Why It's Anti-Bullying Week – EVERY WEEK.

Recent research into bullying worryingly reveals that 70% of children suffer some form of bullying and that cyber bullying is dramatically increasing. Children are more likely than ever to suffer nasty or aggressive texts, emails, and messaging, as well as bullying in chat rooms.

However, a recent survey of 3,052 children aged 6 to 14 carried out by Intuitive Media reveals that members of its safe social learning networks are far less likely to be cyber-bullied than other children.

Have you been bullied?
The survey asked members of SuperClubsPLUS.com and GoldStarCafe,net, aged 6 to 13 if they had suffered any bullying and found that only 58% of children had suffered some bullying in the past, but only 7% said they were being bullied right now by another child and 2% said they were being bullied by an adult.

Half of the children who had been bullied had experienced face-to-face verbal abuse, a quarter suffered physical abuse and a negligible proportion had experienced any cyber-bullying. (See chart below.)

Chart: If you were bullied - How?

It appears that vast majority of members of IM’s safe social learning networks, who are well protected in these communities, do not visit any other social networking sites, and are therefore far less exposed to the possibilities of cyber-bullying.

Janet Stockburn, a teacher from Worcester, recently attended a cyber-bullying workshop held by ChildNet International. She said:

“My Year Sixes were asked for advice and replied ‘use a safe moderated site like SuperClubsPLUS and there’s no problem’. In 2006 we had over 30 pupils using unsuitable sites in Years Five and Six, but having done the same questionnaire recently, there were only three – the rest were using SuperClubsPLUS.”

The IM research confirms Janet’s observations. In a previous study for DCSF, IM found that only 6% of it’s members used other social sites. In the current study 7% said they had been cyber-bullied outside their safe social learning networks. Just 4 to 5% said they had received a bad email, instant messenger or mobile phone message and only 3% say they’d been bullied on a gaming or social site. (See chart below.)

Chart: If you were bullied online - Where?

Who you turn to?
When asked who they would turn to if they were bullied, 69% said they would talk to their parent or carer, 46% would tell a friend and 44% would tell their teacher. The worrying group are the 5% who said they would tell no one. (See chart below.)


Chart: If you were bullied - Who would you tell?

It's Anti-Bullying Week – EVERY WEEK.
The Intuitive Media study was launched to support the November Anti-Bullying Week. Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has singled out cyber bullying as a particular challenge for the future and emphasised the need for schools, families, parents, and children services to work together to take action on bullying in the community.

SuperClubsPLUS.com and GoldStarCafe.net promoted mutually respectful online behaviour during Anti-Bullying Week and EVERY WEEK of the year.


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