Interpersonal Violence in Schools and Social Media

Question: I’ve heard that one reason school cell phone policies are being updated is to reduce in-school violence related to social media interactions. What connection is there between social media and interpersonal violence in schools?  

Answer: Thank you for this question! It might first be helpful to review what we know about interpersonal violence among youth in K-12 schools, and then discuss the potential role of social media.  

Interpersonal violence in schools 

Interpersonal violence, or violence that is inflicted by another person or group of people, is definitely something for schools to be concerned. Interpersonal violence can take several forms, including physical violence (eg, hitting, punching, physical fights), emotional/psychological (eg, verbal threats, controlling behaviors), or sexual (ie, unwanted sexual behaviors where consent has not been provided).  

Some forms of interpersonal violence that students may experience include bullying and cyberbullying, and intimate partner violence / dating violence (IPV). Both bullying/cyberbullying and IPV can include both physical and emotional/psychological violence, and can happen online or offline. About 22% of U.S. students aged 12-18 have reported they were bullied at school, and 46% of teens aged 13-17 reported experiencing cyberbullying. Around 19% of teens have reported experiencing IPV.  

The role of social media 

There is less robust research on the potential role of social media in interpersonal violence in K-12 schools. A literature review on studies from 2001-2013 found that cyberbullying and online IPV can occur via social media.  

A recent study on early adolescents in China found that using the Internet for educational purposes, entertainment purposes, or for socializing was not associated with externalizing behaviors like peer aggression. However, a smaller, qualitative study among adolescents aged 12 to 19 that came from a program that serves adolescents at risk for violence involvement, found that despite adolescents not going online intending to fight, they acknowledged that social media (video streaming or comments/posts) intensifies interpersonal slights, increasing the likelihood of offline violence. There were three reasons or sources that the authors identified as reasons for why a social media conflict might move offline:  

• perceived “disrespect to the self,”  
• perceived “disrespect to people one cares about” or  
• romantic conflicts.  

While this qualitative study suggests that online conflicts may move offline, more research is needed on this topic.  

Support for interventions 

Based on the numbers of students who report having experienced bullying, cyberbullying, or IPV, it is important to identify effective programs and strategies to decrease the occurrence of these forms of violence.  

Prevention programs 

The positive news is that anti-bullying prevention programs have been found to be effective at decreasing rates of bullying and cyberbullying among youth.  

Further, a systematic review focused on prevention programs to reduce peer aggression and IPV reported promising results:  

• To reduce levels of perpetration of peer aggression, the evidence supports prevention programs that focus on: 
  • cognitive behavior techniques,  
  • social-emotional skills, and  
  • peer mentoring or mediation.  
• Effective programs for reducing IPV were those that focused specifically on IPV. Some evidence-based IPV-focused programs include: 
  • Safe Dates is a ten-session program for middle and high school students and covers topics such as caring relationships, definitions of abuse, helping friends, overcoming gender stereotypes, and preventing assault. 
  • The Fourth R is a program for middle school students designed to support healthy relationships and decrease risk factors for IPV, and covers topics such as personal safety, substance use, and sexual health. 
  • Shifting Boundaries is a program for middle school students that focuses on teaching positive and safe relationships, adjusting peer norms, and raising awareness about IPV. 

Other strategies: positive school climate and teacher preparedness 

Research also suggests that promoting a positive school climate and teacher readiness to intervene during incidents may be beneficial to reduce interpersonal violence in schools. A meta-analytic review of school climate and violence found that a positive school climate is associated with less school violence, while another study found that school staff readiness to intervene and address violence was associated with a lower probability of violence in schools. 

Impacts of cell phone policies 

There is little research that focuses directly on the impact of cell phone policies on reducing overall interpersonal violence at school. One systematic review evaluating studies that examined cell phone bans on mental health and well-being among students as well as rates of bullying and cyberbullying found mixed and inconclusive evidence.  

Some studies reported that teachers supported bans and perceived positive mental health outcomes, while other studies found no evidence to suggest that banning cell phones enhances youth mental health and well-being.  

The evidence on bans and bullying/cyberbullying was also mixed, with some studies showing that bans were associated with slight decreases in bullying and cyberbullying, while other studies showed that bans were associated with higher rates of cyberbullying.  

Given these mixed findings, the impact of cell phone policies is an area that needs additional research. 

