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Youth Facts and Stats

Mobile phone bullying: Study


A Queensland University of Technology study as found nearly all teens will expereicne some form of mobile phone bullying.

The study, led by Associate Professor Judy Drennan, surveyed 218 Queensland teenagers and found 93.6% had been a victim of mobile bullying, known as m-bullying.

M-bullying refers to using your mobile phone to harass, menace or offend someone and can include such actions as sending obscene or pornographic images, threats to sabotage a person’s reputation or inappropriate messages of affection.

The study investigated the occurrence of m-bullying among high school students and its impact on their self-esteem and also examined the differences between genders. It found boys were more than twice as likely as girls to receive unsolicited pornographic or obscene images or messages on their phones, and almost twice as likely to receive threatening messages.

Almost 50% of respondents said they had been sent excessively disclosive messages and males were more likely than females to receive such messages.

Sources: Canberra Times 24/1/2008, p.12, Courier Mail 24/1/2008, p.17, Daily Telegraph 24/1/2008, p.9, AAP Newswire 23/1/2008.
Queensland University of Technology media release, 23 January 2008: Almost all of teens face mobile phone bullying: Study [viewed 23/1/2008].


Use of violence

A study conducted by the University of Minnesota has found that children who are clearly taught by their parents that the use of violence is ‘unacceptable’ are less likely to get into fights as teenagers. The study, led by University of Minnesota researcher Sally Ohene, interviewed 134 adolescents aged from 10 to 15 and their parents. Other findings of the study include:

  • almost 40% of parents tell their children that the use of violence is physically acceptable if they feel physically threatened
  • adolescents who receive parental corporal punishment are more likely to display ‘violence-related behaviours such as bullying and intentions to fight when provoked.’

The study is published in the journal Pediatrics, v.117, n.2, pp.441-447.

Source: The Australian, 13/02/06, p.3.

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Racial intolerance

Kids Help Line identifies racial harassment, discrimination and prejudice as forms of bullying.

  • In 2003, the number of calls to Kids Help Line from CALD children in relation to bullying was 165. (Increase in these calls from previous year: 60%)
  • Proportion of all calls from CALD children, which are about bullying: 1 in 7
  • Proportion of all calls from Anglo-Australian children, which are about bullying: 1 in 10
  • Proportion of children calling KHL that report frequent and continual harassment:
    • 50% CALD,
    • 36% Anglo-Australian
  • Proportion of bullying calls that come from 15- to 18-year-olds:
    • 15% CALD,
    • 8% Anglo-Australian

Source: Kids Help Line newsletter, November 2004.

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Sexual harassment by peers, Adelaide

Results from a study of 200 students (100 male and 100 female) in Years 8 or 9 (mean age 13.5 years), from state coeducational schools in the Adelaide region in South Australia:

Percentage of students in study witnessing sexual coercion:

Every day
of the week		 Most days
a week		 Once or twice
weekly		 Less than
weekly		 Hardly
ever
Boys 8 9 17 16 50
Girls 8 14 18 13 47
Note: N=200 (boys = 100, girls = 100)






How respondents indicated they would react as bystanders:
  • The most common response among both boys and girls was that they would “certainly” or “probably” object to the boy’s action – 45% of the boys and 61% of the girls.
  • 21% of boys and 30% of girls indicated they would provide indirect help by “telling a teacher”.
  • 38% of boys and 25% of girls would ignore the boy’s action.
  • 13% of boys and 2% of girls indicated they would probably or certainly support the boy.

Source: ‘Students as bystanders to sexual coercion’, by Ken Rigby and Bruce Johnson, Youth Studies Australia, vol.23 no.2, 2004, pp.11-16. Dr Ken Rigby’s web site is titled ‘Bullying in schools and what to do about it’.

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Bullying in Australian schools

Estimated number of children bullied at school in Australia on a weekly basis: 1 in 6

Percent of children bullied frequently who stay away from school: about 20%
... who considered staying away from school: about 50%

Percent of children bullied weekly who do not tell their friends:
Boys: 40%; girls: 25%

Research involving more than 26,000 children (8–18 years) who completed the Peer Relations Questionnaire has provided a picture of bullying experienced by students in Australian schools. This research indicates that the incidence of bullying is at a relatively high level by world standards. The incidence is higher among primary school students of both sexes; however, boys report being bullied more frequently overall, especially in secondary schools.

Source: Rigby, K. 1997, 'What children tell us about bullying in schools', Children Australia, v.22, n.2, pp.28-34 [viewed 28/11/2006].

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