Study reveals high levels of online harm and harassment among US teenagers

A recent study of 472 US teens across 47 states highlights widespread online harassment and exposure to harmful content, blurring lines between digital and real-world risks.

A small study of 472 teenagers across 47 US states suggests that online harm is a routine part of adolescent life, with 44.7% saying they had seen harassment happen and 29.8% saying they had experienced it themselves in the previous four weeks. The researchers said the sample was modest but broadly reflected the wider US teenage population, offering a useful snapshot of what young people are encountering across digital spaces.

The teens reported abuse across 20 platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Discord and Pinterest. The findings suggest that, for some forms of victimisation, the line between online and offline life is increasingly blurred: the same share of teenagers said they had been targeted for harm in both settings.

The study also found that exposure to disturbing material was more common online than in person. Some 10.7% said they had seen violent imagery online, compared with 1.6% offline. Unwanted sexual images were reported by 13.4% online and 2.0% offline, while 9.7% said they had come across content encouraging self-harm online, versus 5.2% offline. Researchers said the results could serve as a baseline for tracking online harm affecting young people in future.

The broader context points to just how embedded social platforms are in teenage life. Pew Research Centre found in a 2024 survey that 90% of US teens use YouTube, with TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat also widely used. Separate research from Florida Atlantic University and the Anti-Defamation League has likewise found high levels of online harassment, hate speech and exposure to harmful content, reinforcing concerns that digital spaces remain difficult for many adolescents to navigate safely.