Man whose son was 'trolled' to death teaches parents about the dangers online

Joshua Unsworth, aged 15 when he took his own life

The father of teenager from Lancashire who took his own life after being bullied on the internet, says parents need to be more aware of the dangers online.

Joshua Unsworth was just 15 when he hanged himself. His dad, Gary Unsworth, has set up a foundation which he has running with his son's friends.

Amelia Cowell had been friends with Joshua since primary school and says just ignoring the cyberbullies isn't that easy.

She said: "With negative comments you start to believe it. It might not be true, what they are saying, and then does it get blown out of proportion."

Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle, from Cheshire, was recently subjected to abusive messages on Twittter, and has spoken out to urge everyone to report abuse. She says everyone has a responsibility to report abuse.

According to research:

  • Only half of parents in the North West say they have spoken to their children about the risks of meeting strangers online.

  • Just over a third say they've discussed cyber-bullying.

  • Only 13 percent have shown them how to report abuse.

  • Fewer than a fifth of parents said they had warned their youngsters about the dangers of sexting - sharing sexual images of themselves online.