risk

  LONDON: Children and youngsters who face cyberbullying are more than twice as likely to self-harm and enact suicidal behaviour, a new study has found. The research also suggests that it is not just the victims of cyberbullying that are more vulnerable to suicidal behaviours, but the perpetrators themselves are at higher risk of experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours as well. Cyberbullying is using electronic communication to bully another, for instance by sending intimidating, threatening or unpleasant messages using social media. Researchers from Swansea University, University of Oxford and University of Birmingham in the UK looked at over 150,000 children and young people across 30 countries, over a 21-year period. The findings, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, highlighted the significant impact that cyberbullying involvement (as bullies and victims) can have on children and young people. The researchers say it shows an urgent need for effective prevention and…