Children are twice as likely to suffer bullying at school as opposed to online or at work, according to a new study.

The survey of 1000 young people aged 14-25 also found that 23 per cent of respondents had been bullied in the past 12 months, but only half had sought help.

Bullying ranged from spreading rumours and name-calling to physical bullying, exclusion and cyber-bullying, and often involved a combination of behaviours, according to the online poll conducted by ReachOut Australia, a mental health organisation.

Parents are the most likely source of help for young people who experience bullying, followed by friends, doctors and teachers.

Fewer bullying victims turn to a phone helpline, online resources, youth and community centres or a religious leader.

“Some schools and teachers were able to intervene successfully; at other times, students felt that teachers were not very helpful,” the study said.

“What we need to be realistic about is any time or any place where large numbers of young people gather, you’re likely to find a correlation with bullying. It’s reasonable to expect that where you’ve got an environment where children and young people are trying to learn and renegotiate relationships, we shouldn’t assume they’re going to be brilliant at it at all times. That’s the reality of human behaviour.”

– Andrew Taylor

Read more: School, not online, most likely place for bullying, study finds

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