Online bullying could create offline fear at school, according to a recent study.

Researchers from Sam Houston State University in Texas found that cyberbullying creates fear among students about being victimized at school.

Although traditional bullying still creates the most fear among students, cyberbullying is a significant factor for fear of victimization at school among students who have experienced bullying at school, such as the presence of gangs.

Cyberbullying is any behavior performed through digital or electronic media by individuals or groups that repeatedly communicate hostile or aggressive messages intended to inflict harm or discomfort on others.

"It cannot be overstated - online victimization has offline consequences, and those consequences may have a number of negative effects for students, including fear of victimization," Ryan Randa, Assistant Professor at Sam Houston State University, College of Criminal Justice, said in a statement.

For the study, researchers surveyed more than 3,500 students, between the ages of 12 and 18, from across the nation.

They were asked questions about bullying and cyberbullying, including whether hurtful information about them were posted on the internet or if they had been insulted or threated by email, instant messaging, text messaging or online gaming programs. The students were also asked if they had been excluded from online friends or buddy lists.

Researchers found that about 7 percent of the student in the survey said they had experienced cyberbullying, while 29 percent said they were the victims of traditional bullying.

Previous studies have shown that bullying and cyberbullying may lead to such consequences for victims as decreased academic performance, diminished perceptions of safety, depression, anxiety, reduced self-esteem, self-harm, emotional distress and suicidal ideation.

The findings were recently published in the Security Journal.