Cyberbullying among primary school-aged pupils

Abstract

The nature and extent of cyberbullying and traditional bullying were examined among a sample of primary school pupils aged 7–11 years in the London area. Pupils were given anonymous self-report questionnaires which asked about their use of mobile phones and the Internet, and their experiences of bullying and cyberbullying as either the victims or perpetrators. Most pupils had a mobile phone and almost all had access to the Internet at home. It was found that a significant number of pupils reported being involved in both types of bullying, although more children were involved in traditional bullying than cyberbullying. The most commonly reported types of cyberbullying were via instant messenger, email and text messages. Children were also likely to consider cyberbullying as upsetting as traditional bullying. Implications for intervention and prevention work are discussed.