According to the latest information, China is number one in cyber bullying worldwide. Findings show that cyber bullying among high school students in central China is relatively common with over 70% reporting having been bullied by someone online. Significant gender differences were also found, suggesting that boys are more likely to be involved in cyber bullying both as perpetrators and victims. Students with lower academic achievement were more likely to be perpetrators online than were students with better academic achievement. Students who spend more time on online, have access to the internet in their bedrooms, and are frequently involved in instant messaging and other forms of online entertainment, are more likely to experience cyber bullying.

 

China has such a large internet population that the even smallest acts of cyber hate can snowball into large-scale online crusades, something that is becoming exceedingly prevalent. As technology becomes more widespread across the country, cyber bullying has ballooned to also include adult victims nearly as much as children. Something that is attributed to fueling this is the Chinese phenomenon known as Human Flesh Search. This refers both to the use of knowledge contributed through social networking, as well as searches dedicated to finding the identity of a person who has committed some sort of offense or social breach online. Human Flesh Search is used for the purpose of identifying and exposing individuals to public humiliation, sometimes out of vigilantism and nationalist or patriotic sentiments. More recent analyses have shown that it is also used for a number of other reasons, including exposing government corruption, identifying hit and run drivers, exposing scientific fraud, and for entertainment purposes such as identifying people seen in pictures. However, because of the massive human collaboration and invasive reach of this phenomenon, it is also being utilized by cyber attackers to carry out tirades of harassment and hate against individuals who in many cases are innocent.

 

To combat the growing problem, China recently passed a law requiring all internet users to register with their real names, however Chinese citizens are calling this an attack on their free speech, claiming the government is most likely interested in figuring out who is talking badly about them. This argument is countered by the fact that in the greater scheme of things, it holds people accountable for what they do and say online.