According to a new study published in Journal of School Health, teens who are frequent internet users often indulge in cyberbulling. Around 72% of respondents reported at least one incident during the past year. 

The study also found a correlation between online bullying and school bullying, which has been related to increased amount of stress. It was found that 85% of respondents who reported at least one case of cyber bullying also were often bullied in the school. The parents of these teens were often not ware, since the teens themselves didn’t tell their parents about the incident of online bullying. The reason for not disclosing it to parents was the need to deal with the situation on their own and also the fear of parental restriction on the internet use. 

The study based on a survey was carried out by Jaana Juvonen, Ph.D., and Elisheva F. Gross, Ph.D., of the University of California, Los Angeles, and they based the findings on an anonymous web-based survey of 1, 454 youth between the ages of 12 to 17. 

The authors of the study reported, “Just as school-based bullying is considered a public health concern, online bullying should be recognized as an issue that needs attention. Because of the generation gap in electronic communication, however, parents and educators need to better understand both the positive and negative functions of teen online behavior.”