Cyber bullying is on the increase and the fallout is something which schools are having to deal with on a daily basis.
“What many people fail to realise is that some cyber bullying activities could be criminal offences under a range of different laws, including the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.”
A few surprising / alarming statistics, taken from Anti-bullying Alliance:
- Nearly a quarter of children don’t let anyone know they are being bullied.
- The National Centre for Social Research reported in 2011 that over 16,000 absences from school at any one time are due to bullying.
- Farringdon et al in 2012 reported that being a victim of bullying increases one’s risk of depression in later life…with bullies having a 30% chance of being depressed too!
Please see my full article on Innovate My School’s website:
Don’t forget February 9th is Safer Internet day and may be an excellent opportunity for parents and schools to approach this subject and help children/students who may be suffering in silence.