Kids in UK Hit Hard by Cyberbullying
The big ‘Net’ news in the UK is a new study that came out. 10,000 teenagers asked revealed that nearly half (47%) of 14-year-olds are bullied. The study also revealed that:
- 89% of parents thought cyberbullying was just as serious as other types of bullying.
- About half (54%) of those questioned said they had not talked to their children about how to protect themselves from cyberbullying.
- Almost a quarter (23%) said they would allow their child of 10 or under to go on the internet unsupervised at home.
- 38% said they had or would allow children of that age to have a mobile phone.
- And one in 10 of the parents surveyed said they had or would allow their child of eight or under to have a mobile phone.
So clearly, parents are a big part of this issue. The quicker they get privy to that fact and accept tools like our PC Pandora monitoring software as a resource to help solve the bullying problem, the better we will all be.
November 13, 2009
47% of 14-year-olds ‘are bullied’Nearly half of 14-year-olds in England have experienced some sort of bullying, a study of 10,000 teenagers for the government suggests.
Name calling and cyberbullying – where the victim faces threats and insults via mobile phones and the internet – were the most common forms.
After these came being threatened with violence, being excluded by friends and facing real violence.
The study did not say if the bullying had taken place once or more often.
According to the long-term study for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, some 47% of 14-year-olds reported bullying. This dropped to 41% among 15-year-olds and 29% of 16-year-olds.
‘Left out’
The most common type was name calling and cyberbullying, while the least common was being forced to hand over money or possessions.Those with a disability were more likely to face name calling and to be excluded from friendship groups than those without.
Children with special educational needs, caring responsibilities or those having to spend some time in care were also more likely to be bullying victims.
Overall girls were more likely to be bullied than boys at the age of 14 and 15.
They were also more likely to face name calling and be excluded from friendship groups.
Boys were more likely to have their money and possessions taken and to face violence.
Those bullied at 14 and 15 had significantly lower results at GCSE – equivalent to two grades lower.
‘Tell your parents’
And bullying victims were also more likely to be “Neets” – not in education, employment or training.But interestingly the research found that those whose parents reported bullying were less likely to face it in the future.
Young people who told their parents at 14 were almost twice as likely not to remain being bullied at 16 than those who did not.
Children’s Secretary Ed Balls called on parents to always report incidents of bullying to their child’s school.
The research is being published to coincide with the launch theme of this year’s Anti-Bullying Week, which begins on November 16.
The theme – tackling cyberbullying – uses the slogan “Stay Safe in Cyberspace”.
On this issue, Mr Balls said: “Mobile phones or computer screens can be used to taunt and bully young people, which can have devastating consequences.
“I want parents to feel confident coming forward and reporting bullying incidents to schools, as we know this helps to stop bullying continuing.”
November 16, 2009
Cyberbullies hit primary schoolsCyberbullying is a growing problem in primary schools, according to the Anti-Bullying Alliance.
In a small study carried out by the group in south east England, one in five children questioned said they had been bullied online or by phone.
And many of the 227 10 and 11-year olds questioned said they used social networking sites, even though users are meant to be over 13.
Campaigners say parents must learn how to help children protect themselves.
The Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA), which is a charity bringing together 60 organizations, also released the findings of a survey of parents on cyberbullying at the start of ‘Anti-bullying week’.
‘Unsupervised access’
It defines cyberbullying as deliberately upsetting someone using information technology, especially the internet or telephone.The survey suggests 89% of parents thought cyberbullying was just as serious as other types of bullying.
About half (54%) of those questioned said they had not talked to their children about how to protect themselves from cyberbullying.
“Cyberbullying is affecting younger age groups as more children get mobile phones and have computer access ”
Christopher Cloke, ABAAlmost a quarter (23%) said they would allow their child of 10 or under to go on the internet unsupervised at home; 38% said they had or would allow children of that age to have a mobile phone.
And one in 10 of the parents surveyed said they had or would allow their child of eight or under to have a mobile phone.
The research involved 1,163 people in England who have children aged between eight and 14. It was conducted by BMRB in October 2009.
The chairman of the ABA , Christopher Cloke, said: “Parents and schools need to be aware that cyberbullying is affecting younger age groups as more children get mobile phones and have computer access.
“Nationally we know that around 22% of secondary school pupils have suffered cyberbullying, but until now we did not know younger age groups were also seriously affected.
“It is crucial that we ensure they know how to stay safe online, and that their parents know how to help them. Clearly more research is needed on this emerging issue.”
The group believes some people do not take this form of bullying seriously because it is indirect and often anonymous, but they say it can be harmful, leaving children feeling that they cannot escape.
One child told campaigners: “I felt that no one understood what I was going through. I didn’t know who was sending me these messages.
“I felt powerless and didn’t know what to do.”
The group tells children:
- Don’t give out personal details such as your mobile number, address or email online
- Regularly check and clean your friends lists on social networking sites
- Keep evidence – callers and mailers can be traced
- Find the “report abuse” or “block sender” options on your favourite websites
- Remember that sites you create and emails you send can be traced back to you
- Protect your password to keep your files and information safe
Lastly, if you are being bullied in any way you must tell someone who can help – a teacher, parent/carer, friend, sister/brother or other relative…
