Considered worse than face-to-face bullying, cyber bullying is becoming a more popular form of abuse in schools, according to experts.

Research has revealed 15 per cent of WA school students were cyber-bullied.

Cyber bullying involves using mobile phones and computers to pick on and harass people.

Because of its rising prominence Clarkson Community High School principal John Young told the Times he decided to send two staff members to a cyber bullying workshop.

He said most young people now had mobile phones and a computer giving them the avenues to cyber bully.

"The use of computers and mobile phones for bullying is a growing phenomenon across the globe and is particularly difficult to deal with due to its anonymous nature," he said.

IT network administrator and Year 10 coordinator Gary Thirlwell and Year 9 coordinator Ben Hargrave will attend today's workshop that will cover the way students cyber bully, how teachers can spot the signs and deal with it and how to empower students to cope with being bullied.

Workshop organiser Gabrielle Lawler said she did not think this avenue for abuse would go away because mobile phones were becoming more popular and technologically more advanced.

Students could suffer depression, become withdrawn and aggressive, their academic progress could lower and they might drop out of school at the hands of the bullies, so schools need to get tough.

"Make it clear that it is bullying and let students know as stuff can be traced and is evidence," she said.

The State Government has contributed $400,000 to a five-year study into cyber bullying that began last month and would monitor students' use of electronic technology, include forums for parents and a state-wide cyber summit in September.

Mr Young said bullying was unacceptable and developing a policy on cyber bullying was the next step in dealing with the problem.

Mr Young said other staff at Clarkson CHS would attend similar workshops as necessary.

Picture by Bruce Hunt: Clarkson CHS staff Gary Thirlwell and Ben Hargrave are prepared to combat cyber bullying.

Article by Debbie Vilensky