Data concerning the 41 percent of responding U.S. adults who experienced online harassment, relatively to their most recent encounter with different types of online abuse.
Original question: "Thinking about your most recent experience, how upsetting was this, if at all?"
Data from respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.
Citation formats
U.S. cyber bullying victim distress level after different types of online abuse 2020
According to a September 2020 survey of online adults in the United States, stalking was considered to be extremely upsetting by 27 percent of respondents who experienced online harassment. Sustained and sexual harassment were also among the type of abuse that negatively impacted the affected respondents the most. Receiving threats of physical violence was considered very or extremely upsetting by roughly 40 percent, whereas types of online abuse with higher victimization rates, like purposeful embarrassment and offensive name-calling, registered a lower share of extremely upset responders.
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Pew Research Center. (January 13, 2021). Impact of different types of online harassment according to cyber bullying victims in the United States as of September 2020 [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Retrieved July 23, 2026, from /statistics/1229010/us-online-harassment-impact-adults/
Pew Research Center. "Impact of different types of online harassment according to cyber bullying victims in the United States as of September 2020." Chart. January 13, 2021. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Accessed July 23, 2026. /statistics/1229010/us-online-harassment-impact-adults/
Pew Research Center. (2021). Impact of different types of online harassment according to cyber bullying victims in the United States as of September 2020. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 23, 2026. /statistics/1229010/us-online-harassment-impact-adults/
Pew Research Center. "Impact of Different Types of Online Harassment According to Cyber Bullying Victims in The United States as of September 2020." ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc., 13 Jan 2021, /statistics/1229010/us-online-harassment-impact-adults/
Pew Research Center, Impact of different types of online harassment according to cyber bullying victims in the United States as of September 2020 ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, /statistics/1229010/us-online-harassment-impact-adults/ (last visited July 23, 2026)
Impact of different types of online harassment according to cyber bullying victims in the United States as of September 2020 [Graph], Pew Research Center, January 13, 2021. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1229010/us-online-harassment-impact-adults/