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According to a report released this summer by
the PEW Internet and American Life Project, 32 percent of teenage Internet
users say they have been threatened or potentially placed in harm’s way by an
online activity.
These dangers include: receiving threatening
messages, having their private e-mails or text messages forwarded without their
permission, having an embarrassing picture posted without their permission or
having rumors about them spread online.
Boys and girls from ages 12-17 were
questioned for the study. Out of all the
age groups, it was found that girls ages 15-17 were at the highest risk to
experience online bullying. The study
claims that 41 percent of girls ages 15-17 experienced some form of cyberbullying or were in a situation in which personal
information was forwarded or sent to unknown parties.
According to the report, the least likely age
group to experience some form of cyberbullying was
boys ages 12-14 with 22 percent.
The most common form of online harassment was
the posting or forwarding of a private e-mail.
Of those teens surveyed, 15 percent said this had happened to them. The least common form of online bullying was
the posting of an embarrassing picture online without the person’s
permission. Only 6 percent of those surveyed
said they had experienced this form of online bullying.
This report also includes testimony from
teens about why they bullied someone online. The report can be viewed online at
pewinternet.org/PPF/r/216/report_display.asp.