37% of nine-year-olds experience bullying

Almost two in five nine-year-olds in Ireland have reported being bullied, according to figures revealed during a conference in Dublin yesterday.

 

The findings also showed that while boys were bullied more than girls, girls were more likely to experience cyber-bullying. It was highlighted that with cyber-bullying extending outside of school hours, children experiencing this were being denied a safe haven.

 

While cyber-bullying has been highly publicised over the last year, the study found that it was not overtaking traditional bullying in terms of prevalence.

 

The conference was also told that while 40% of nine-year-old boys reported being bullied in the past year, only 23% of their primary care givers knew about it.

 

What do you think? Are worried about the increase in cyber-bullying? Would you know if your child was being bullied?