Cyber-bullying common

Many teenagers say they are the victims of online bullying, but few tell their parents or other adults, according to a study by UCLA researchers.

Moreover, teens who are on the brunt end of cyber-bullying are the same ones who are being bullied at school, the study found.

"Bullying on the Internet looks similar to what kids do face-to-face in schools," said lead study author Jaana Juvonen, who chairs UCLA’s developmental psychology program. "The Internet is not functioning as a separate environment but is connected with the social lives of kids in school. ... Especially among heavy users of the Internet, cyber-bullying is a common experience, and the forms of online and in-school bullying are more alike than different."

The research is based on an anonymous survey of 1,454 participants, aged 12 to 17, recruited through a popular teen website in 2005. Nearly three in four teens said they were bullied at least once during a previous 12-month period, while only one in 10 reported the abuse to parents. The findings appear in the September issue of the Journal of School Health.

The most common reason for not telling an adult is that teens believe they need to "learn to deal with it." Many also said they were concerned their parents might restrict their Internet access or that they could get into trouble with their parents.

The most prevalent kinds of bullying online and in school were name-calling or insults, followed by password theft and intimidations such as threats, sending embarrassing pictures, sharing privare information without permission and spreading nasty rumors.

Juvonen said that adults may overestimate the risk of bullying online and downplay the risk in school. Of those who experienced cyber-bullying, 51% said it was done by schoolmates. Schools should do more to address both instances, including teaching students how to cope and respond, Juvonen said.

"Schools need to enforce intolerance of any intimidation among students, regardless of whether it takes place on or beyond the school grounds," she said.

Earlier research by Juvonen and Adrienne Nishina, an assistant professor of human development at UC Davis, found that middle school students who are bullied in school feel depressed and lonely and often have headaches, colds and other physical illnesses as well as psychological problems.

-- Carla Rivera

Comments

[Elizabeth Bennett]

I am glad to see this study being conducted. Much of what occurs in school filters onto the internet. Cyberbullying is very hurtful and slanderous. Also, its a form of abuse; Peer Abuse. We need to start to take this to the next level and keep educating on the fact that this is abusive behavior.

Cyberbullying also occurs amongst adults. Its not just a problem with children. Many adults engage in this as well.

Keep up the good work!

Regards,
Elizabeth Bennett
Peer Abuse Know More!
Los Angeles

[Marian Merritt]

Cyberbullying or internet bullying has become such a common, everyday phenomenon. Children don't trust their parents not to overreact when they hear about it. We've got to forge that trust, not just for when bad things happen but on a regular basis by talking about the Internet. The good, the bad, the daily stuff like what websites we visit, what does a phishing email look like, how to use search properly.

We can't just wish our kids wouldn't bully each other, whether in person or online. We have to tell them what is expected, what risks there are when we use digital communication (it's permanent, for one) and how to manage those risks. But it's not going to be easy to control cyberbullying; we have to work in partnership with our kids.

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[Jill Maraldo]

The issues of cyberbullying and social networking behavior is one that is facing our schools and students across the nation and around the globe. Schools need a curriculum in place that can help address these pressing issues and empower students, teachers and parents to take a stand against cyberbullying.

[Kim Smith]

I understand that cyberbullying iaffects a child mentally and emotionally, it leads to teasing and taunting at the schools and if a child is possibly on an outting. Alot of this happens among teenagers who should know right from wrong and have the knowledge of common sense, meaning, when the first sign of this bullying starts let your parents know, and if he/she sees it continues don't respond back to negativity or stay off the computor. A mother was recently braught up on charges of inpursinating a child on My Space, that resulted in the death of a child. What I can't understand is that childs parents knew what was going on and she continued to get on the computor time after time, listening, responding and sometimes taunting back with this parent and the other girls,why did the parents of the deceased tell their daughter to stay off of My Space. Teasing and taunting is hard on children it leads to violent tendecies, unable to focus on their school work or even wanting to go to school. It builds of low self esteem, depression, eating diorders and other emotional and mental disorders. There is only so much a parent can do about this type of bullying but to notify authorities at the schools and educate their children to ignore and avoid such people.