7 Talk to a friend about it
8 Contact the police to report it
9 Learn about website and app privacy settings
10 Report it to the site where it happened
11 Report it to an employer or to human resources
12 Directly confronted the cyberbully
13 Go online to find out what I ought to do
98 Other (specify) Anchor
99 None of these Anchor. Exclusive.

Q28. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about cyberbullying?

Randomize. Carousel.
A If I was being cyberbullied and took steps to deal with it, I'm confident the problem would go away.
B Cyberbullying is a growing problem and that can have long-term consequences for victims
C If I was being cyberbullied, I'd feel very comfortable discussing it with my teachers
D Most people who are cyberbullies get away with it
E We do not take cyberbullying seriously enough
F If I was being cyberbullied, I'd feel very comfortable discussing it with my parents
G If I reported cyberbullying to the authorities, I'm confident they'd take it very seriously

Rotate scale
1 Strongly agree
2 Somewhat agree
3 Somewhat disagree
4 Strongly disagree
9 Not applicable

Q29 If you or someone you knew was being cyberbullied, are there any specific help lines or websites you know of where you could turn to for support?

1 No, I don't know of any specific help lines or websites
2 Yes, there is (PLEASE SPECIFY)

Section 9: Demographics

To finish up, we have just a few questions about you for statistical purposes only. Please be assured that your answers will remain completely confidential.

D5. Are you currently…?

Select all that apply.

• In school full-time
• In school part-time
• Not a student

D6. Are you currently…?

Select all that apply.

• Working full-time
• Working part-time
• Not working

D7. Which of the following is the highest level of education that you have completed?

• Less than high school diploma or equivalent/I am still in high school
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Trade certificate or diploma (apprenticeship, technical institute, trade or vocational school)
• College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma (other than trades certificates or diplomas)
• University (undergraduate degree)
• University (graduate or professional degree)
• Prefer not to say

D8. Do you currently live with at least one parent or legal guardian?

• Yes
• No

9 Prefer not to say

D9. Do you identify as any of the following?

Randomize

A A racialized minority
B First Nation, Inuit, or Metis
C A person with a learning disability
D A person with a mental illness
E A person with a physical disability
F LGBTQ2 (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirited)

• Yes
• No

9 Prefer not to say

This completes the survey. On behalf of the Government of Canada, thank you for your valuable input. If you would like to know more about cyberbullying and how to deal with it, please visit
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cbr-scrt/cbrbllng/index-en.aspx
In the coming months, the results of this survey will be available on the Library and Archives Canada website.

Parents' Questionnaire

Landing Page

Please select your preferred language for completing the survey / SVP choisissez votre langue préférée pour remplir le sondage.

1 English / Anglais
2 Français / French

The information collected through the research is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act, legislation of the Government of Canada, and to the provisions of relevant provincial privacy legislation.

Introduction

Welcome to this survey about young Canadians' online experiences, including cyberbullying. This survey is intended for parents of children between the ages of 10 and 24. Environics Research, an independent research company, is conducting this survey on behalf of the Government of Canada.

Your participation is voluntary, and your answers will remain anonymous. The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete.

The survey is best completed on a computer or a tablet. If you are completing this survey on a smart phone, please turn the device to landscape (horizontal/sideways) mode so that all questions display correctly.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Derek Leebosh of Environics Research at derek.leebosh@environics.ca.

Please click on >> to continue.

Section 1: Screening

D1. How many children do you have who are between the ages of 10 and 24?

______children 
None
THANK AND TERMINATE

D2. What gender(s) do your children between 10 and 24 identify as?

CHECK ALL THAT APPLY

1 Male gender
2 Female gender
3 Gender diverse
4 Prefer not to say

D3. Do you have any children in each of the following age categories?

A 10 to 13 years old
B 14 to 17 years old
C 18 to 24 years old

• Yes
• No

D4. Do any of your children between the ages of 10 and 24 identify as any of the following?

Randomize. Columns and Rows

A A racialized minority
B First Nation, Inuit, or Metis
C A person with a learning disability
D A person with a mental illness
E A person with a physical disability
F LGBTQ2 (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirited)

• Yes
• No

9 Prefer not to say

D5. What province or territory do you live in?