Social media “challenges” 

Another potential way that social media may play a role in violence is through concerning social media challenges. While some social media challenges are creative and can even raise money, such as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, others can potentially be dangerous. For example, a challenge named “Devious Licks”, where students were encouraged to steal something from their school, led to destruction of school property.

A prior portal response outlines ways to mitigate negative effects of these challenges. Common Sense Media provides some tips that can be used to talk to teens about social media challenges. The Glossary of Digital Media Platforms is a resource that can be used to learn more about specific social media platforms and how to be safe online. Another approach to these problematic uses of media is through digital literacy programs in school. Some options include: 

• Common Sense Education: Digital Learning and Citizenship includes topics on media balance and well-being, relationships, communication, and cyberbullying.  
• Media Power Youth’s Screenshots is a digital literacy program designed for students in grades 6-8. There are lesson plans, podcasts, and an interactive notebook that allows students to evaluate social media messages and online conflicts.  
• Teens & Tech is a digital literacy curriculum with lesson plans for middle school students to learn about brain development, technology use, benefits and risks of social media, and topics such as sleep and learning.  

In summary, while there is little research that focuses directly on the impact of school cell phone policies on reducing overall interpersonal violence at school, there are evidence-based prevention programs, digital literacy resources and curriculums, and other strategies that may help to mitigate online conflict from being carried offline.  

References 

• The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: 10th Anniversary | The ALS Association. (n.d.). Accessed September 4, 2025.  
• Abrams, Z. (2023). Up to 19% of teens experience dating violence. Psychologist want to break the cycle. American Psychological Association. Accessed September 4, 2025.  
• Campbell, M., Edwards, E. J., Pennell, D., Poed, S., Lister, V., Gillett-Swan, J., ... & Nguyen, T. A. (2024). Evidence for and against banning mobile phones in schools: A scoping review. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 34(3), 242-265.  
• Centers for Disease Control. (2024). About intimate partner violence. Intimate Partner Violence Prevention. Accessed September 4, 2025.  
• Common Sense Media. (2021). Help kids navigate viral social media stunts: Learn why kids participate in viral social media challenges and how you can help them make responsible decisions.  Accessed September 4, 2025. 
• Elsaesser, C., Patton, D. U., Weinstein, E., Santiago, J., Clarke, A., & Eschmann, R. (2021). Small becomes big, fast: Adolescent perceptions of how social media features escalate online conflict to offline violence. Children and youth services review, 122, 105898.   
• Lee, S., Kim, C. J., & Kim, D. H. (2015). A meta-analysis of the effect of school-based anti-bullying programs. Journal of child health care, 19(2), 136-153.  
• Lester, S., Lawrence, C., & Ward, C. L. (2017). What do we know about preventing school violence? A systematic review of systematic reviews. Psychology, health & medicine, 22(sup1), 187-223.   
• Mao, Y., Hu, B., & Kim, K. J. (2025). Is the Internet to blame for problem behaviours in early adolescents? The effects of different types of Internet use, depression, and self-control. Behaviour & Information Technology, 44(9), 1975-1989.  
• Metzler, L., Lazaros, E. J., Davison, C. B., & Truell, A. D. (2023). Social media challenges are causing disruptions in schools. Issues in Information Systems, 24(1).  
• Patton, D. U., Hong, J. S., Ranney, M., Patel, S., Kelley, C., Eschmann, R., & Washington, T. (2014). Social media as a vector for youth violence: A review of the literature. Computers in human behavior, 35, 548-553.  
• Polanin, J. R., Espelage, D. L., Grotpeter, J. K., Ingram, K., Michaelson, L., Spinney, E., ... & Robinson, L. (2022). A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to decrease cyberbullying perpetration and victimization. Prevention Science, 23(3), 439-454.  
• Rosenberg, M. L., Butchart, A., Mercy, J., Narasimhan, V., Waters, H., & Marshall, M. S. (2006). Interpersonal violence. Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries. 2nd edition. 
• Schaeffer, K. (2023). 9 facts about bullying in the U.S. Pew Research Center.  Accessed September 4, 2025.  
• Siller, L., Edwards, K. M., & Banyard, V. (2021). School and community correlates of interpersonal violence among high school students. Psychology of violence, 11(3), 244.  
• Steffgen, G., Recchia, S., & Viechtbauer, W. (2013). The link between school climate and violence in school: A meta-analytic review. Aggression and violent behavior, 18(2), 300-309.  

Age: 12-18 

Topic: Interpersonal violence, schools, cell phone policies, social media 

Role: Other, Researcher