Cell phone graphic with chat bubbles showing emojis

Cyberbullying and harassment can be just as harmful as in-person bullying. Online, kids and teens may feel like there aren’t serious consequences to bullying. Chat and texting features give kids a new place to bully and harass their peers.

Cyberbullying and harassment can lead to mental health issues and feelings of fear, helplessness, and isolation.

Cyberbullying can include:
  • Sending hurtful or abusive messages.
  • Sharing something that will embarrass or exclude someone.
Prevention

It is important to teach the basics of online safety and encourage an ongoing conversation.  Remember these important points when you talk about cyberbullying:

  • Once you share something online, it’s there FOREVER. Deleting something doesn’t always remove it from the Internet – people can take screenshots without you knowing and share them with others and content can be linked to multiple websites.
  • Pause before you post something or send a message – think about who is going to see it and how they might feel about it.
  • Don’t share personal info online. This includes your location, the name of your school, your phone number, email address, and account passwords.
  • Treat everyone with respect. Don’t say things you wouldn’t say to someone’s face.
  • Don’t share nude images or videos – this is child porn, and it’s illegal.
How to Respond to Cyberbullying

Children and teens may feel embarrassed about being bullied or harassed online – it’s important you provide a judgement-free environment. Encourage them to talk to another trusted adult if they are experiencing cyberbullying – keeping it to yourself can make things harder.

Once you know about the online bullying, follow these guidelines as necessary:

  • Don’t retaliate – bullies crave attention and responding to them will encourage further harassment.
  • Block the person or people who are bullying – this is an effective way to stop further contact.
  • Document the bullying – take screenshots of the posts and messages. If the cyberbullying continues, gets worse, or includes threats of violence, contact the police.
  • Provide the child or teen with cyberbullying resources in case they don’t feel comfortable sharing with you.