New study finds online abuse not as pervasive among children as traditional bullying

We've all experienced bullying at some point, both traditionally and online. Even politicians have been victims of online harassment in the last couple of years. But new research has pointed to the opposite of what many claim that the internet has become: an unsafe place for children. The paper, which questioned 30,000 fifteen-year-olds discovered some interesting things about their habits and the likelihood of them experiencing cyber-bullying.

According to the paper, 30% of those questioned reported that they have been bullied during the past few months, with the majority saying they have been subject to physical and verbal assaults. However, a mere 3% told the researchers that they experienced both online and traditional abuse, and the most surprising fact is that only 1% said they were abused exclusively online.

These findings shed a hard light on the reports that we've seen surrounding online abuse, especially on Twitter. It seems like traditional abuse is still more prevalent amongst the youth than what is being portrayed, however, several other studies have proven the opposite, with many countries taking heed and have started looking into ways to try and stem the epidemic of online abuse.

Ditch the Label found that half of the children they interviewed had been bullied online, and a study by Action for Children found that one in seven children were actively engaging in online abuse against others. The NSPCC noted that according to their data, taken from Childline and therapy sessions, that online abuse has increased by 88%, and is being treated almost as much as with physical abuse.

Social media giants have been working with these organizations in an attempt to limit the damage that abusers might do, and has outright blocked the abuser's account on its respective platforms if the individual is found guilty according to prescribed terms of use. However, with the new 'doxxing' phenomenon taking hold online, it might be time for nations to review its laws regarding online abuse.

Source: Sky News | Image via Shutterstock