Teenagers are still EIGHT TIMES as likely to be bullied face to face than online, study reveals

RESEARCHERS said fears that growing use of social media could fuel more bullying have been overblown.

Oxford University experts quizzed 110,788 15-year-olds in England.

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Thirty per cent were subjected to “traditional” bullying over a two-month period. This compared with just four per cent who suffered “cyberbullying". And nine in 10 of these were also victimised offline.

Kids’ use of the internet has doubled in ten years, with many using Snapchat and Instagram every day.

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But the findings suggest the web makes things worse for existing victims, rather than creating new ones.

It had also been thought cyberbullying was more harmful than face to face bullying.

But researchers said the impact on a victims’ mental health is at least ten times greater when picked on in person. Those targeted by both methods fared worst.

Girls were 50 per cent more likely to be bullied than boys, it emerged.

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The most common forms were being called mean names and having lies spread about them.

Physical bullying and cruel messages online were the least common.

Study leader Dr Andrew Przybylski said: “Cyberbullying is best understood as a new avenue to victimise those already being bullied, rather than a way to pick on new victims.”