Articles | Cyberbullying an 'epidemic'

Cyberbullying an 'epidemic'

Published: Tuesday, 3 March 2009, 10:36AM

One in three youngsters have been victims of cyberbullying, research has shown.

According to the Beatbullying charity, a poll of more than 2,000 children aged 11 to 18 found teenage girls to be the most likely victims of text messages, prank mobile phone calls and content posted on social networking sites.

Beatbullying chief executive Emma Jane Cross said: "Clearly, cyber-bullying is a growing problem affecting millions of children across the UK and to date efforts to tackle the epidemic have fallen short."

The findings coincide with the launch of a new nationwide social networking site CyberMentors, backed by celebrities and politicians such as Prime Minister Gordon Brown, which allows trained schoolchildren to provide help and advice for their peers.

Mr Brown said: "CyberMentors is an exciting new initiative to help keep Britain's children and young people safe online.

"Just as we wouldn't let them go unsupervised in playgrounds or in youth clubs, so we must put in place the measures that we need to keep our children and young people safe online."