New Study Finds 1 In 5 Kids Experience Cyber-Bullying

A team of researchers from the University of Alberta and the Ontario Center for Excellence for Child and Adolescent Mental Health  in Ottawa has finished compiling data from 36 studies and published collected findings on Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.

The average percent of kids being cyber-bullied is thought to be around 27%. This means one in every five children will experience cyber-bullying.

Cyber-bullying can affect as high as 74 percent of kids in certain regions. Affected children tend to be female for the most part.

Michelle Hamm from Alberta Research Center for Health Evidence at the University of Alberta, Canada, says that in order to protect children there is need for a prevention and management program, that should act on multiple levels from parents to teachers and specialists.

Although the studies cannot certify that bullying causes depression, there are a certain number of studies that followed subjects for a longer period and determined that depressive feeling came after being bullied in some cases.

Many of the children that are being bullied on the internet are suffering from different forms of depression.

As is the case with bullying in schools or at home children that are affected by it tend to keep to themselves and do not tell anyone about what is happening to them.

If questioned they are reluctant to say what is happening or to say who is bullying them.

Twitter, Ask.com and other internet community programs are changing their stance on cyber-bullying after several series of teenage suicides linked to bulling on social sites.

Many software companies are increasing their filtering and censorship of hate messages and are also applying penalties for culprits doing such acts.

The 36 studies provided data on different social sites and interactive communities. Facebook was reported to be the most used. As much as 97.5 percent of teens who are using social media websites and apps have said they own a Facebook account.

Researchers reported they found clear links between social bullying and depression with ten of the studies confirming links between the two.

It is probable depressed teenager are more likely to be cyber-bullied  or in some cases become depressed after being bullied.

Being different or a little socially awkward makes targets for bullies out of youngsters.

Although the studies cannot certify that bullying causes depression, there are a certain number of studies that followed subjects for a longer period and determined that depressive feeling came after being bullied in some cases.

Image Source: resources.uknowkids.com