56% of Teens Say They Have Been Bullied Online [SURVEY]

 By 
Sarah Kessler
 on 
56% of Teens Say They Have Been Bullied Online [SURVEY]
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An Associated Press - MTV poll released Tuesday asked 1,355 youth between the ages of 14 and 24 about the role online abuse plays in their lives. Fifty-six percent responded they have been the target of some type of online harassment.

Bullying isn't the only detrimental digital behavior prevalent among today's youth. Fifteen percent of the young people surveyed say they have sent nude photos or videos of themselves, while 21% say they have received nude photos or videos from others. About half of those involved say they felt pressured to do so. Some form of digital dating abuse -- including checking in multiple times a day, reading messages without permission, pressuring others to respond to messages or spreading rumors -- was also reported by 41% of respondents who were in relationships.

Online abuse, sexting and digital dating abuse were all slightly more prevalent in 2011 than they were in a similar survey conducted in 2009.

But the good news is teens appear to be gaining awareness about potential consequences of sharing information online. Sexts to people who respondents only know online dropped 19%, respondents who thought the information they post online could get them in trouble with a boss jumped 14% and respondents who said information they post online could come back to hurt them increased 5%.

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