Cyberbullying is linked to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, both for victims and perpetrators, suggests the first study of its kind, published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Based on the findings, the researchers say asking about cyberbullying should become a routine part of any children’s mental health or psychological assessment.
The researchers questioned 2218 pupils aged 11-19 years from four secondary schools in London about their experiences of bullying.
The survey responses showed that nearly half (46%) of all pupils reported a history of any type of bullying. Thirteen per cent had been cyberbullied, 8.5 per cent had bullied others online and 4 per cent had been both victim and perpetrator.
On the Children Revised Impact of Events Scale (CRIES), more than a third of cyber victims (35%), more than one in four (29.2%) of cyberbullies and a similar proportion (28.6%) of those who were both, scored above the threshold for clinically significant PTSD symptoms.
Cyber victims displayed significantly more PTSD symptoms than did cyberbullies, and they experienced more intrusive thoughts and avoidance behaviours. However, cyberbullies also had significantly more PTSD symptoms than teens who were not involved in any form of bullying.
The authors say the results emphasise the need for early recognition of PTS symptoms in those involved in cyberbullying, both victims and perpetrators.
