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Monday, 11 May 2009 22:34 |
In an effort to understand more about
cyber-bullying - i.e. its prevalence, impact on and response of young people
- BoysTown have been conducting online research with young people who have
been victim to cyber-bullying. Stage 1 of the research is currently
underway, and to-date has received 402 completed responses.
Some of the preliminary data shows:
- The most common ages for bullying to
occur is 10-14 years, during the transitional ages between primary and
secondary.
- Cyber-bullying is happening among peer
groups - with over two thirds of our participants claiming to know their
bully.
- Social-network sites, chat rooms and
emails are the most common vehicles for bullying, with mobile phones also
very common.
- Traditional bullying tactics such as
name calling, general abuse and spreading rumours are still common components
of cyber-bullying, reported in over two-thirds of experiences.
- Most participants claim to have felt
depressed, angry and / or annoyed as a result of the bullying. Many
also report feeling very alone. A concerning 37% reported feeling
'terrified'.
- Only about 1 in 3 victims reported to
have told an adult about their experience. Ironically, of those who
did speak out though, the majority found it helpful, particularly those
who told a parent / carer. Talking to friends has also been helpful
for most. The message this sends to us is that we need to encourage
more young people to speak out!
Their goal is to capture responses from
at least 500 young people, so if you know of any who have experienced cyber-bullying
and are willing to complete their anonymous, 18 short question survey then
please refer them to http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/92827/kids-helpline-cyber
or they can access it via the Kids
Helpline website at http://www.kidshelp.com.au.
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