What is bullying?

Bullying is when a person or group repeatedly harms someone on purpose. It can be physical, social, and/or verbal. It is harmful to both the victims and the bullies, and it always involves

• Aggressive behavior.
• A difference in power, meaning that the victim is weaker or is seen as weaker. For example, bullies may try to use physical strength, embarrassing information, or popularity to harm others.
• Repetition, meaning it happens more than once or that it probably will happen again

What are the types of bullying?

There are three types of bullying:

• Physical bullying involves hurting a person's body or belongings. Examples include hitting, kicking, and stealing or breaking someone's stuff.
• Social bullying (also called relational bullying) hurts someone's reputation or relationships. Some examples are spreading rumors, embarrassing someone in public, and making someone feel left out.
• Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things, including name-calling, taunting, and threatening

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is bullying that happens through text messages or online. It could be through emails, social media, forums, or gaming. Some examples are

• Posting rumors on social media
• Sharing embarrassing pictures or videos online
• Sharing someone else's private information online (doxing)
• Making threats against someone online
• Creating fake accounts and posting information to embarrass someone

Certain types of cyberbullying can be illegal. The laws on cyberbullying are different from state to state.

How is cyberbullying different from bullying?

Cyberbullying is a type of bullying, but there are some differences between the two. Cyberbullying can be

• Anonymous - people can hide their identities when they are online or using a cell phone
• Persistent - people can send messages instantly, at any time of the day or night
• Permanent - a lot of electronic communication is permanent and public, unless it's reported and removed. A bad online reputation can affect getting into college, getting a job, and other areas of life. This applies to the bully as well.
• Hard to notice - teachers and parents may not overhear or see cyberbullying taking place

Who is at risk of being bullied?

Kids are at a higher risk of being bullied if they

• Are seen as different from their peers, such as being overweight or underweight, dressing differently, or being of a different race/ethnicity
• Are seen as weak
• Have depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem
• Don't have many friends or are less popular
• Don't socialize well with others
• Have an intellectual or developmental disability

Who is at risk of being a bully?

There are two types of kids who are more likely to bully others:

• Kids who are well-connected to peers, have social power, are overly worried about popularity, and like to be in charge of others
• Kids who are more isolated from peers, may be depressed or anxious, have low self-esteem, are easily pressured by peers, and have trouble understanding other people's feelings

There are certain factors that make someone more likely to be a bully. They include

• Being aggressive or easily frustrated
• Having trouble at home, such as violence or bullying in the home or having uninvolved parents
• Having trouble following rules
• Seeing violence positively
• Having friends who bully others

What are the effects of bullying?

Bullying is a serious problem that causes harm. And it doesn't just hurt the person who is being bullied; it can also be harmful for the bullies and for any kids who witness the bullying.

Kids who are bullied can have problems at school and with their mental and physical health. They are at risk for

• Depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. These problems sometimes last into adulthood.
• Health complaints, including headaches and stomachaches
• Lower grades and test scores
• Missing and dropping out of school

Kids who bully others have a higher risk for substance use, problems in school, and violence later in life.

Kids who witness bullying are more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol and have mental health problems. They may also miss or skip school.

What are the signs of being bullied?

Often, kids who are being bullied don't report it. They may fear a backlash from the bully, or they may think that no one cares. Sometimes they feel too ashamed to talk about it. So it is important to know the signs of a bullying problem:

• Depression, loneliness, or anxiety
• Low self-esteem
• Headaches, stomachaches, or poor eating habits
• Disliking school, not wanting to go to school, or getting worse grades than before
• Self-destructive behaviors, such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide
• Unexplained injuries
• Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry
• Trouble sleeping or frequent nightmares
• Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations

How do you help someone who is being bullied?

To help a child who is being bullied, support the child and address the bullying behavior:

• Listen and focus on the child. Learn what's been going on and show you want to help.
• Assure the child that bullying is not his/her fault
• Know that kids who are bullied may struggle with talking about it. Consider referring them to a school counselor, psychologist, or other mental health service.
• Give advice about what to do. This may involve role-playing and thinking through how the child might react if the bullying occurs again.
• Work together to resolve the situation and protect the bullied child. The child, parents, and school or organization should be part of the solution.
• Follow up. Bullying may not end overnight. Make sure that the child knows that you are committed to making it stop.
• Make sure that the bully knows that his or her behavior is wrong and harms others
• Show kids that bullying is taken seriously. Make it clear to everyone that the bullying will not be tolerated.

