A recent study showed that one in 20 young researchers has already practiced so-called "self-cyberbullying". The survey was carried out with 5.6 high school and elementary school Americans. This demonstrates that they, at some point, have published or even shared, anonymously, abusive messages about themselves on the internet.
Experts mentioned that such a practice is similar to physical self-mutilation and say that all this can demonstrate that such a young person needs help. According to research, the causes range from low self-esteem, attention seeking, symptoms of depression, and a desire to arouse a reaction in other people.
- We need to talk about cyberbullying and its consequences
- Facebook platform against bullying arrives in Spain
"We expected something around 1%. It was surprising to find that between 5% and 6% of the participants had already practiced self-cyberbullying", he said in an interview with BBC Spain.
The authors of the study also reported that one of the most evident cases of the practice was the suicide of 14-year-old Hannah Smith. The girl received several abusive messages on the Ask.FM network, however, after it was discovered that everything had been sent by the victim himself.
"We don't know which came first, whether being a victim of cyberbullying causes you to commit digital self-harm or if, as you practice it, it causes others to post abuse against you as well. But we do know that there is a relationship," Patchin said.
The study warns parents and teachers to be on the lookout for any signs of cyberbullying. Ideally, they offer some professional help to anyone experiencing the problem.
