Almost nine in 10 parents say their children have been affected by cyber bullies, according to a new study by Internet security company Bitdefender.
The survey of 1,740 parents from five countries also revealed that 54% of the respondents’ children have been “very affected” by cyber bullying, to the point of anger, violence, sadness or apathy.
Cyber bullying, defined as threatening, harassing, humiliating, embarrassing or otherwise tormenting others online, has prompted 19% of the parents interviewed to seek specialised help for their children.
“The results of this study should send out a strong message to parents – it’s more vital than ever to take steps towards protecting children from cyber bullying,” said Sabina Datcu of Bitdefender and author of the study. “Parents need to understand the necessity of installing Parental Control software and of monitoring their teenagers’ activity on social networks and on the Internet in general.”
More details on this survey can be found on Malwarecity.