More than a quarter of young people would turn to the internet first if they were upset or had a problem, according to a new survey.
Children as young as 13 would seek out online help, ranging from searching for information to looking at websites specifically designed for young people.
More than one in three (34 per cent) would talk to a parent or carer first, while 27 per cent would speak to another person they trusted and 28 cemt would turn to the internet first. Meanwhile, 36 per cent would tell friends to avoid Facebook if they were feeling worried or upset.
more than half (51 per cent) of 13 to 20-year-olds have read or seen someone discussing suicide online.
Six out of 10 (61 per cent) have also seen someone talk about hurting themselves on the internet.
The poll of 220 students aged between 13 and 20 was accompanied by in-depth interviews with an extra 40 children.
A total of 119 teachers were also polled, while a further six teachers were interviewed in-depth.
Of the teachers, 44 per cent said the internet is bad for young people’s mental health and 91 per cent believe the frequency of mental health issues among pupils is increasing.
Stress and anxiety, depression and self-harm were the most common issues seen in schools.
Most teachers said they did not have adequate resources to deal with pupils’ mental health issues.
[“Source-telegraph”]
