About 270,000 Kiwi adults were targeted by cyberbullies in the past year, according to a new report. (File photo)

While it is estimated that one in five Kiwi children are cyberbullied, youths aren't the only ones bearing the brunt of unwanted online activity.

Nearly 270,000 adults were targets in the past 12 months, with incidents ranging from the inane to messages encouraging people to harm themselves or threats of sharing nude or intimate images.

The revelation is contained in a report from online safety organisation Netsafe, highlighting the impact harmful activity is having on online users aged 18 and over.

Email was the preferred method of cyberbullying, according to the report. (File photo)

"For far too many New Zealanders, what is being said to or about them online is having a very real negative impact on their daily lives," Netsafe chief executive Martin Cocker said.

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Nine per cent of Kiwis experienced unwelcome online contact that negatively affected their daily activities, according to the report.

123RF/SUPPLIED Despite the high number of people affected by harmful communication online, the report shows that most New Zealanders have not contacted an agency for help. (File photo)

Being unable to sleep or eat properly, or participate online as usual, were the two most common outcomes.

"There can be a perception that online communication doesn't harm adults or that it is an issue for a small minority," Cocker said.

"This research highlights the very real impact that online abuse can have upon a person's quality of life."

Research agency Colmar Brunton undertook the first of a series of annual population surveys on behalf of Netsafe.

Gauging participants' online experiences, including perceptions and experiences of harm, a representative sample of 1018 adults completed the online survey.

Results showed almost a third of New Zealanders have experienced at least one type of unwanted digital communication in the past year.

This includes a broad range of ordeals, from receiving spam to more series incidents such as being stalked or threatened online.

Email was the preferred method of cyberbullying at 41 per cent, while 27 per cent of communication was posted to a person's social media page.

Despite the high number of people affected by harmful communication online, the report shows that most New Zealanders have not contacted an agency for help.

"For New Zealanders on the receiving end of abuse and harassment the message is simple: you don't have to accept it," Cocker said.

"For people perpetrating the abuse and harassment, the message is equally simple: don't. It harms people and it might be an offence under the Harmful Digital Communications Act."