LONDON, April 9 (UPI) -- Cyber stalking may be replacing traditional, face-to-face harassment in England, U.K. researchers say.
A study by the Electronic Communication Harassment Observation at Bedford University, to be released next week, concludes men are more likely to be the victims of online harassment than previously thought, and perpetrators increasingly are casual acquaintances or complete strangers, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.
About a third of all victims who took part in the study experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, Dr. Emma Short, psychologist and co-author of the study, told the newspaper.
The study surveyed 250 victims, mostly ages 20 to 39, though individuals ages 14 to 74 were included.
Teenagers said they were most likely to be harassed over social networking sites than any other media.
The study also found more men were the targets of harassment by people they had never met.