What Is Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.

The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are:

• Social Media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok
• Text messaging and messaging apps on mobile or tablet devices
• Instant messaging, direct messaging, and online chatting over the internet
• Online forums, chat rooms, and message boards, such as Reddit
• Email
• Online gaming communities

Special Concerns

With the prevalence of social media and digital forums, comments, photos, posts, and content shared by individuals can often be viewed by strangers as well as acquaintances. The content an individual shares online – both their personal content as well as any negative, mean, or hurtful content – creates a kind of permanent public record of their views, activities, and behavior. This public record can be thought of as an online reputation, which may be accessible to schools, employers, colleges, clubs, and others who may be researching an individual now or in the future. Cyberbullying can harm the online reputations of everyone involved – not just the person being bullied, but those doing the bullying or participating in it. Cyberbullying has unique concerns in that it can be:

Persistent – Digital devices offer an ability to immediately and continuously communicate 24 hours a day, so it can be difficult for children experiencing cyberbullying to find relief.

Permanent – Most information communicated electronically is permanent and public, if not reported and removed. A negative online reputation, including for those who bully, can impact college admissions, employment, and other areas of life.

Hard to Notice – Because teachers and parents may not overhear or see cyberbullying taking place, it is harder to recognize.

Laws and Sanctions

All states have laws requiring schools to respond to bullying. As cyberbullying has become more prevalent with the use of technology, many states now include cyberbullying, or mention cyberbullying offenses, under these laws. Schools may take action either as required by law, or with local or school policies that allow them to discipline or take other action. Some states also have provisions to address bullying if it affects school performance. You can learn about the laws and policies in each state, including if they cover cyberbullying.

Frequency of Cyberbullying

There are two sources of federally collected data on youth bullying:

• The 2019 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice) indicates that, nationwide, about 16 percent of students in grades 9–12 experienced cyberbullying.
• The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) indicates that an estimated 15.7% of high school students were electronically bullied in the 12 months prior to the survey.

Computers, cellphones, and other kinds of technology can be great. But sometimes they can be used to really hurt someone.

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is hurting someone again and again using a computer, a cellphone, or another kind of electronic technology. Examples of cyberbullying include the following:

• Texting or emailing insults or nasty rumors about someone
• Posting mean comments about someone on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites
• Threatening someone through email or other technology
• Tricking someone into sharing embarrassing information
• Forwarding private text messages to hurt or embarrass someone
• Posting embarrassing photos or videos of someone
• Pretending to be someone else online to get that person in trouble or embarrass her
• Creating a website to make fun of someone

Some teens think it’s easier to get away with bullying online than in person. Also, girls may be more likely to cyberbully than boys. Keep in mind that it’s pretty easy to find out who has been cyberbullying. In fact, cyberbullies can get in a lot of trouble with their schools, and possibly even with the police.

Cyberbullying hurts. It can be easier to type something really mean than to say it to a person. But being cyberbullied can sometimes feel even worse than other kinds of bullying. That’s because cyberbullying can come at you anytime, anywhere and can reach a lot of people.

Being cyberbullied can make you feel angry, afraid, helpless, and terribly sad. Also, teens who are cyberbullied are more likely than other teens to have problems such as using drugs, skipping school, and even getting sick.

If you are being cyberbullied, talk to an adult you trust. An adult can help you figure out how to handle the problem, and can offer you support.

If you are cyberbullying, it’s time to stop. You are not only hurting someone else, you could hurt yourself. You can lose friends and get in trouble with your school or even with the police. If you can’t seem to stop yourself from cyberbullying, get help from an adult you trust.

You may hurt someone online without really meaning to do it. It may seem funny to vote for the ugliest kid in school, for example, but try to think about how that person feels. And if you get a message that makes you mad, go away and come back before writing something you may regret. Nearly half of teenage cellphone users say they regretted a text message they sent. Remember, nothing is really secret or private on the Internet, and things you post online can stay there forever.

How to prevent cyberbullying

Here are some tips that may help protect you from being cyberbullied:

• Don’t give out your passwords or personal information. Even your friends could wind up giving your passwords to someone who shouldn’t have them.
• Use the privacy options on social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr that let you choose who can see what you post.
• Don’t friend people online if you don’t know them, even if you have friends in common.
• Be careful about what you write or what images you send or post because nothing is really private on the Internet.
• If you are using a site like Facebook on a computer in the library, log out before you walk away. If you don’t log out, the next person who uses the computer could get into your account.

