10 per cent Facebook users report abusive messages: Report

At least one in 10 Facebook users had received abusive or insulting messages on the site, according to a new study conducted by Global Market Insite, a provider of technology-enabled solutions for global market research.

The study revealed that 10 per cent Facebook users had experienced someone posting insulting or abusive messages on their wall, or sending insulting, abusive or threatening private messages.

The number of people who reported it had happened just once or twice stood at 61 per cent, while 8 per cent claimed to receive 'anti-social' messages about once a month and 3 per cent and received them a few times a month.

Another 3 per cent said they had received over five such messages in the past year, the study found.

In 62 per cent of cases on Facebook, the insult came from people who were known to the recipient, while 27 per cent said the perpetrator wasn't even on their Facebook friends list.

The study also found that 10 per cent of Facebook users and 5 per cent of Twitter users abused online.

While a quarter used the 'Report' link provided by Facebook, 41 per cent, responded by blocking the offender, 14 per cent took advantage of the privacy settings and 6 per cent set up a limited profile and 5 per cent stopped using Facebook.  Others (3 per cent) closed their account and 14 per cent asked the perpetrator to stop.

Only 5 per cent of Twitter users reported threatening, insulting or abusive tweets, although this was likely due to half of all Twitter users saying they had an account merely to follow others. Only 3 per cent of respondents said that they had been asked to delete a tweet.

According to Ralph Risk, marketing director Europe, Global Market Insite, in the virtual world of social media people might feel it was easy and anonymous to send insulting or abusive messages to other users. He said Global Market Insite's study showed that most people on Facebook were currently able to tackle the problem themselves using the technology provided.

He added, the strength of social media had always been the opportunity to easily connect and interact with friends and groups, but to ensure its continued flexibility was not restricted by legislation, it was important that the ability to limit exposure to insulting and abusive messages was simple for users to control themselves.