Province/territory drop-down list

D6. To ensure we include people from all parts of Canada, what are the first three characters of your postal code?

FSA open end

Section 2: Safety

The following questions refer to your children who are between the ages of 10 and 24.

Q1. To what extent do you feel that your children are safe in each of these places?

Randomize. Carousel.
A At school
B At home
C In their workplace
D While online
E Walking alone in their neighbourhood

1 Not at all safe
2 Not very safe
3 Somewhat safe
4 Very safe
9 Does not apply

Section 3: Technology

Q2. How often do your children use the internet for any social interaction (such as texting, messaging or chatting online with friends or acquaintances, gaming, or sharing on social media)?

• Hourly or more often/constantly
• Several times a day
• About once a day
• A few times a week
• Once a week or less

6 Never

Q3. As far as you know, which of the following online social media sites or apps do your children use?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

• Facebook
• WhatsApp
• Instagram
• Snapchat
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Twitch
• Discord
• Reddit
• Gaming platforms, such as Xbox Live, PlayStation or Steam
• Tumblr

• Text messaging
• E-mail
• Other (specify) Anchor
• My children don't use any of these sites or apps Anchor. Exclusive
• I don't know what sites or apps my children use Anchor. Exclusive

Section 4: Perceptions of Cyberbullying

Now some questions about the issue of cyberbullying. In this survey “cyberbullying” refers to the use of computers, smart phones, and other devices to embarrass, harass, threaten, torment, or humiliate someone.

Cyberbullying includes:

• Teasing, name-calling, flaming or bashing individuals
• Spreading rumours, private information (including intimate pictures), or fake information online
• Harassment, threatening messages, stalking, or pretending to be someone

Q4.  How aware are you of “cyberbullying”?

Rotate scale
1 Very aware
2 Somewhat aware
3 Not very aware
4 Not at all aware

Q5. On a scale of 0-10, how much of a problem do you think cyberbullying is for young people (i.e. 10 to 24-year olds) in Canada?

  Insert horizontal scale. Rotate scale.
0 = Cyberbullying is not much of a problem at all
10 = Cyberbullying is an extremely serious problem

Q6. How common do you think it is for young people to experience cyberbullying?

Rotate scale
1 Cyberbullying is quite rare and only affects a very small number of young people
2 Cyberbullying happens occasionally and affects a minority of young people
3 Cyberbullying is pretty common and affects a lot of young people
4 Cyberbullying is everywhere and almost everyone experiences it

Q7. What specific categories of young people do you think are most likely to be the victims of cyberbullying?

Select all that apply.
Randomize
1 Young men or boys
2 Young women or girls
3 Transgender or gender diverse people
4 People that identify as gay or lesbian
5 People who are perceived as physically unattractive, over or underweight
6 People of colour/racialized people
7 People with a learning disability
8 People with a mental illness
9 People with a physical disability
10 Other types of people (specify) Anchor
11 Everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied  Anchor. Exclusive
12 I don't know Anchor. Exclusive

Q8. As far as you know is cyberbullying legal or illegal in Canada?

• Cyberbullying is illegal
• Cyberbullying is mostly illegal, but it depends on what it consists of
• There are no laws against cyberbullying. It is legal.
• Don't know

Section 5: Experiencing Cyberbullying

Q9. How concerned are you that your own children might ever be cyberbullied? Are you…?

• Very concerned
• Somewhat concerned
• Not very concerned
• Not at all concerned

Q10. Have any of your own children aged 10 to 24 ever been cyberbullied?

1 Yes, one of my children has been cyberbullied
2 Yes, several of my children have been cyberbullied
3 No, my children have never been cyberbullied Skip to Section 6
9 Prefer not to say                                                      Skip to Section 6
99 – I don't know                                                           Skip to Section 6

IF ONE CHILD WAS CYBERBULLIED IN Q. 10, ASK
Q11. How old was your child when they were cyberbullied?

_____years of age DROP DOWN LIST OF AGES UP TO 24

IF MULTIPLE CHILDREN WERE CYBERBULLIED IN Q. 10, ASK
Q11b. How old were each of your children when they were cyberbullied?

