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	One in five Irish children has been bullied online, according to research.</p>
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	Of these children who experienced cyberbullying, one third also reported feelings of depression related to the abuse.</p>
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	The research shows gross inconsistencies between parents&rsquo; reporting of child cyberbullying, as only one in ten adults said their son or daughter had been a victim of cyberbullying.</p>
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	According to the research, 51% of the online bullying happens to children on Facebook; some 14% said they had been bullied on Instagram.</p>
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	Approximately 29% of girls said they had been bullied on Snapchat, while 16% of boys reported being harassed on this platform.</p>
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	These reports are despite all three social media platforms claiming to have robust reporting procedures in place to deal with this type of behaviour.</p>
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	As well as surveying 186 children, the survey took information from 1,000 adults.</p>
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	Of the adults surveyed, one in ten said they had been bullied online.</p>
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	The bullying of women is more prevalent, with one in four reporting having been body-shamed online.</p>
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	The online bullying related to numerous behaviours, with one third of people saying that someone had spread lies or rumours about them on the internet.</p>
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	Some 18% of respondents said an embarrassing photograph of them had been posted online and 35% reported receiving threatening text messages or emails.</p>
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	In terms of the platforms that adults experienced abuse on, 68% of respondents said the bullying happened on Facebook.</p>
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	People were also asked how they dealt with the harassment &mdash; &ldquo;unfollowing&rdquo; or &ldquo;unfriending&rdquo; was the main action taken that victims had taken.</p>
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	The research, carried out by ZenithOptimedia, was conducted to examine the safety of the internet and the prevalence of online bullying and body-shaming in Ireland.</p>
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	&ldquo;We are seeing significant decreases in levels of empathy in adolescent-aged young people,&rdquo; said clinical psychotherapist Joanna Fortune.</p>
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	&ldquo;There are a number of factors that contribute to this, ranging from short-circuited early play stages to an immersion in a virtual and online world where nothing feels real.&rdquo;</p>
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	Ms Fortune, who works with children and adolescents in her practice, Solamh, said: &ldquo;What this means is that I see a photo you post of yourself online and I comment that you look like a troll. Then I log off and go about my life and I do not pause to consider that when you log on and read what I wrote that you will have an emotional response that I am, at least in part, responsible for.</p>
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	&ldquo;As a result of decreasing empathy and reflective functioning we are seeing higher incidences of online bullying and lower self-esteem in this demographic than ever before.&rdquo;</p>
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	(Published by the Irish Examiner on the 3rd August 2016)</p>
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	<a href="http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/20-of-children-have-suffered-cyberbullying-413817.html">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/20-of-children-have-suffered-cyberbullying-413817.html</a></p>
