Cyberbullying: Study Says Teens Underestimate Frequency of Bullying

According to researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, children between the ages of 12-17 underestimate how often bullying of their peers occurs, especially when it takes place online.  Although the online world is vast and powerful thanks to social networking, teens are apparently not always aware that cyberbullying is happening to people other than themselves.

The study asked 1,454 teens how frequently “mean things” happen to their peers and defined this act as “anything that someone does that upsets or offends someone else," including insults, threats or embarrassing photos.  61% thought their classmates had been bullied in school, while only 50% said classmates had similar experiences online.

Researchers suspect this underestimating may be a result of the pain cyberbullying causes and that it makes many teens feel very alone.

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