Child #1
_____years of age DROP DOWN LIST OF AGES UP TO 24

Child #2
_____years of age DROP DOWN LIST OF AGES UP TO 24

Child #3
_____years of age DROP DOWN LIST OF AGES UP TO 24

Q11c. What is the gender(s) of your child(ren) who was cyberbullied?

Select all that apply.

1 Male gender
2 Female gender
3 Gender diverse
4 Prefer not to say

Q12. When was the last time any of your children was cyberbullied? Was it…?

1 Within the last week
2 Within the last month
3 One month up to three months ago
4 Three months to a year ago
5 More than a year ago
9 Don't remember

Q13 When your child(ren) was cyberbullied, which of the following best describes how you found out about it?

1 My child came to me right away and told me about the cyberbullying
2 My child eventually told me about the cyberbullying long after it began
3 My child didn't tell me about the cyberbullying, and I found out about it from another source
4 Other (SPECIFY)_______________________

Q14. As far as you know, where or on what platform was your child(ren) cyberbullied?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

• Facebook
• WhatsApp
• Instagram
• Snapchat
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Twitch
• Discord
• Reddit
• Gaming platforms, such as Xbox Live, PlayStation or Steam
• Tumblr
• Text messaging
• E-mail
• Somewhere else (specify) Anchor
• I don't know Anchor exclusive

Q15. When your child(ren) was cyberbullied, which of the following did they experience?

Select all that apply.

Randomize
1 Name-calling
2 Physically threatening messages
3 Sexually explicit messages
4 Private information (including intimate photos) posted publicly
5 Negative comments about their race or ethnicity
6 Negative comments about their sexual orientation
7 Negative comments about their gender identity
8 Negative comments about their physical appearance or weight
9 Negative comments about their learning disability
10 Negative comments about their mental illness
11 Negative comments about their physical disability
98 Other (specify) Anchor
99 Prefer not to say Anchor

Q16. How would you say your child(ren) being cyberbullied affected you personally? Use a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means that the experience of your child being cyberbullied didn't really bother you at all and you just ignored it and 10 means that your child being cyberbullying was a very hurtful experience that really shook you up.

  Insert scale. Rotate scale.
0 = Didn't bother me at all
10 = Very hurtful experience for me

Q17. How would you say being cyberbullied affected your child(ren)? Use a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means that the experience of being cyberbullied didn't really bother your child at all and they just ignored it and 10 means that being cyberbullied was a very hurtful experience that really shook your child up.

  Insert scale. Rotate scale.
0 = Didn't bother my child at all
10 = Very hurtful experience for my child

Q18. What did you do in response to your child(ren) being cyberbullied, if anything?

Select all that apply.

Randomize
1 I did nothing in response      Anchor. Exclusive   SKIP TO Q20
2 Kept records of the incidents
3 Showed my child how to block the cyberbully
4 Talked to my child about it and tried to be supportive
5 Talked to a teacher or to school authorities about it
6 Talked to/confronted the parents of the cyberbully
7 Contacted police
8 Learned about website and app privacy settings
9 Reported incidents to site
10 Directly confronted the cyberbully
11 Went online to try to find out what I ought to do
12 Took away their phone/tablet or computer or restricted access to it
99 Other (specify) Anchor

Q19 What happened after you took these steps in response to your child being cyberbullied?

1 The cyberbullying stopped
2 The cyberbullying continued as before
3 The cyberbullying got worse

Section 6: Witnessing Cyberbullying

Q20. In the past year, have you witnessed any cyberbullying that was directed at young people other than your own children? (i.e. you heard about or saw it happen to another kid)?

1 Yes
2 No Skip to Section 7
9 Prefer not to say Skip to Section 7

IF YES
Q21. What relationship did you have to the young person(s) who you witnessed being cyberbullied?

Select all that apply.

Randomize
1 Friend of one of my children
2 Child of one of my friends
3 Child I'm related to (e.g. niece, nephew)
4 Child at my kids' school
5 Child in my neighbourhood
99 Other (specify) Anchor

Q22. When you witnessed or heard about a young person being cyberbullied what, if anything, did you do?

Select all that apply.

