Disagree. What you are describing happens in "regular" bullying as well. In the OP, this happens literally: "I was followed home". Young people don't necessarily have many escapes from school life.
The people they see at school are probably the same people they see near their home and encounter throughout their whole outside-school life. Their school peer group is their social peer group.
Adults can just walk away, find another job, find somewhere else to live, which provides a last-ditch solution to such a desperate situation. Children often don't have that solution, even when things get desperate.
Online communication provides another avenue for bullying, perhaps, but it also provides a secure connection to people outside of the local area - one that didn't exist before.
The people they see at school are probably the same people they see near their home and encounter throughout their whole outside-school life. Their school peer group is their social peer group.
Adults can just walk away, find another job, find somewhere else to live, which provides a last-ditch solution to such a desperate situation. Children often don't have that solution, even when things get desperate.
Online communication provides another avenue for bullying, perhaps, but it also provides a secure connection to people outside of the local area - one that didn't exist before.