law cyberbullying essay

Cyber Bullying Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on cyber bullying.

Cyber Bullying Essay: In today’s world which has been made smaller by technology, new age problems have been born. No doubt technology has a lot of benefits; however, it also comes with a negative side. It has given birth to cyberbullying. To put it simply, cyberbullying refers to the misuse of information technology with the intention to harass others.

Subsequently, cyberbullying comes in various forms. It doesn’t necessarily mean hacking someone’s profiles or posing to be someone else. It also includes posting negative comments about somebody or spreading rumors to defame someone. As everyone is caught up on the social network, it makes it very easy for anyone to misuse this access.

In other words, cyberbullying has become very common nowadays. It includes actions to manipulate, harass and defame any person. These hostile actions are seriously damaging and can affect anyone easily and gravely. They take place on social media, public forums, and other online information websites. A cyberbully is not necessarily a stranger; it may also be someone you know.

Cyber Bullying is Dangerous

Cyberbullying is a multi-faced issue. However, the intention of this activity is one and the same. To hurt people and bring them harm. Cyberbullying is not a light matter. It needs to be taken seriously as it does have a lot of dangerous effects on the victim.

Moreover, it disturbs the peace of mind of a person. Many people are known to experience depression after they are cyberbullied. In addition, they indulge in self-harm. All the derogatory comments made about them makes them feel inferior.

It also results in a lot of insecurities and complexes. The victim which suffers cyberbullying in the form of harassing starts having self-doubt. When someone points at your insecurities, they only tend to enhance. Similarly, the victims worry and lose their inner peace.

Other than that, cyberbullying also tarnishes the image of a person. It hampers their reputation with the false rumors spread about them. Everything on social media spreads like wildfire. Moreover, people often question the credibility. Thus,  one false rumor destroys people’s lives.

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How to Prevent Cyber Bullying?

Cyberbullying prevention is the need of the hour. It needs to be monitored and put an end to. There are various ways to tackle cyberbullying. We can implement them at individual levels as well as authoritative levels.

Firstly, always teach your children to never share personal information online. For instance, if you list your home address or phone number there, it will make you a potential target of cyberbullying easily.

Secondly, avoid posting explicit photos of yourself online. Also, never discuss personal matters on social media. In other words, keep the information limited within your group of friends and family. Most importantly, never ever share your internet password and account details with anyone. Keep all this information to yourself alone. Be alert and do not click on mysterious links, they may be scams. In addition, teach your kids about cyberbullying and make them aware of what’s wrong and right.

In conclusion, awareness is the key to prevent online harassment. We should make the children aware from an early age so they are always cautious. Moreover, parents must monitor their children’s online activities and limit their usage. Most importantly, cyberbullying must be reported instantly without delay. This can prevent further incidents from taking place.

FAQs on Cyber Bullying

Q.1 Why is Cyberbullying dangerous?

A.1 Cyberbullying affects the mental peace of a person. It takes a toll on their mental health. Moreover, it tarnishes the reputation of an individual.

Q.2 How to prevent cyberbullying?

A.2 We may prevent cyberbullying by limiting the information we share online. In addition, we must make children aware of the forms of cyberbullying and its consequences.

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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Cyber Bullying — Cyberbullying: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions

Cyberbullying: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions

• Categories: Cyber Bullying

About this sample

Words: 552 |

Published: Feb 7, 2024

Words: 552 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Causes of cyberbullying, impact of cyberbullying, current laws and policies, solutions to cyberbullying, counterarguments and rebuttals.

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Bullying Laws Across America

Please click on any state to learn exactly what their bullying laws include.

Criminal Sanction?

All states have various criminal laws that might apply to bullying behaviors, depending on the nature of the act. For example, if someone is physically hurting another, assault statutes might apply. All states also have criminal harassment and/or stalking statutes, and most include explicit reference to electronic forms. States with a “YES” in this column are the ones that expressly include electronic forms of harassment.

School Sanction?

In certain states, the bullying law specifies provisions allowing the school to discipline students in appropriate and measured ways.

School Policy?

In every state except Montana, the bullying law mandates schools to have a formal policy to help with identification of the behavior and discuss the possible formal and/or informal disciplinary responses that can follow. Some laws require certain elements to be included in the policy (such as a specific definition of bullying), while others simply require a policy without specification.

Off-campus?

Federal case law allows schools to discipline students for off-campus behavior that results in a substantial disruption of the learning environment at school. States with a “YES” in this column have simply codified that standard in state statute.

List of States, in case you don’t want to use the map above…

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Search UNICEF

Cyberbullying: what is it and how to stop it, what teens want to know about cyberbullying..

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We brought together UNICEF specialists, international cyberbullying and child protection experts, and teamed up with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and X to answer some of the most common questions about online bullying and give advice on ways to deal with it. 

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is bullying with the use of digital technologies. It can take place on social media, messaging platforms, gaming platforms and mobile phones. It is repeated behaviour, aimed at scaring, angering or shaming those who are targeted. Examples include:

• spreading lies about or posting embarrassing photos or videos of someone on social media
• sending hurtful, abusive or threatening messages, images or videos via messaging platforms
• impersonating someone and sending mean messages to others on their behalf or through fake accounts.

Face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying can often happen alongside each other. But cyberbullying leaves a digital footprint – a record that can prove useful and provide evidence to help stop the abuse.

