A worrying new online trend sees children as young as 12 posting nasty anonymous messages about themselves.
A new study has shown that one in 20 US teenagers have ‘digitally self-harmed’, and like its physical counterpart, the behaviour is often a cry for help.
The researchers say there may be a link between digital self-harm and suicidal thoughts and/or attempts.
A worrying new online trend sees children as young as 12 posting nasty anonymous messages about themselves. A new study has shown that ‘digital self-harm’ is widespread among US teenagers, and like its physical counterpart is often a cry for help (stock image)
‘Like physical self-harm and depression, we need to closely look at the possibility that digital self-harm behaviours might precede suicide attempts,’ study lead author Professor Sameer Hinduja, from Florida Atlantic University, said.
‘We need to refrain from demonising those who bully, and come to terms with the troubling fact that in certain cases the aggressor and target may be one and the same.’
The Florida researchers quizzed nearly 6,000 middle and high school students between 12 and 17 years old for their study.
Young men were significantly more likely to have digitally self-harmed, with 7.1 per cent reporting they had done it compared to 5.3 per cent of young women.
Of those who had self-cyber bullied, around half said they had only done it once, while a third said they had done it a few times.
More than one in ten – 13.2 per cent – said they had done it ‘many times’.
‘The idea that someone would cyberbully themselves first gained public attention with the tragic suicide of 14-year-old Hannah Smith in 2013 after she anonymously sent herself hurtful messages on a social media platform just weeks before she took her own life,’ Professor Hinduja said.
‘We knew we had to study this empirically, and I was stunned to discover that about one in 20 middle- and high-school-age students have bullied themselves online.
The researchers say there may be a link between digital self-harm and suicidal thoughts and/or attempts (stock image)
‘This finding was totally unexpected, even though I’ve been studying cyberbullying for almost 15 years.’
The researchers claim that many who engaged in the behaviour were looking for some form of response.
While boys saw the stunt as a joke or a way to get attention, girls said they did it because they were depressed or hurting emotionally.
The researchers say the latter of the two is worrying because it suggests a possible link between self-cyber bullying and suicidal thoughts and/or attempts.
HANNAH SMITH
14-year-old Hannah Smith tragically committed suicide after sending hurtful messages to herself in 2013
The idea that someone would cyberbully themselves first gained public attention with the tragic suicide of 14-year-old Hannah Smith in 2013.
Hannah Smith, 14, was found hanged in her bedroom by her older sister at her home in Lutterworth, Leicestershire.
Her father David Smith, 45, maintained that his daughter was driven to suicide by internet bullies posting vile messages on social networking site AskFM.
But a police investigation into the death uncovered no evidence that she was the victim of internet bullying, a 2014 inquest was told.
Asked by Leicester and South Leicestershire coroner Catherine Mason if there was ‘any evidence’ that Hannah Smith was subjected to cyber-bullying, Detective Sergeant Wayne Simmons said: ‘No, there isn’t.’
Det Sgt Simmons, of Leicestershire Police, added that on the ‘balance of probabilities’ the ‘vile’ messages about Hannah on the social media site were posted by the teenager herself in the run-up to her death.
The participants surveyed by the team were nationally representative of US teenagers.
Age and race didn’t appear to affect the chances someone would engage in the behaviour, but other factors did.
Those who identified as ‘non-heterosexual were three times more likely to bully themselves online, while victims of cyberbullying were 12 times more likely to have also cyberbullied themselves.
Teenagers with a history of drug use, depression symptoms, or self-harm behaviours offline were all far more likely to have digitally self-harmed.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.