IANS 
 
Melbourne, Oct 1: A study in Australia has found that female students have higher risk of being bullied on the Internet.

The study looked at 518 female students and found that 31 percent were bullied online this year. Most of the victims were aged between 12 and 15.

Cyber bullying is described as worse than face-to-face bullying because it has no geographical boundaries and involves the power of the written word.

It has now entered the home environment through email, websites and mobiles, reported health portal Medical News on Sunday.

Marilyn Campbell, psychologist and study author, said: "Victims often think they are to blame. Common thoughts are 'Why would they pick on me?' or 'What is wrong with me?'

"We need to teach students that it's the bullies who need to change their behaviour, not the victims."

Clear anti-bullying policies and procedures are needed in schools to reduce bullying, the researcher said.

Campbell will present the study at the 42nd Australian Psychological Society national conference, Psychology Making an Impact, at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from Sep 25 to 29.

Related reading: