On Sept. 19, 2010, Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi was recorded on a webcam having an intimate encounter with another male student.
After the video was streamed online, Clementi committed suicide.
Bullying and cyberbullying are some of the current issues surrounding a large portion of college students like Clementi, according to a recent study from Indiana State University.
Researchers found that 15 percent of college students surveyed reported being bullied and 22 percent reported being cyberbullied, according to the university's news release.
Christine MacDonald, a professor of educational and school psychology at Indiana State, is the lead researcher for the study.
Studies on elementary, middle and high school students have been conducted, but little research has been conducted on bullying and cyberbullying among college students, MacDonald said in the release.
"It doesn't just stop when they turn 18," she said.
The study also found that 42 percent of students reported seeing a student being bullied by another student, and 38 percent of students knew someone who had been cyberbullied.
According to the news release, cyberbullying occurs when technology is used to harass others by sending harmful images or text.
David Barkey, Southeastern Area counsel for the Anti-Defamation League, said bullying can be defined as discrimination or intentionally treating someone differently based on race, gender or ethnicity.
Jowharah Sanders, founder and executive director of National Voices for Equality, Education and Enlightenment, said bullying is an issue on college campuses because students are not willing to step forward and report a bullying incident.
"Getting people to come forward is a challenge," she said.
UF biochemistry sophomore Henry Pires, 18, said he has not witnessed much bullying on campus but would agree that students should speak out when they see someone being picked on.
"It really does come down to how you personally react to a situation," he said.
