title: Cyberbullying Prevalence Among US Middle and High School-Aged Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Quality Assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cyberbullying (CB) has established links to physical and mental health problems including depression, suicidality, substance use, and somatic symptoms. Quality reporting of CB prevalence is essential to guide evidence-based policy and prevention priorities. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate study quality and reported prevalence among CB research studies conducted in populations of US adolescents of middle and high school age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Searches of peer-reviewed literature published through June 2015 for "CB" and related terms were conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, and Web of Science. Included manuscripts reported CB prevalence in general populations of US adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 years. Using a review tool based on the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology statement, reviewers independently scored study quality on study methods, results reporting, and reported prevalence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Search results yielded 1,447 manuscripts; 81 manuscripts representing 58 unique studies were identified as meeting inclusion criteria. Quality scores ranged between 12 and 37 total points of a possible 42 points (mean = 26.7, standard deviation = 4.6). Prevalence rates of CB ranged as follows: Perpetration, 1%-41%; victimization, 3%-72%; and overlapping perpetration and victimization, 2.3%-16.7%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Literature on CB in US middle and high school-aged students is robust in quantity but inconsistent in quality and reported prevalence. Consistent definitions and evidence-based measurement tools are needed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington. Electronic address: ellen.selkie@seattlechildrens.org.
authors.forename: Ellen M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Selkie
authors.affiliation: Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington; Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, Washington.
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fales
authors.affiliation: Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Megan A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Moreno
mesh_terms: D058445:Bullying / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D015995:Prevalence; D013334:Students; D014481:United States
keywords: Bullying; Cyberbullying; Internet; Prevalence; Research; Social media; Systematic review; Text messaging; United States