According to a worrying report published this week by the Reuters news agency, the preconceived notion of bullies being limited to the school playground and perhaps, in more extreme circumstances, the workplace, has been shattered by a Canadian research team.

Researchers at the University of Toronto claim that modern communication technology has spawned the cyber bully, a new breed that chooses to abuse e-mail, text messaging, and social networking in order to successfully deliver their own specific brand of victimisation – even to the point where bullies are forcing victims to strip naked before webcams before distributing the imagery to other online users.

Professor Mishna also suggests that the possibility of personal and suggestive imagery being banded around by the online community increases significantly if a relationship breaks down and a couple splits.

Mishna and her Toronto University research team amassed their findings after conducting focus groups with 47 students spread from grade 5 to grade 12, which returned preliminary results revealing that advanced and knowledgeable computer geeks were becoming the newest iteration of the schoolyard bully.

Further revelations surfacing from the focus groups indicated that victims of cyber manipulation opted not to tell an adult about the sustained abuse (much like with physical bullying) due to fears of punishment. Professor Mishna believes that young victims are generally more concerned that their computer privileges will be suspended if they reveal their victimisation, and they also think seeking help serves little purpose as online culprits hide behind the protection of anonymity.

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