Cyberbullying costing us $30 million a year

CYBER-BULLYING of kids is costing Australian taxpayers more than $30 million.

The bill for help from GPs or mental health professionals has been revealed as experts say the epidemic needs to be treated as seriously as the rise of HIV.

The Australian Medical Association says doctors are being swamped by youths suffering anxiety and depression.

Research by youth mental health service ReachOut has found 378,000 14 to 25-yearolds were bullied online in Australia last financial year.

Of those, 64,000 sought help from a mental health professional and 49,000 visited their GP. ReachOut said cyber-bullying was a growing public health and safety issue.