Victims of bullying are more than twice as likely as other kids to contemplate suicide and about 2.5 times as likely to try to kill themselves, according to a new study by JAMA Paediatrics.
And the findings also revealed that children and teens who are taunted by cyberbullies are especially vulnerable - they are about three times more likely than other kids to have suicidal thoughts.
This finally proves that the phrase "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is seriously out of date, doesn't it?
With so many reports of cyberbullying victims ending their lives, we are unsurpriside by the findings. Remember 12-year-old Rebecca Ann Sedwick, who jumped to her death in a cement plant after classmates taunted her and asked “Why are you still alive?”?
Remember 14-year-old Hannah Smith, who hanged herself after being bullied by online trolls on the Ask.fm website?
And remember 47-year-old TV presenter Charlotte Dawson, who killed herself after being subjected to horrifying abuse from vicious trolls on Twitter?
READ: TV PRESENTER CHARLOTTE DAWSON COMMITS SUICIDE AFTER SUFFERING VILE TWITTER ABUSE
Yes, we already knew that cyberbullying was a hideous byproduct of social networking - but we had no idea just how bad it really was.
Perhaps victims of cyberbullying are more likely to contemplate suicide because they feel belittled in front of a wider audienc. Perhaps it is because it gives them the opportunity to relive the attacks because they are stored on the Internet?**
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William Copeland told Reuters Health: "I think it fits with a literature that's been around for some time that suggests the kids who are worse off are the kids who can't escape from bullying."
Telling children, teen or even adult victims of cyberbullying to just ignore it is simply not good enough anymore. Bullying should not be part of growing up, it is not relatively harmless and it certainly isn't needed to build character.
We need to step up and call people out for online trolling and we need to do more to stop cyberbullying - but we also need the government to recognise that cyberbullying is a crime.
If you would like to do something, please sign this e-petition, which asks the government to take a 'Safeguarding Children' position against sites like Ask.fm.
Meanwhile, why don't you let us know what should be done to prevent cyberbullying in the Comments Box below? Should it be addressed in schools? Should there be laws in place to stop it? We'd really like to hear your thoughts on this controversial topic.