Teachers Educated: Cyber Bullies Target Young Girls

Cyberbullying is increasingly affecting mostly young girls who are not likely to speak openly about the bullies, teachers heard during a recently held conference at Auckland University.

NetSafe research manager John Fenaughty said almost one in five teenagers had experienced cyber bullying, and NetSafe statistics showed 58 per cent of cyberbullying victims were girls.

Dutch academic Simone van der Hof explained to teachers that bullying patterns have changed today as children have grown more accustomed to technology and online social networks with potentially millions of audience. The bullies are not just in the schoolyards anymore, she noted, adding that even the child's home is no longer a bully-free haven, with the increase in internet use among the children and teens.

"(Bullying) enters our house, our living room and it stays with us unless you switch off your devices," Ms van der Hof said in the conference held last Monday.

Around 60 teachers received information on the most recent statistics on cyber bullying.

Ms van der Hof, who researches children's digital identities at Laiden University, stressed the implications of the lasting effect of a single act of bullying online, particularly the uploading of a photo for the purpose of mocking someone.

"The internet doesn't forget," she said.

Netsafe researchers also told the teachers their data revealed that girls are two times more likely to get upset over acts of cyberbullying than the boys.

Mr Fenaughty recommended clear policies on using the internet and phones at schools, and the adults are encouraged to empower the children to speak up.

The mobile phone is also increasingly becoming a medium of bullying, with mobile use doubling from 20 to 40 per cent among year nine students, according to Netsafe.

"Ensure young people are capable of using the technology, but also know how to keep themselves safe," Mr Fenaughty said.

Early this year, a Melbourne student had killed herself over cyberbullying issues merely a week before her 15^th birthday.

Sheniz Erkan, a Taylors Lakes Secondary College student, died of suicide on January 9 after having kept to herself how the schoolyard and cyberspace bullies were attacking her.

Her brother, Aykut Erkan, had told talk station 3AW that parents should closely observe their children's activities on Facebook and the rest of the internet.

"There are problems that they might not know about that are being kept online... These days there is so much technology and cyber stuff going on it's like a whole other world."