Due to advancement in technology, we can easily interact with each other without any need of face-to-face interactions. However, a new study by the researchers reveals that about 1 in 5 adolescent children experience some form of online bullying, which can have serious effects on their mental health and behavior. It was also found that family meals could help protect kids and teens from these harmful effects.

According to a study from the Institute of Health and Social Policy at McGill University in Montreal, 20% of adolescents going online are being bullied regularly. The study was published in JAMA Pediatrics on September 1, 2014.

The study, conducted at Douglas Mental Health Institute, included more than 20,000 adolescents from Wisconsin. They were asked about their experiences with face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying, and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.

They also examined how family meals, which provide social contact and support, might help in reducing the mental health impact that cyberbullying can have on teens. The findings suggest that children who ate meals with their families and maintained regular family communication may see less harmful mental health effects of cyberbullying.

Elgar, an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry, said, "We found that emotional, behavioral, and substance use problems are 2.6 to 4.5 times more common among victims of cyberbullying, and these impacts are not due to face-to-face bullying; they are specific to cyberbullying".

It is recommended that parents who suspect their child is a victim of bullying should intervene by talking to the child, calling the school or setting up appointments with medical or mental health professionals. It's likely that having family dinners can serve as a release for young people, and that they benefit from communicating their problems and frequently interacting with their family.