Julie Robotham June 30, 2012 Spreading rumours ... smartphones
are facilitating cyber-bullying, according to an Australian
psychologist. Photo: Bloomberg THE rise of smartphones has
outpaced traditional wisdom on how parents should monitor
teenagers' use of technology and created a powerful new venue
for cyber-bullying, according to an Australian psychologist who
has conducted the most detailed study yet of children's
behaviour towards each other. Sheryl Hemphill, from the
Australian Catholic University, followed 700 Victorian school
students from year 7 to year 9, asking them anonymously whether
they had teased, threatened, spread rumours about or excluded
other children either in person or using a computer or phone.
She found 15 per cent of the teenagers had been involved in
cyber-bullying, fewer than the 21 per cent who confessed to
having bullied others in person. But there was little overlap
between the groups, with only 7 per cent of students engaged
both in face-to-face and cyber-bullying, Professor He