More boys than girls after being bullied on social media over their body image, a new poll has found.

One in five children aged nine to 16 have been the victim of bullies online, according to the study carried out by Internet Matters.

The charity interviewed parents about safety online and of the 2,000 who took part, 17.4 per cent said their son had been bullied online over body image compared to 15.7 per cent who said their daughters were victims.

More boys than girls after being bullied on social media over their body image, a new poll has found

The findings showed the average age image bullying started at was 11.

But the worrying figures have been called 'the tip of the iceberg'.

Psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos told The Sunday Mirror: 'Sometimes children don't want to talk about what's happening to them online.

'They may worry parents will take away their phones or ban them from using tech. It's vital parents learn how to engage with their children in a positive way.'

A brave mother Lisa told how 12-year-old Lily began self-harming and attempted suicide over cyber-bullying.

She told The Sunday Mirror her biggest regret was not pushing her daughter to talk more openly with the family.

She said she left her unsupervised online and urged other parents to be aware of the signs. She now checks her daughter's phone nightly.

Internet Matters has launched a campaign, #Pledge2Talk, to urge parents to get their children to There are now conversation guides for parents on internetmatters.org.