TAIPEI -- Nearly 60 percent of Taiwanese teenagers believe cyber-bullying is a severe problem, according to results of a local poll on Internet usage released on Thursday.

In the survey conducted by the King Car Education Foundation in June among 1,468 students aged 10 to 18 years in Taiwan, more than 58 percent of respondents said they feel online bullying, including malicious rumor-spreading, threats and cheating, is a serious issue.

However, more than 43 percent of respondents said they take an "indifferent" response when they are bullied, with another 39.1 percent saying they simply ignore malicious messages and threats.

Only 23 percent said they confront bullies by attempting to reason with them.

The foundation said parents and teachers should pay more attention to cyber-bullying, as teenagers are vulnerable to the phenomenon and may not seek help if they are victimized.