If you are cyberbullied

If you are cyberbullied, you can get help. Here are some important tips:

• If someone bullies you, don’t respond. Bullies are looking for a reaction, and you may be able to stop the bullying if you ignore or block the person.
• Save any evidence of cyberbullying, print it out, and show it to a trusted adult.
• Use options that let you block email, cellphone, and text messages from a cyberbully. You can also stop a person from seeing your Facebook information. If you need help, ask an adult, your cellphone company, or the website where you want to block someone.
• If you are being cyberbullied, ask if your school can get involved.
• Report bullying to your Internet service provider, phone company, email provider, or the website where it happened. Sites like Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram have online forms for reporting.
• Report cyberbullying to police if it involves threats of violence or pornography.

Sometimes, teens don’t want to tell their parents that they are being cyberbullied because they are afraid their parents will take away their phone or computer. If you have this concern, tell your parents, and work with them to figure out a solution. The most important thing is for you to be safe.

Sexting and cyberbullying

Sexting is sending naked or partly naked photos to someone online or by cellphone. Sometimes, a guy may pressure you to send these kinds of photos. Sometimes, friends may dare you to do it.

It’s a very bad idea to send nude photos or forward someone else’s. Messages can be traced back to you, and photos can quickly get forwarded to a lot of people. You can really hurt someone’s feelings or your own reputation. You can even get in legal trouble for forwarding something that could be considered child pornography.

It is important to understand how children are cyberbullied so it can be easily recognized and action can be taken. Some of the most common cyberbullying tactics include:

• Posting comments or rumors about someone online that are mean, hurtful, or embarrassing.
• Threatening to hurt someone or telling them to kill themselves.
• Posting a mean or hurtful picture or video.
• Pretending to be someone else online in order to solicit or post personal or false information about someone else.
• Posting mean or hateful names, comments, or content about any race, religion, ethnicity, or other personal characteristics online.
• Creating a mean or hurtful webpage about someone.
• Doxing, an abbreviated form of the word documents, is a form of online harassment used to exact revenge and to threaten and destroy the privacy of individuals by making their personal information public, including addresses, social security, credit card and phone numbers, links to social media accounts, and other private data.

Viral Tactics: Examples

Because cyberbullying can happen in different ways, examples based on real-life experiences can provide a deeper understanding of the tactics typically used. Along with other risk factors, bullying can increase the risk for suicide-related behaviors. Furthermore, cyberbullying can be relentless, increasing the likelihood of anxiety and depression. Some states have chosen to prosecute young people who bully for criminal harassment, including encouraging someone to die by suicide. Some forms of cyberbullying are forms of harassment that cross the line into criminal activity, and some tactics occur in dating relationships and can turn into interpersonal violence.

The stories below are examples of different cyberbullying tactics that could happen. In reality, with the right interventions, cyberbullying can be addressed positively to lessen harm and the negative outcomes that could result. When not addressed, cyberbullying can have long-term mental health effects. Cyberbullying and bullying can negatively impact the lives of all who are involved.

Nude photo sharing

A teenage girl sent a nude photo of herself to her boyfriend while they were dating. After they broke up, he shared the photo with other children, who then called her hurtful, derogatory names via text and social media.

Lies and false accusations

A group of students got into trouble at school for being drunk, and accused a girl who knew nothing about it of reporting them to school officials. They began texting her day and night, and posted hateful, derogatory messages on social media. Other students saw their messages and joined in harassing the girl. She was bullied constantly via text, and in person at school. She eventually shut down her social media accounts and changed her phone number. Still, the bullying at school continued.

Bullied for being economically challenged

Students posted mean, negative comments on another classmates’ social media account, commenting on his clothes and sneakers, which were not the more expensive name brands most of them were wearing. They ridiculed him, calling him “poor” and continued the bullying in school. The boy missed many days of school trying to avoid the harassment and embarrassment.

False identity profile, sometimes referred to as a “Sockpuppet”

A girl’s classmate created a fake social media account in a boy’s name, and began an online relationship with her. Though she had not met him in person, the girl divulged personal information about herself and her family to this “boy.” The classmate who created the fake account then shared the personal information with other children, who used it to bully, shame, and harass the girl.

Encouraging self-harm or suicide

A young boy with a physical disability and scars on his face was harassed on social media and via text by other students. They called him derogatory names, told him he’d be better off dead. They wrote “why don’t you die?” on his school locker and encouraged him to take his own life.

