A new study done among Israeli students have concluded that cyberbullying causes drop in academic performance, increase in interpersonal issues, family problems and even lead to depression.

The study was conducted among 638 students in colleges in Israel. It was conducted to determine to what extend cyberbullying impacted social behaviour and academic performance of undergraduate students. The survey revealed that cyberbullying was prevalent in colleges with 57% of the participants admitting to have experienced it. Most of the bullying happened through instant messaging and email although increase in smart phone usage and online services also were contributory factors. The survey results revealed that cyber bullying had caused academic problems, family problems, suicidal ideal and loss of self-esteem among students.

The researchers warn that the negative impact of cyberbullying can extend further in the future life of the victim as they are likely to become lifetime victims and the perpetrators in campus continue the crime in the workplace thereby creating a situation of social chaos.

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844018359474