Cyberbullying and Bullying Reports Among Youth in a Behavioral Health Inpatient Unit: Insights From Youth and Parent Intake Surveys

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Limited studies have examined the extent to which cyberbullying and offline bullying are factors related to youth admissions to behavioral health inpatient units. However, considering the rising use of technology and prevalence of youth bullying, intake procedures require adaptation to account for modern-day psychological pressures facing youth. AIMS: Our aims were to pilot and analyze results from a novel intake form, assessing offline bullying and cyberbullying, in a youth inpatient behavioral health facility. METHODS: Upon admission at an inpatient behavioral health facility in the Midwestern United States, 622 youth (ages 10 and older) and their parent/guardian completed intake forms including questions about their experience of bullying, cyberbullying, and feelings of safety in different environments, and feelings about whether bullying contributed to their inpatient admission. RESULTS: Overall, 21.50% (134/622) of youth self-reported being a cybervictim, 6.10% (38/622) reported being an offline bully victim, and 8.04% (50/622) reported mixed bullying. Bullied youth felt significantly less safe in all environments than non-bullied youth, and bullied youth who felt unsafe were more likely to attribute their hospitalization to bullying. Troublingly, only about one-third of parents were aware of cyberbullying. CONCLUSION: Using traditional standards of care that do not address offline bullying/cyberbullying, mental health care workers may be missing critical factors that contribute to youth inpatient hospitalization for mental health issues. Behavioral health units should consider adapting intake forms to include offline bullying/cyberbullying questions and developing programming for parents and adults to address issues of online and offline safety.