Cyber-Bulling Becoming Part of Day to Day Life

Cyber-Bulling Becoming Part of Day to Day Life: A new piece of research, carried out by the Anti-Bulling Alliance, suggests that three fifths (60.5%) of parents feel that the prevalence of the internet and the availability of online channels has led to cyber-bullying becoming part of day to day life for children and young people.  Worryingly, large number of parents (40%) and teachers (44%) who responded to the survey felt that they did not know how to tackle the problem of cyber-bullying. This is particularly bad news in light of the fact that almost 70% of children said that they would look to their parents for assistance if they were being bullied online.

Cyber-Bulling Becoming Part of Day to Day Life

Cyber-Bulling Becoming Part of Day to Day Life.
[Image: Internetsinacoso via Wikimedia Commons]

The research, which asked the views of 2,200 parents, children and teachers from across England has suggested that a growing number of people would like to see online safety taught within the English education system – around seven in ten (69%) teachers and two in five (40%) children said the issue should be covered in the national curriculum.

There have been numerous recent cases where online cyber-bullying has spilled over, with tragic outcomes, in both the UK and on a wider international scale. In August, Hannah Smith – who was fourteen at the time – took her own life following abuse on the website Ask.fm, a web site which allows users to send anonymous questions to one another. In Florida in the United States, Rebecca Sedwick also committed suicide following being bombarded by cyber-bullies and hate messages; she was twelve years old. David Cameron, the UK Prime Minister, has urged people to avoid websites where this kind of abuse takes place, and has also stated publicly that those involved in cyber-bullying are not above the law – although campaigners on this topic feel that Mr Cameron’s approach is too simplistic.

Indeed, Keith Towler, the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, has stated that the government  should look to introduce specific legislation to combat the issue.

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