Teachers in Northern Ireland are suffering increasing "cyber-bullying" from pupils and their parents, it was claimed today.
Bullying by mobile phone, email or over the internet is a growing problem, according to a survey by the Teacher Support Network and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers.
Recorded incidents of cyber-bullying ranged from upsetting emails and unwelcome text messages, to silent phone calls and the malicious use of websites and internet chat rooms.
The survey discovered 17 per cent of respondents had suffered one or more of the bullying methods.
It also showed 53 per cent of respondents did not know whether their school had a code of conduct to address cyber-bullying, and 39 per cent said their school didn't have a code.
Of those whose schools did have a code of conduct to address the problem, 19 per cent said it was not properly enforced, and another 72 per cent didn't know if it was or not.