Citizenship classes called for to stop online bullying

TEENAGERS should be given lessons in online citizenship after research found a “shocking” number of youngsters have bullied peers or trolled celebrities online, the think-tank Demos has concluded.

More than one quarter of 16-18 year olds admitted “bullying or insulting” someone on the internet, while 15 per cent said they had abused a public figure. Researchers at Demos said teenagers often found themselves drawn into the “dogpile effect” where they copied, shared or retweeted abusive behaviour that others began.

Nearly a third of boys admitted to anti-social online behaviour compared with 22 per cent of girls. Nine in 10 of those who said they had bullied someone else online, said they too had been targeted.

Demos said it had “identified a shockingly high incidence of hostile online behaviour towards peers”.

The project involved surveying 668 teenagers, and monitoring their online behaviour and responses to various social media scenarios over nine months.

Report author Peter Harrison-evans said: “Our findings show that online social networking can clearly facilitate risky or negative behaviours among a substantial minority of young people.

“This research also shows the links between character traits such as empathy and self-control, and how young people think and act on social media.

“It’s here that we feel policymakers, schools, and parents can make the biggest difference – empowering young people to make a positive contribution to their online communities by building their social digital skills and increasing their online moral sensitivity.”

Demos is recommending that the Government provide grants to help promote good online citizenship and called for schools to establish Digital Citizenship classes.