According to psychologists at the University of California, Los Angeles, only one in ten children/teens report cyberbullying to their parents although 3 of 4 teens have experiences such assaults. Some statistics indicate that 13% are bulled 3-4 times in a year, 19% say 7 or more times, and 41% indicate being contacted 1-3 times. These incidents are not reported for a variety of reasons. Teens believe that they should learn to handle situations on their own as they move toward adulthood. However, the primary reason these incidents are not reported is that teens fear losing their computer privileges and their privacy.

These days networking and keeping in contact with other teens via computer is extremely important to the social lives of adolescents. Totally denying teenagers access to their computers, and subsequently, their friends, is unreasonable and can significantly impact the parent/child relationship in a negative way. Therefore, it is important that parents talk with their children/teens about cyberbullying at an early age before it happens. It is difficult to tell teenagers not to put their photos and personal information on-line. They don't think anything bad will happen to them and parents are paranoid. Bullying others is never right either, not on the playground, on the bus, in class or on line. It is not too early for young people to learn that you never write anything you would not want printed on the front page of the newspaper. Younger children and some teens are trusting or so focused on their world that they don't think about those who are savvy enough to use what they find to harass, stalk, bully or otherwise take advantage of them.

It is up to parents and other adults in their lives to speak the truth to their children and be specific about what amounts to bullying on the computer. They also need to recognize when events go past asking for a simple photo. Teens and children should never go to meet someone they met on-line alone and certainly not if they have been some incentive.