One in four teens cyber-bullied | New Zealand Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development

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One in four teens cyber-bullied

NZ Herald

As a British teen cyber-bully is jailed, experts here say the phenomenon is widespread in New Zealand.

Keeley Houghton is serving a three-month sentence in a young offenders' institute after being found guilty of harassment on Facebook.

The 18-year-old waged a four-year hate campaign against a schoolmate, Emily Moor. But even though Houghton is locked up, Moor and her family don't feel safe.

Houghton's mother Nicola is determined to clear her daughter's name and has set up a Facebook page called "Keeley Is Not A Bully".

Moor's mother Connie told the Daily Mail that "Even though Keeley is in prison, we are still being tormented on Facebook by her mother's campaign. We have contacted Facebook's administrators to ask for the site to be removed."

The site was removed yesterday.

On being told details of Moor's experience, New Zealand Netsafe executive director Martin Cocker said such campaigns of relentless intimidation were typical of the cyber-bullying phenomenon.

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