Cyber hell of bully victims

Ruthless bullies have used text-messages and emails to target more than 1,600 York children in just four years, a new report has shown.

Research has found nearly one in five pupils in the city now suffers from "digital bullying" - a rising problem which sees children victimised even in their own homes.

The figures were revealed at a national conference, following research at York St John's University College.

Nathalie Noret, who conducted the study, said bullying by text message or email is particularly distressing for victims, who can be targeted anywhere at any time. She said it was harder to detect than other forms of bullying, and urged schools and parents to address the issue.

She said: "Commonsense suggests that at home you are safe. To get that sort of nasty message must be very distressing.

"Parents need to be aware this is happening, and children need to know that if they are receiving these messages they should talk to people."

Ms Noret sent questionnaires to year seven, eight and nine pupils at every state school in York, each year from 2002 to 2005. The questionnaires are used to create City of York Council's annual anti-bullying report.

Her findings were presented at the British Psychological Society's annual conference in Cardiff on Friday.

Over the four years, 1,643 of the 11,227 pupils surveyed in York - 14.9 per cent - said they had received nasty or threatening messages.

That figure has increased year on year, from 14 per cent in 2003 to 18 per cent last year. The problem is particularly severe among girls, with 21 per cent last year reporting they had been a victim of digital bullying.

Ms Noret said: "Boys are more prone to physical bullying, whereas girls are more likely to exclude or call each other names. Text bullying is a more indiscreet bullying, so you would expect maybe a gender difference."

Tony Wootton, head teacher at Millthorpe Secondary, said: "Pupils who exhibit bullying tendencies will use the latest technology. We would not say bullying is getting worse - in fact it is getting better - but pupils will always use the latest technology.

"The sanctions that would be applied in cases of bullying are constant across all natures of incident. We would apply our usual sanctions - there is nothing specific that differentiates the digital type."

He said they would act even if incidents occurred outside school. He said: "We have regard for anything that impacts on school life."

When the Evening Press talked to York teenagers about their experiences of text message and email bullying, we were told it was common in schools, but only girls were involved.

One 16-year-old, who asked to remain anonymous, said she used to receive "really nasty" emails while at a school which she has now left. She blamed bullying for her departure.

"They'd send bitchy comments to me. They'd send the comments to other people, calling me really stupid names."

The York teenager said that after enduring several months of this torment, she eventually changed her email address.

Mark Ellis, of City of York Council's education team, said the council may embrace new technology to beat the bullies at their own game.

He said: "We are looking at maybe putting a message on a video and sending it out to kids. We can maybe use the technology to our advantage, telling kids what to do if they are bullied for example.

"Our anti-bullying work is going to be working much more with kids. We have to try to keep one step ahead of the game."

Mr Ellis said the council had picked up the problem of digital bullying in 2002, when the pupil surveys were first carried out, but he acknowledged it was hard to combat.

He said: "Text-bullying is a lot more difficult to control. Schools can put in place "no phones in school" rules, but that does not stop it happening out of school."

He said: "We have seen a small increase over the past four years. It's going up by about one per cent a year."

Mr Ellis suggested the rise was due to more pupils getting mobile phones, and increased access to the internet.

Evil threats to break schoolgirl's legs

HELENA, 16, from Strensall, who has now left school, today told how she became the latest victim of cyber bullying.

She said she had in the past received what she described as "nasty text messages", saying things like: "I really don't like you. Stay away from me."

But three weeks ago, her experiences of cyber bullying took a much more nasty turn, when messages threatening to "break her legs" and "glass her" were posted on her webpage.

The victim described how the messages were posted on her "Bebo" webpage - a system which enables users to create a site about themselves.

She said: "It was a work friend who rang me and said. Everyone could see it, lots of people rang me.

"The messages said 'I'm going to break your legs next time I see you. I'm going to glass you'.

"It was awful, it was horrible. I felt very gutted. I felt sick. I felt embarrassed when people kept ringing me.

"It was like I had butterflies in my stomach to go out afterwards. I didn't dare go out. I didn't go out when "I knew she was going out for three or four weeks at least. If I went out I'd go to my mum's or somewhere I knew she wouldn't be."

She said the perpetrator behind the messages was upset because her boyfriend's friendship with the victim.

The 16-year-old said she was not surprised at the number of school pupils in York who were now victims of cyber bullies.

She said: "I didn't know it was as bad as that, I knew it would be quite bad. Lots of people have access to the Internet or mobile phones."

Website misery of boy, 12

CRUEL bullies have also resorted to creating websites to torment their victims.

Last week a 12-year-old boy told how his life had been made a misery by his callous classmates.

They set up a website packed full of pictures of their victim with hurtful jibes, and inviting other pupils to post their own insults.

Police had to be called into the school in Southampton to force the perpetrators to remove the site.

A 13-year-old girl in Farnborough was similarly targeted, with bullies using a website to threaten violence against her. Thugs posted messages on the site, including: "Why don't you die?" and "We're going to get you tomorrow."

Brian Crosby, head teacher at York's Manor CE School said web-based bullying was a problem he was aware of.

He said three or four years ago, some pupils had set up a website with pictures of staff, which had to be removed.

He said that case had been one of "stupidity rather than aggressiveness" but said it had made the school more alert to the danger.

He said: "It's something we monitor all the time and we are aware that with the advent of new technology there's a greater trend for young people to use that."

:: Advice to victims

Tell a teacher or another adult at school what is happening

Tell your family

If you are afraid to tell an adult on your own, ask a friend to go with you

Keep telling people until someone listens and does something to help stop the bullying

If your school has a peer support service, use it

Don't blame yourself.

If you find it difficult to talk to anyone at school or home, phone ChildLine free on 0800 1111. If you are hard of hearing, use the textphone number 0800 400222. You can also write to Freepost 1111, London, N1 0BR.

Updated: 09:37 Monday, April 03, 2006