07/06/2005
Charity warns of ‘mobile phone bullying’
One in five young people have suffered from some form of ‘digital bullying’, a survey conducted by children’s charity NCH has revealed.
Bullying via mobile phone was found to be the most common form, with 14% of those surveyed claiming to have been harassed or threatened via text messages. However, one in twenty also said they had suffered abuse in internet chat rooms, while 4% said they had received e-mail threats.
One in ten children also said that they had been photographed by a camera phone and had felt threatened or embarrassed. 17% also believed that the image had been sent to other people. The findings follow numerous reports of assaults being recorded on camera phones and sent to other people – a craze that has become known as ‘happy slapping’.
Most of those surveyed (73%) knew who was behind the digital bullying. However, over a quarter (26%) said that a stranger carried out the bullying. NCH said that bullies using mobile phones would often withhold their number or use mobiles belonging to other people so that their number could not be identified.
The NCH survey, conducted in conjunction with Tesco Mobile, surveyed 770 young people, aged between 11 and 19.
The emergence of digital bullying follows a massive increase in the ownership of mobile phones amongst teenagers. NCH said that 97% of 12 to 16-year-olds now own a mobile phone and nearly 4 million young people have a camera-enabled handset – a figure which is expected to double by 2007.
John Carr, the NCH technology adviser, said: “For a child or teenager being bullied by mobile phone, it can be terrifying and feel like there is no escape. This new research reveals the massive scale of mobile bullying and shows how camera phones are being used by bullies to frighten and intimidate their victims.”
The NCH and Tesco Mobile have launched a new website - stoptexbullying.com - which provides advice to young people. Information is available from: www.stoptextbully.com
(KMcA/SP)
Bullying via mobile phone was found to be the most common form, with 14% of those surveyed claiming to have been harassed or threatened via text messages. However, one in twenty also said they had suffered abuse in internet chat rooms, while 4% said they had received e-mail threats.
One in ten children also said that they had been photographed by a camera phone and had felt threatened or embarrassed. 17% also believed that the image had been sent to other people. The findings follow numerous reports of assaults being recorded on camera phones and sent to other people – a craze that has become known as ‘happy slapping’.
Most of those surveyed (73%) knew who was behind the digital bullying. However, over a quarter (26%) said that a stranger carried out the bullying. NCH said that bullies using mobile phones would often withhold their number or use mobiles belonging to other people so that their number could not be identified.
The NCH survey, conducted in conjunction with Tesco Mobile, surveyed 770 young people, aged between 11 and 19.
The emergence of digital bullying follows a massive increase in the ownership of mobile phones amongst teenagers. NCH said that 97% of 12 to 16-year-olds now own a mobile phone and nearly 4 million young people have a camera-enabled handset – a figure which is expected to double by 2007.
John Carr, the NCH technology adviser, said: “For a child or teenager being bullied by mobile phone, it can be terrifying and feel like there is no escape. This new research reveals the massive scale of mobile bullying and shows how camera phones are being used by bullies to frighten and intimidate their victims.”
The NCH and Tesco Mobile have launched a new website - stoptexbullying.com - which provides advice to young people. Information is available from: www.stoptextbully.com
(KMcA/SP)
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