Cyber-bullying ‘has a greater impact’

Cyber-bullying has a greater impact on victims than traditional bullying, according to a new report.

The report, published in the Irish Journal of Education, found that online bullying can last only one or two weeks, but in some cases can go on for years and is usually carried out by single females in the same school year as the victim.

The research, carried out by senior lecturer in psychology Dr Sinead McGilloway and Padraig Cotter, both of NUI Maynooth, looked at the experiences of 112 students aged between 12 and 18. It found that while cyber-bullying was less frequent than traditional bullying and largely short-term, it was regarded by participants as worse than traditional bullying, with the notable exception of email.

It also claimed that overall rates of cyber-bullying here appear to be lower than is the case in other countries.

The sample of students came from two mixed secondary schools in the south of the country and found:

* Internet and phone use was high — for example, 58% sent five or more text messages a day and 88% used the internet with more than 66% using it for a number of hours per week.

* 21% had been victims of traditional bullying in the previous six months, although more than half said it had happened only once or twice.

* 31% had heard of bullying by text message, while 25% were aware of phone call bullying, 17% were aware of bullying by picture/video clip and 12% of email bullying.

* 17% said they had been a victim of cyber-bullying, and 9% said they had engaged in cyber-bullying.

Video clip and phone bullying were seen as worse than traditional bullying. Of those, there was a feeling that “you couldn’t escape it, even when you’re at home”. Also, many said their parents were less likely to notice phone or online bullying.

According to the report: “Victims were most frequently bullied by a single female or a small number of females, from a different class but the same year (as the victim) and were bullied least often by several large groups of bullies of both sexes from a lower year.”

Four people said the bullying had gone on for longer than six months, with the majority of cyber-bullying incidents lasting just a week or two. Victims were slightly more likely to confide in friends than with their parents but in six cases they had told no one.

Those surveyed also said they did not believe a ban on private internet use or mobile phones in school would have an impact on bullying.

The report has emerged in the wake of two suicides this year involving young schoolgirls who had been the victim of online taunts — Erin Gallagher from Ballybofey in Co Donegal and Ciara Pugsley in Co Leitrim.