Cyberbullying and Adolescent Suicide

Abstract

The unprecedented exposure of today's youth to the Internet and technology carries many benefits but also risks such as cyberbullying and online predation. The incidences of both cyberbullying and adolescent suicide are rising in the United States, with recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data showing that 14.9 percent of adolescents have been cyberbullied and 13.6 percent of adolescents have made a serious suicide attempt. Cyberbullying has been associated with suicide of a victim in several recent cases, a phenomenon that has been newly termed cyberbullicide. Parents and youth are frequently unaware of the risks and potential criminal liability associated with cyberbullying. Legislation that protects against online bullying has developed from antibullying laws, and as an expansion of the requirement that schools prohibit any bullying at school or via technology that interferes with learning. Cyberbullying laws exist in certain states, but as there are no federal laws that address bullying or cyberbullying, cyberbullying is prosecuted federally via statutes governing cyberstalking. After examining the epidemiology of adolescent suicidality, cyberbullying, and cyberbullicide, this article reviews recent legislation governing cyberbullying. Finally, this article illustrates the role of the forensic psychiatrist in civil and criminal cases involving suspected cyberbullicide.