Bullied for being gay

A teenage boy who was openly gay began receiving death threats via phone, text, and social media for being gay. Students created an anti-gay social media group and harassed him, posting hateful messages about him.

Jealousy bullying

A teenage girl was harassed by other girls in her class for dating a very popular boy. The girls sent her hateful messages via text and social media, and wrote derogatory messages on her school locker.

Doxing Over Online Gaming

A teenage boy posted comments on a public gaming forum, expressing his dislike of certain game features and tactics. Another user disagreed with him in the forum, then searched for the boy’s information online and posted his address, email address, and social media links in another comment. The boy then received multiple emails and messages from strangers threatening to come to his home and assault him, and to block him from games.

Be Aware of What Your Kids are Doing Online

A child may be involved in cyberbullying in several ways. A child can be bullied, bully others, or witness bullying. Parents, teachers, and other adults may not be aware of all the digital media and apps that a child is using. The more digital platforms that a child uses, the more opportunities there are for being exposed to potential cyberbullying.

Warning Signs a Child is Being Cyberbullied or is Cyberbullying Others

Many of the warning signs that cyberbullying is occurring happen around a child’s use of their device. Some of the warning signs that a child may be involved in cyberbullying are:

• Noticeable increases or decreases in device use, including texting.
• A child exhibits emotional responses (laughter, anger, upset) to what is happening on their device.
• A child hides their screen or device when others are near, and avoids discussion about what they are doing on their device.
• Social media accounts are shut down or new ones appear.
• A child starts to avoid social situations, even those that were enjoyed in the past.
• A child becomes withdrawn or depressed, or loses interest in people and activities.

What to Do When Cyberbullying Happens

If you notice warning signs that a child may be involved in cyberbullying, take steps to investigate that child’s digital behavior. Cyberbullying is a form of bullying, and adults should take the same approach to address it: support the child being bullied, address the bullying behavior of a participant, and show children that cyberbullying is taken seriously. Because cyberbullying happens online, responding to it requires different approaches. If you think that a child is involved in cyberbullying, there are several things you can do:

• Notice – Recognize if there has been a change in mood or behavior and explore what the cause might be. Try to determine if these changes happen around a child’s use of their digital devices.
• Talk – Ask questions to learn what is happening, how it started, and who is involved.
• Document – Keep a record of what is happening and where. Take screenshots of harmful posts or content if possible. Most laws and policies note that bullying is a repeated behavior, so records help to document it.
• Report – Most social media platforms and schools have clear policies and reporting processes. If a classmate is cyberbullying, report it the school. You can also contact app or social media platforms to report offensive content and have it removed. If a child has received physical threats, or if a potential crime or illegal behavior is occurring, report it to the police.
• Support – Peers, mentors, and trusted adults can sometimes intervene publicly to positively influence a situation where negative or hurtful content posts about a child. Public Intervention can include posting positive comments about the person targeted with bullying to try to shift the conversation in a positive direction. It can also help to reach out to the child who is bullying and the target of the bullying to express your concern. If possible, try to determine if more professional support is needed for those involved, such as speaking with a guidance counselor or mental health professional.

Social Media, Apps, and Sites Commonly Used by Children and Teens

Digital media and apps allow children to communicate and express their creativity, connect with peers, and share their feelings. However, they can be an avenue through which cyberbullying occurs. There are many types of apps and sites available for free that give users the ability to search for people and share or post information about them anonymously.

Parents may not be aware of the apps that their children use regularly or may not be aware of the risks involved in using them. There are many ways that cyberbullying can be hidden in apps and sites, such as texts, videos, and web calls that disappear or do not appear on the device’s call or text message logs.

Many apps also make it easy for users to access, view or participate in adult or harmful content. Privacy and location settings may make them more vulnerable to stalking, cyberbullying, exposure to adult content, or other dangers.

Popular Social Media Apps and Sites

Some current popular social media venues and apps include:

