A new study from researchers at the Child Mind Institute shows that negative online experiences are common among children and teens with mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, and most incidents go unreported through the platform’s reporting tools.
Published in JAACAP Open, the study examined negative online experiences among 1,009 youth ages 9 to 15 with a history of mental health or neurodevelopmental concerns, all of whom were current or past participants in the Child Mind Institute’s Healthy Brain Network. More than one in four reported at least one negative online experience in the past year. Of those who had such an experience, approximately 69% reported multiple incidents, yet only 20% reported the incident through the platform’s reporting tools.
The study defined “negative online experiences” as any unwanted or uncomfortable experience while online, including cyberbullying, cyberstalking, doxxing, impersonation, sexual harassment and related forms of digital harm. The research used a mixed-methods design, combining a quantitative survey with an in-depth qualitative follow-up involving a three-day conducted online bulletin board with a subgroup of participants.
These findings point to a larger and often hidden problem. Many young people are experiencing harmful or uncomfortable experiences online, but they often go unreported to systems designed to help them. “This makes a big difference for parents, teachers, physicians, and platforms trying to keep kids safe online.”
Michael P. Milham, MD, PhD, chief science officer at the Child Mind Institute and senior author of the study
The research team identified three major categories of barriers that prevent youth from reporting negative online experiences: reporting process barriers, such as not knowing how to make a report; reporting policy barriers, including uncertainty about what qualifies for reporting or how platform rules are applied; and emotional barriers, such as embarrassment, fear and worry about consequences, or lack of confidence that support will be helpful.
The study also found that reporting decisions were often dictated by how young people interpreted the incident. In qualitative follow-up, youth considered whether the harmful behavior was intentional, how malicious it was, and how severe or repeated the harassment was. When those signals were unclear, youth were unsure whether the reporting was appropriate.
“Reporting is not just a matter of asking young people to speak out,” said Mirel Kass, lead author of the study. “Youth are making complex decisions about intent, seriousness, platform rules, and the potential consequences of disclosure. If we want youth to report harmful experiences, the tools and systems around them need to be clear, safe, and easy to use.”
The findings suggest that online safety efforts should be tailored to the needs of youth who are already managing mental health, developmental or social challenges. Social competence, mental health symptoms, and parenting style were associated with youth’s likelihood of experiencing negative online experiences and barriers to deciding to report them.
Participants also expressed a clear desire for better tools and guidance. Most young people wanted platforms to provide more information about how to protect themselves online, how to use safety features like blocking and reporting, and how to get support during and after the reporting process.
“Families, teachers, physicians, policy makers and technology developers all have a role to play,” Dr. Milham said. “We need reporting systems that children can understand, policies that are transparent, and trusted adults who can respond without blame or overreaction. Safer digital spaces will require more than awareness. They will need systems that are based on how young people actually experience harm online.”
The study underscores the importance of developmentally appropriate safety tools, clear platform policies, and strong support systems for youth navigating digital spaces. For children and adolescents with mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, improving reporting pathways can be an important step towards reducing hidden online harms and creating safer online environments.
This research was supported by funding from Google LLC’s User Safety team to the Child Mind Institute for work led by Michael P. Milham, MD, PhD.
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Journal Reference:
Kass, M., And others. (2026). Negative online experiences and reporting rates among youth with mental health problems. JACAP open. doi:10.1016/j.jacop.2026.04.001. https://jaacapopen.org/retrieve/pii/S2949732926000402
