One in 10 Dutch youth bullied on internet

THE HAGUE - More than 10 percent of Dutch 15 to 18-year-olds have been bullied on the Internet, figures of the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) showed on Wednesday.

According to the CBS, the most common form of cyber bullying among young people is slander, like placing offensive texts, photos, videos or gossip on internet forums or profile sites. After slander, stalking, threats of violence and blackmail are also common forms of cyber bullying.

Most victims do not report the abuse to the police or other authorities, although in some serious cases it is prosecutable. The majority of the victims is therefore not known to authorities and not registered.

Of the 18 to 25 age group, 7.1 percent was ever harassed on the internet and the proportion was 3.1 percent for those aged 25 to 45, 2.1 percent for 45 to 65 and only 0.9 percent for the people aged over 65.

The age differences are a result of the fact that young people make more use of the internet and are more active on social media, which often serves as a platform for bullying.