Middle and high school teachers' perceptions of cyberbullying prevention and digital citizenship

Cyberbullying is a significant public health concern that has been associated with negative outcomes. The pandemic has increased the reliance on technology in the classroom; thus, research exploring cyberbullying in the classroom is even more important. Furthermore, it is important to understand teachers' perceptions of cyberbullying to inform efforts to support teachers in addressing cyberbullying. With a nationally representative sample of 174 teachers in the United States, a series of questionnaires were administered to investigate teachers' perceptions of cyberbullying, their preparedness to address cyberbullying, perceptions of effective strategies to address cyberbullying and whether social-emotional learning programs used in their schools incorporate digital citizenship skills. Results indicated little change in the rates of cyberbullying in schools, but that teachers reported a need for training and professional development to best support them on this topic. Implications related to teacher educator preparation programs and school based interventions targeting cyberbullying are discussed.