Randomize
1 I did nothing in response Anchor
2 Kept records of the incidents
3 Showed the child how to block the cyberbully
4 Talked to the child about it and tried to be supportive
5 Talked to a teacher or to school authorities about it
6 Talked to/confronted the parents of the cyberbully
7 Contacted police
8 Learned about website and app privacy settings
9 Reported incidents to site
10 Directly confronted the cyberbully
11 Went online to try to find out what I ought to do
12 Talked to my own child about cyberbullying
99 Other (specify) Anchor

Section 7: Perpetrating Cyberbullying

Q23. How concerned are you that one of your own children might ever do something to someone online in a way that could be considered cyberbullying? Are you…?

• Very concerned
• Somewhat concerned
• Not very concerned
• Not at all concerned

Q24. As far as you know, have any of your children ever done anything to someone online in a way that could be considered cyberbullying or where they were accused of cyberbullying?

1 Yes
2 No Skip to Section 8
9 Prefer not to say Skip to Section 8
99 Don't know Skip to Section 8

IF YES
Q25. What relationship did your child have to the person(s) who they may have cyberbullied?

Select all that apply.

Randomize
1 Friend/former friend
2 Acquaintance
3 Family-member
4 Person was anonymous
5 Someone they knew online
6 Current or past romantic partner
7 Someone from school
8 Someone they work with
9 Other (specify) Anchor
10 Don't know Anchor

Q26. Thinking about this incident where your child may have cyberbullied someone, what, if anything, did you do about it?

Section 8: Responding to cyberbullying – ASK ALL

Q27. If one of your children was being cyberbullied, how would you respond?

Select all that apply

Randomize

• Ignore it and not respond Anchor. Exclusive

2 I would not know how to respond or what to do Anchor. Exclusive
3 Keep records of the incidents
4 Show my child how to block the cyberbully
5 I'd talk to my child about it and try to be supportive
6 Talk to a teacher or to school authorities about it
7 Talk to/confronted the parents of the cyberbully
8 Contact the police
9 Learned about website and app privacy settings
10 Report incidents to the site
11 Directly confront the cyberbully
12 Go online to find out what I ought to do
13 Take away my child's phone, tablet or computer or restrict access to it
98 Other (specify) Anchor

Q28. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about cyberbullying?

Randomize. Carousel.
A If my child was being cyberbullied and took steps to deal with it, I'm confident the problem would go away.
B Cyberbullying is a growing problem and that can have long-term consequences for victims
C Most people who are cyberbullies get away with it
D We do not take cyberbullying seriously enough
E If my child was being cyberbullied, they would probably talk to their friends about it before they would talk to me
F If I reported cyberbullying to school authorities, I'm confident they'd take it very seriously
G Parents do not have enough information on how to deal with cyberbullying when it happens

Rotate scale
1 Strongly agree
2 Somewhat agree
3 Somewhat disagree
4 Strongly disagree
9 Not applicable

Q29 If your child or someone you knew was being cyberbullied, are there any specific help lines or websites you know of where you could turn to for support?

1 No, I don't know of any specific help lines or websites
2 Yes, there is (PLEASE SPECIFY) ________________________

Section 9: Demographics

To finish up, we have just a few questions about you for statistical purposes only. Please be assured that your answers will remain completely confidential.

D7. How old are you?

Numeric dropdown 18 to 99

D8. What is your gender?

1 Male gender
2 Female gender
3 Gender diverse
4 Prefer not to say

• D9 What is the highest level of formal education you have completed?

Select one only
01-Up to high school
02-Some high school
03-High school diploma or equivalent
04-Registered Apprenticeship or other trades certificate or diploma
05-College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma
06-University certificate or diploma below bachelor's level
07-Bachelor's degree
08-Post graduate degree above bachelor's level
99-Prefer not to answer

• D10 Which of the following categories best describes your total household income? That is, the total income of all persons in your household combined, before taxes?

Select one only
01-Under $20,000
02-$20,000 to just under $40,000
03-$40,000 to just under $60,000
04-$60,000 to just under $80,000
05-$80,000 to just under $100,000
06-$100,000 to just under $150,000
07-$150,000 and above
99-Prefer not to answer

This completes the survey. On behalf of the Government of Canada, thank you for your valuable input. If you would like to know more about cyberbullying and how to deal with it, please visit https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cbr-scrt/cbrbllng/index-en.aspx

In the coming months, the results of this survey will be available on the Library and Archives Canada website.