Combat text bullying - survey

YOUNG PEOPLE need to be empowered to combat bullying carried out through SMS text messages, according to a new survey of mobile industry professionals.

The study was carried out via SMS and asked a broad range of people in the sector, from marketing staff to network engineers, working both in operators and those who supply them, about the threat text message bullying posed. The study was conducted by Dublin-based messaging software firm Openmind Networks.

Of the 387 respondents, 94 per cent said the industry accepts SMS bullying is a problem. Mobile operators should provide a service to help combat the issue, according to 91 per cent of those who were surveyed.

The research was conducted following extensive coverage of cyber-bullying in the media earlier this year.

An RTÉ Prime Time report in May, which was conducted in conjunction with the Anti-Bullying Centre in Trinity College Dublin, found that one in seven Irish students suffered some form of cyber-bullying.

Openmind says that the nature of SMS abuse means it can pose a more significant threat to victims than abuse via e-mail or social networks.

"An abusive text could be sent at 9am saying, 'We'll see you after school', and for the recipient that means the torment could go on for the whole day," according to Michael O'Brien, vice president of marketing with Openmind Networks.

"That sends them into a bad place mentally," he said. The Dublin-based business wants to see mobile operators empower victims of SMS bullying to combat the abuse.

"We need to enable the recipients of abusive text messages, not just their parents, to take action," Mr O'Brien said.

He said parents cannot police SMS bullying in its entirety, and that young people should therefore be able to block abusive messages.

On top of this, Openmind wants operators to provide more services than are currently available for helping victims.

Mr O'Brien said students should be able to forward abusive messages to a specific secure number, which will register the text message. Once the message has been forwarded, students can feel free to subsequently delete the abusive SMS from their phone.

"The key is empowering the user to take action," he said. "This kind of service is much easier to roll out than implementing parental control."