Risky Business: Talking with Your Patients About Cyberbullying and Sexting

: This article reviews cyberbullying and sexting research and presents new research exploring relatively neglected areas of cyberbullying and cell phone ownership among children and outcomes following sexting in college. Two samples are studied: 4584 elementary school children and 1332 college freshman. Findings include: owning a cell phone increased the risk of becoming involved in cyberbullying in grades 3, 4, and 5; and, of college freshman who sexted, 61% reported no outcomes, 19% reported negative outcomes, 13% reported positive outcomes, and 7% reported mixed outcomes. This information may be useful when considering discussing these digital technology risks with patients.