Anti-cyberbullying website goes live

Cyberbullying is a growing ‘epidemic’, according to the charity Beatbullying, which has launched a website designed to tackle the problem.

Research conducted by the charity shows that a third of children in the UK have been regularly tormented by cyberbullies. The Cybermentors site will offer advice and support, and in severe cases it will take appropriate action to protect the individual.

Cyberbullying is the use of technology such as the internet and mobile phones by a child or teenager or group of youngsters to torment, threaten, humiliate or embarrass another.

Social networking sites have proved to be a breeding ground for these bullies. Sites such as Bebo have put in place safeguards, and a new European Union anti-bullying initiative was launched last month. But Cybermentors is the first nationwide peer-mentored initiative for young people aged between 11 and 18.

Beatbullying said its study of over 2,000 youngsters was revealing. Girls were found to be four times more likely to have experienced online bullying than boys, while 44 per cent of children said they would take advice on dealing with the problem from other kids.

Since it launch on Tuesday, the team of more than 700 specially trained teenagers has been inundated with calls for help from unhappy youngsters.

Emma Jane Cross, chief executive of Beatbullying, said: "Clearly, cyberbullying is a growing problem affecting millions of children across the UK and to date efforts to tackle the epidemic have fallen short."

Cybermentors is funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, with support and technology from Mozilla and online child protection specialists Crisp.

Sarah Dyer, new media director of Beatbullying, said: "Cybermentors is the result of two years of intense research and development and working with young people and technology partners including Crisp and Mozilla to enable young people to deliver a much-needed service to help each other combat cyberbullying. "

Youngsters who are being bullied can log onto the website where they will see a list of cybermentors with whom they can chat online. Cybermentors will eventually be introduced into secondary schools and by the National Union of Students nationwide. By 2011, all 3,000 secondary schools in the UK will run the programme.

Cybermentors will not be paid but will receive free music downloads, prizes, free phone and text cards and other incentives. In order to become a Cybermentor, students must pass a five-stage training course on how to offer support on bullying over social networks, email, instant messaging and text messaging.

Mozilla will also be sponsoring 10 of its community members to train and become official Cybermentors.