Girls more likely to be cyber bullies – study

Girls are more likely to be cyber bullies than boys, according to nearly 1000 teachers in a nationwide study of schools.

Victoria University researchers interviewed 860 teachers and senior staff from primary, intermediate and secondary schools around New Zealand about their experiences with bullying.

Sixty percent of those surveyed thought girls were more likely to use technology to bully over boys, head researcher Dr Vanessa Green said.

“Cyber bullying, in a way, does tend to leave itself to the types of behaviour girls engage in,” she said. “So that’s leaving people out, ostracism, exclusion.”

Dr Green said the study showed bullying was a national problem that should be addressed.

“The internet has made bullying a more complex issue than it was 20 years ago and, as a result, it requires a more sophisticated response,” she said.

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