• Amino: An app that lets users join online communities, chats, forums, and groups on a variety of topics based on their interests.
• Askfm: A social networking site that allows users to ask other people questions, often anonymously.
• Calculator%: A “vault” or secret app that appears harmless, but hides photos, videos, files, and browser history.
• Chatroulette: There are over 20 different chat roulette sites that allow users to instantly connect via webcam and video chat. Sites typically pair the users randomly and instantly.
• Discord: A voice-over-IP (VOIP) app that allows users to video chat with others, private message, and join, create, or participate in public and private chat rooms. This app is often used by players to chat with each other while playing videogames.
• Facebook and Facebook Live: The most commonly used social media site that is accessible on many different media platforms.
• Facebook Messenger Kids: A messaging app and platform for children.
• Houseparty: A group video chat and social networking app that allows up to eight people to video chat at once in a “room.”
• Instagram: A photo and video sharing and networking site that connects users through other social networking sites (e.g., Facebook).
• Kik: Messaging app that allows users of all ages to contact others anonymously.
• Line: A messaging app that allows users to make free phone calls, leave voice messages, and text. Users can delete texts or chats from recipient’s phone using a timer.
• LiveMe: A tool to broadcast live-streaming videos and watch other users’ videos.
• MeetMe: A dating app that connects users to others based on geographic proximity.
• Omegle: An app that pairs users with strangers in anonymous one-on-one chat sessions.
• Reddit: A site that stores social news, rates and evaluates web content, and discussion threads.
• Roblox: An online game platform with free multiplayer games created by users. Roblox allows users to communicate with each other and join groups.
• Sarahah: An anonymous messaging app that allows users to send anonymous messages to people they may know.
• Snapchat: A photo messaging app that allows for sharing pictures and short videos that are intended to be erased shortly after delivery.
• Telegram: Messaging app that allows users to share photos, videos, and files; make calls, and delete texts or chats from recipient’s phone using a timer.
• TikTok: An app that allows users to create and share their own videos where they lip-synch, sing, dance, or just talk.
• Tumblr: A social networking site that allows posting of short blogs and media.
• Twitch: A live stream platform for gamers to watch live stream content, chat, and connect
• Twitter: A microblogging site that allows users to send, read, and reply to “tweets” or short messages.
• VSCO: A photography app to capture and edit photos.
• WeChat: An app that allows user to chat with friends, and to search for people nearby and around the globe.
• WhatsApp: A private messaging app that allows users to text, send photos, videos, and location information to their contacts.
• Whisper: An anonymous social media site that allows users to post and share photo and video messages.
• YouTube: A video sharing platform that allows users to post and share videos.
• YUBO (formerly YELLOW): An app referred to as the “Tinder for teens” that allows users to swipe right or left to accept or reject the profiles of other users.
• YouNow: Broadcast, Chat, and Watch Live Video: An app that lets teens broadcast themselves live. They can see and respond to live chat or view other broadcasters and chat with them.

Risks of Social Media Apps and Sites

Social media has many benefits that must be balanced with the risks it presents. Risks to be aware of include:

• Screening for harmful content on websites and apps varies widely.
• Content posted can be incorrect, harmful, or hurtful.
• Apps and platforms can be used to share harmful or adult content.
• Apps and platforms can include users of all ages and allow children to connect with adults.
• Apps and platforms can have no moderator for chats, groups, and forums that allow all types of content to be posted or shared.
• Apps and platforms can allow all types of content to be posted or shared.
• Privacy controls over who can view or access posted material vary across apps, and many users are not aware of how to use them effectively.
• Apps that allow for real-time user videos “live streaming” can been used to show bullying, violence, suicide, and harmful acts as they are happening.
• Some apps that include location information can be used to get personal information, such as someone’s age, current location, or where someone lives.
• Apps that support telephone calls do not show up on a call log, so parents may not know who their children are talking to.

Parents can search online for organizations that provide in-depth parental reviews of apps, platforms and games used by children to learn more about them. By learning about the risks, important security features, and other details about the apps, platforms, and games children want to use, parents can make an informed decision about how or if their child will use them.

The digital world is constantly evolving with new social media platforms, apps, and devices, and children and teens are often the first to use them. Some negative things that may occur include cyberbullying, sexting, posting hateful messages or content, and participating in negative group conversations. If your child posts harmful or negative content online, it may not only harm other children; it can affect their online reputation, which can have negative implications for their employment or college admission.

While you may not be able to monitor all of your child’s activities, there are things you can do to prevent cyberbullying and protect your child from harmful digital behavior:

• Monitor a teen’s social media sites, apps, and browsing history, if you have concerns that cyberbullying may be occurring.
• Review or re-set your child’s phone location and privacy settings.
• Follow or friend your teen on social media sites or have another trusted adult do so.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest apps, social media platforms, and digital slang used by children and teens.
• Know your child’s user names and passwords for email and social media.
• Establish rules about appropriate digital behavior, content, and apps.

Digital Monitoring Apps and Software for Parents

Parents who want to protect their children from cyberbullying, harmful digital behavior, and exposure to adult content can use parental control and monitoring software to help them set up systems that are less invasive to their children.

