When it comes to online bullying most of us mums assume that we would know exactly if and when our kids are being harassed.
However, according to ZenithOptimedia research, while one-in-five Irish children have experienced cyberbullying, just one-in-10 parents said they think their child has been a victim.
The study, which surveyed 1,000 adults and 186 children, shows alarming inconsistencies between what is perceived by parents and the reality of the number of kids being subjected to harassment online.
Sadly, 51 percent of childhood cyberbullying occurs on Facebook while 14 percent say they experienced harassment via Instagram. Bullying using Snapchat was higher amongst girls than boys.
Of those that have been cyberbullied, a third say they have experienced feelings of depression because of it.
“We carried out this research to look at how Irish people are interacting with the internet on a daily basis but also to examine how safe the internet is," explained Declan Kelly, Deputy MD at ZenithOptimedia.
"What we found was that quite a large proportion of Irish children have experienced some form of online bullying.
"What it also showed was the inconsistency between parents’ perception of what’s happening with their children online and the reality.”
