ONE in five young people have experienced cyber bullying, the latest research shows.
The sobering statistic shows cyberbullying victims are twice as common as previously thought.
According to a Newspoll survey, 20 per cent of Australians between the ages of 18 and 24 have been bullied through e-mail, SMS, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube.
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A previous study into cyber bullying conducted by Prof Donna Cross estimated that cyber bullying affected just one in 10 young Australians.
Psychologist and childhood expert Michael Carr-Gregg said he was “surprised and disappointed”.
“Traditionally it was the big kid with a chip on both shoulders giving the small kid a hard time,” he said.
“With cyber bullying that doesn’t apply – anyone with a keyboard and a bit of Dutch courage can say anything.”