There are free software options and apps available to help parents restrict content, block domains, or view their children’s online activities, including social media, without looking at their child’s device every day. Most of the free software options provide some features for free, but charge for more robust insight.

A parent should consider a child’s age, device use, and digital behavior when selecting software – what is suitable to restrict for a ten-year old may not be useful for a teenager.

Tips for Parents: Talk to Your Child about Appropriate Digital Behavior and Content

Parents create trust with children by initiating open, honest discussions. These dialogues are an opportunity to communicate values and expectations about your family’s appropriate digital behavior, including viewing or sharing content, and apps they can and cannot use.

Check in frequently with your children about their digital experiences to address any potential risk of cyberbullying and harm. Be clear that your intention is to look out for their wellbeing, and that you want to have an open dialogue. Listen to their concerns and express your perspective.

To minimize the risk of cyberbullying or harm from digital behavior, parents can:

• Set clear expectations about digital behavior and online reputation.
• Educate about the harmful effects of cyberbullying, posting hateful speech or comments, sexting, and sharing naked photos of themselves or others (including potential legal issues).
• Be clear about what content can be viewed or shared.
• Identify which apps are appropriate for your child’s use and which are not.
• Establish rules about the amount of time that a child can spend online or on their devices.
• Model positive, respectful digital behavior on your own devices and accounts.

Talk to Your Child about Being a Bystander to Cyberbullying

Having conversations with children about cyberbullying and digital behavior is not a one-time event – it is an ongoing dialogue. Begin talking about these issues before children delve into the world of texting, social media, online gaming, and chat rooms. Help them reflect on real and potential cyberbullying situations, and provide ongoing opportunities to practice ways to respond. Doing so can support the transition from being passive bystanders to being allies who serve as powerful role models for others.

If you think your child is witnessing cyberbullying, there are things that you can encourage them to do - and not do. Such as:

Do not participate. Encourage children not to “like,” share, or comment on information that has been posted about someone, and do not forward a hurtful text to others. Not participating may limit the potential damage of the messages – to others and to themselves.

Do not retaliate or respond negatively. If a child feels that they must respond, encourage a calm, clear, and constructive response. Angry and aggressive reactions can make a bad situation worse. Encourage children (and adults!) to step away from the device so they do not resort to blaming, shaming, or retaliation. This provides time to get calm and centered so they can create a response that makes it clear that others’ digital behaviors are hurtful and unacceptable.

Respond privately to the person who created the hurtful message. If they feel safe doing so, it may be helpful to follow up with the person who created or shared the hurtful message privately, either online, in a phone call, or in person. Doing so can make it clear they do not support the negative actions. It also provides an opportunity to authentically share concerns about the behavior and what might be behind it.

Follow up with the person who was targeted. By reaching out, a child can send a powerful message that they care about the person and they do not support the negative behaviors. If needed, this connection can also provide an opportunity to assist the person in finding help related to the cyberbullying situation.

When cyberbullying happens, it is important to document and report the behavior so it can be addressed.

Steps to Take Immediately

• Don’t respond to and don’t forward cyberbullying messages.
• Keep evidence of cyberbullying. Record the dates, times, and descriptions of instances when cyberbullying has occurred. Save and print screenshots, emails, and text messages. Use this evidence to report cyberbullying to web and cell phone service providers.
• Block the person who is cyberbullying.

Report Cyberbullying to Online Service Providers

Cyberbullying often violates the terms of service established by social media sites and internet service providers.

• Review their terms and conditions or rights and responsibilities sections. These describe content that is or is not appropriate.
• Visit social media safety centers to learn how to block users and change settings to control who can contact you.
• Report cyberbullying to the social media site so they can take action against users abusing the terms of service.

Report Cyberbullying to Law Enforcement

When cyberbullying involves these activities it is considered a crime and should be reported to law enforcement:

• Threats of violence
• Child pornography or sending sexually explicit messages or photos
• Taking a photo or video of someone in a place where he or she would expect privacy
• Stalking and hate crimes

Some states consider other forms of cyberbullying criminal. Consult your state’s laws and law enforcement for additional guidance.

Report Cyberbullying to Schools

• Cyberbullying can create a disruptive environment at school and is often related to in-person bullying. The school can use the information to help inform prevention and response strategies.
• In many states, schools are required to address cyberbullying in their anti-bullying policy. Some state laws also cover off-campus behavior that creates a hostile school environment.