The new term, digital self-harm, also known as self cyberbullying, is unfortunately on the rise as schools in our nation have been in and out of Distance Learning since March. Digital self-harm includes “self-posting negative comments or memes anonymously”. There are many theories as to why this trend is occurring, but being that it is so new to the world, there is not evidence based research as to the why, the how, or the what to do about it. What we do know is that 1 in 10 Florida students reported participating in digital self-harm in the past year. That statistic is alarming and is pushing schools to educate students, staff, and parents about what to do.
If you are a student who has experienced this, it is important that you reach out to a trusted adult that can help you to navigate what you are feeling and what might be causing you to participate in digital self-harm.
If you are a staff member who has witnessed this behavior, please report it to administration so that the student involved can receive some support.
If you are a parent who isn’t sure if your child has participated in or witnessed digital self-harm, talk to them about it. Bring up the topic and ask them if they have ever felt like doing something like that or if they have seen something like that happen. You can always reach out to the school for additional resources and support.
Please feel free to contact our School Social Worker, Mallory Felt, with any questions or concerns.