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First our series what your kids don't want you to know. T.j. Holmes is sharing a candid conversation between a group of tween girls and their parents about what really happens on their phones and also revealing the anonymous messaging apps. This morning, T.J. Has the latest on cyberbullying. Reporter: Rolling eyes. Stick and stones may back your break. It can go viral. A whole different monster. Now, no reason for us to believe that kids these days are any meaner than they have ever been. New technology that allows them to spread that meanness around. School bullies don't have to corner their victims anymore. No. Never have one like bully. Everyone talking behind everyone else's backs. Reporter: These 14-year-old. And 15-year-olds from San Francisco love their smartphones. Who's the worst out of the group? They agreed to tell us how some apps and social media can expose them to an online world of insults. How bad does it get? Lot of issues to the point. What kind of stuff do they say online via social media they wouldn't say to your face. Physical appearance. Reporter: She quit one after harassment. Within the first half an hour and I deleted it the day after because I was crying. Reporter: A negative comment or two is one thing but experts define cyberbullying when someone is hurtful repeatedly and deliberately. Experts caution, that cyberbullying is almost never the sole factor in suicide. They don't want parents to solve this problem. They do need the tools to solve the problem themselves. Reporter: One tool is the new Google chrome extension called, reword. It acts as a spellcheck of negative language, gives them an opportunity to change it. Our group is hopeful that taken upon themselves to police it. It's not just you attack the bully. What a smart young woman there. This is such a huge topic of conversation in my house and so many homes across America. Kids can be mean. No matter what, you can walk down the hall and say, I don't like your shoes. When someone does it over and over when you're trying to hurt your feelings, sometimes bullying can be accidental. One off-comment, those kids admit we would say things online that we wouldn't say to their face. Repeated and intentional. So refreshing to hear those kids they want to get inside the minds of the bully and help them stop. We have been doing this series, some parents were scared. This week, glad to end on a hopeful note. These kids have taken it upon themselves to police themselves. There's a stigma attached to bullying. So it's nice to see them blitzing themselves. They don't want parents and adults to fix the problems. No, I don't bring it to my parents at least it reaches a threatening level. That is hopeful. Great reporting. Thank you. Let's head outside to rob in Boston.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

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Video: Teens and Tech: Inside Online Bullying

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First our series what your kids don't want you to know. T.j. Holmes is sharing a candid conversation between a group of tween girls and their parents about what really happens on their phones and also revealing the anonymous messaging apps. This morning, T.J. Has the latest on cyberbullying.

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An aggressive, intentional act carried out by a group or individual, using electronic forms of contact, repeatedly and over time against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself.

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Cyberbullying impacts millions of kids around the world. It's time to #RaiseOurVoices because our words have the power to help heal. Watch the film and learn how important it is to start a conversation with your child.

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Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.

The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are:

Social Media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok

Text messaging and messaging apps on mobile or tablet devices

Instant messaging, direct messaging, and online chatting over the internet

Online forums, chat rooms, and message boards, such as Reddit

Email

Online gaming communities

Special Concerns

With the prevalence of social media and digital forums, comments, photos, posts, and content shared by individuals can often be viewed by strangers as well as acquaintances. The content an individual shares online - both their personal content as well as any negative, mean, or hurtful content - creates a kind of permanent public record of their views, activities, and behavior. This public record can be thought of as an online reputation, which may be accessible to schools, employers, colleges, clubs, and others who may be researching an individual now or in the future. Cyberbullying can harm the online reputations of everyone involved - not just the person being bullied, but those doing the bullying or participating in it. Cyberbullying has unique concerns in that it can be:

Persistent - Digital devices offer an ability to immediately and continuously communicate 24 hours a day, so it can be difficult for children experiencing cyberbullying to find relief.

Permanent - Most information communicated electronically is permanent and public, if not reported and removed. A negative online reputation, including for those who bully, can impact college admissions, employment, and other areas of life.

Hard to Notice - Because teachers and parents may not overhear or see cyberbullying taking place, it is harder to recognize.

Laws and Sanctions

All states have laws requiring schools to respond to bullying. As cyberbullying has become more prevalent with the use of technology, many states now include cyberbullying, or mention cyberbullying offenses, under these laws. Schools may take action either as required by law, or with local or school policies that allow them to discipline or take other action. Some states also have provisions to address bullying if it affects school performance. You can learn about the laws and policies in each state, including if they cover cyberbullying.

Frequency of Cyberbullying

There are two sources of federally collected data on youth bullying:

The 2017 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice) indicates that, among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, 15% were bullied online or by text.

The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) indicates that an estimated 15.7% of high school students were electronically bullied in the 12 months prior to the survey.

See also " Frequency of Bullying."

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Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else.

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Cyber bullying has rose 351% in two years

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Cyber bullying has rose 351% in two years

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Cyberbullying in city schools has soared by 351 percent in just two years - with reports of fat-shaming and harassment over race, gender and sexual orientation leading the way, a Post analysis has found.

There was a total of 804 reported incidents in the 2015-16 school year, compared to 686 the prior year and 178 in 2013-14, the year the state Department of Education began collecting data.

"These kids are glued to social media now," said a teacher at Boys and Girls HS in Brooklyn.

"I'm willing to bet that these are just a fraction of what's actually taking place. You can get cyberbullied for reporting cyberbullying, and most kids don't want to make things worse."

Under the Dignity for All Students Act, schools are now required to report cyberbullying incidents to state officials, who broke down the online-harassment by category.

During the last school year, 46 reports of cyberbullying involved students being harassed about their sexual orientation, 35 involved fat-shaming and another 25 pertained to racially-motivated posts.

The majority were classified as "unspecified."

The Department of Education would not say how many cases get referred to the NYPD - and how many resulted in suspensions.

A 17-year-old student at elite Brooklyn Technical HS - which reported the second-highest number of cyberbullying incidents in the 2015-16 school year, behind only Edward R. Murrow HS - recalled how one her gay peers was outed to his parents online.

"These kids added a gay kid to a group chat and then added his parents in a Facebook chat, to expose him as being gay to his parents," she explained.

"His parents didn't know he was gay. He was hurt. He wasn't ready to tell his parents."

She said the bullying student was suspended and kicked off the basketball team at Brooklyn Tech, which reported 12 incidents of cyberbullying last school year.

Some sources said the spike in incidents is the result of schools' increased vigilance.

"There is greater attention to the issue that has likely produced greater reporting," said Professor David Bloomfield of the CUNY Graduate Center.

Edward R. Murrow HS in, Midwood, had the most incidents of any public school in 2015-16, reporting 13 cases.

The problem also extends to charters, which saw an increase from 102 reported incidents in 2013-14 to 135 in 2015-16, the data show.

State Education Department spokesman Jonathan Burman said school staffers have "become more aware of cyberbullying."

"Many have been trained to investigate and report the use of electronic devices to bully and harass others," he said.

DOE spokeswoman Toya Holness said there are "explicit protocols and robust training programs in place" to combat the problem.

"We've added hundreds more guidance counselors and preventative resources for students and staff, and we'll continue to ensure supportive and inclusive learning environments across all schools."
Additional reporting by Priscilla DeGregory and Jennifer Bain

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Cyberbullying in city schools soars 351% in just two years

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Cyberbullying in city schools has soared by 351 percent in just two years - with reports of fat-shaming and harassment over race, gender and sexual orientation leading the way, a Post analysis has found.