If you are worried about your safety or something that has happened to you online, you can seek help by calling your national helpline . If your country does not have a helpline, please urgently speak to an adult you trust or seek professional support from trained and experienced carers.

The top questions on cyberbullying

• Am I being bullied online? How do you tell the difference between a joke and bullying?
• What are the effects of cyberbullying?
• How can cyberbullying affect my mental health?
• Who should I talk to if someone is bullying me online? Why is reporting important?
• I’m experiencing cyberbullying, but I’m afraid to talk to my parents about it. How can I approach them?
• How can I help my friends report a case of cyberbullying especially if they don’t want to do it?
• How do we stop cyberbullying without giving up access to the internet?
• How do I prevent my personal information from being used to manipulate or humiliate me on social media?
• Is there a punishment for cyberbullying?
• Technology companies don’t seem to care about online bullying and harassment. Are they being held responsible?
• Are there any online anti-bullying tools for children or young people?

1. Am I being bullied online? How do you tell the difference between a joke and bullying?

Unicef: .

All friends joke around with each other, but sometimes it’s hard to tell if someone is just having fun or trying to hurt you, especially online. Sometimes they’ll laugh it off with a “just kidding,” or “don’t take it so seriously.” 

But if you feel hurt or think others are laughing at you instead of with you, then the joke has gone too far. If it continues even after you’ve asked the person to stop and you are still feeling upset about it, then this could be bullying.

And when the bullying takes place online, it can result in unwanted attention from a wide range of people including strangers. Wherever it may happen, if you are not happy about it, you should not have to stand for it.

Call it what you will – if you feel bad and it doesn’t stop, then it’s worth getting help. Stopping cyberbullying is not just about calling out bullies, it’s also about recognizing that everyone deserves respect – online and in real life.

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2. What are the effects of cyberbullying?

When bullying happens online it can feel as if you’re being attacked everywhere, even inside your own home. It can seem like there’s no escape. The effects can last a long time and affect a person in many ways:

• Mentally – feeling upset, embarrassed, stupid, even afraid or angry 
• Emotionally – feeling ashamed or losing interest in the things you love
• Physically – tired (loss of sleep), or experiencing symptoms like stomach aches and headaches 

The feeling of being laughed at or harassed by others, can prevent people from speaking up or trying to deal with the problem. In extreme cases, cyberbullying can even lead to people taking their own lives. 

Cyberbullying can affect us in many ways. But these can be overcome and people can regain their confidence and health.

3. How can cyberbullying affect my mental health?

When you experience cyberbullying you might start to feel ashamed, nervous, anxious and insecure about what people say or think about you. This can lead to withdrawing from friends and family, negative thoughts and self-talk, feeling guilty about things you did or did not do, or feeling that you are being judged negatively. Feeling lonely, overwhelmed, frequent headaches, nausea or stomachaches are also common.

You can lose your motivation to do the things that you usually enjoy doing and feel isolated from the people you love and trust. This can perpetuate negative feelings and thoughts which can adversely affect your mental health and well-being.

Skipping school is another common effect of cyberbullying and can affect the mental health of young people who turn to substances like alcohol and drugs or violent behaviour to deal with their psychological and physical pain. Talking to a friend, family member or school counsellor you trust can be a first step to getting help.

The effects of cyberbullying on mental health can vary depending on the medium through which it happens. For example, bullying via text messaging or through pictures or videos on social media platforms has proven to be very harmful for adolescents.   

Cyberbullying opens the door to 24-hour harassment and can be very damaging. That’s why we offer in-app mental health and well-being support through our feature “ Here For You .” This Snapchat portal provides resources on mental health, grief, bullying, harassment, anxiety, eating disorders, depression, stress, and suicidal thoughts. It was developed in partnership with leading international advocacy and mental health organizations to help Snapchatters contend with some very real issues. Still, our foundational piece of guidance for any well-being issue is to talk to someone: a friend, parent, caregiver, trusted adult – anyone whom you trust to listen.

At Snap, nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our community.  Reach out and tell us how we might be able to help.    

Cyberbullying has the potential of having a negative impact on people's mental health. It's why it's so important that you reach out to someone you trust – whether it's a parent, teacher, friend or caregiver – and let them know what you're going through so that they can help you.

The well-being of our community matters hugely to us, and we recognise that cyberbullying can have an adverse impact on people's mental health. As well as taking strong action against content or behaviour that seeks to shame, bully or harass members of our community, we have partnered with experts to develop our well-being guide to help people learn more about improving their well-being, and keep TikTok a safe and inclusive home for our community.

4. Who should I talk to if someone is bullying me online? Why is reporting important?

If you think you’re being bullied, the first step is to seek help from someone you trust such as your parents, a close family member or another trusted adult.

In your school you can reach out to a counsellor, the sports coach or your favourite teacher – either online or in person.

And if you are not comfortable talking to someone you know, search for a helpline in your country to talk to a professional counsellor.

If the bullying is happening on a social platform, consider blocking the bully and formally reporting their behaviour on the platform itself. Social media companies are obligated to keep their users safe.

For bullying to stop, it needs to be identified and reporting it is key.

It can be helpful to collect evidence – text messages and screen shots of social media posts – to show what’s been going on.

For bullying to stop, it needs to be identified and reporting it is key. It can also help to show the bully that their behaviour is unacceptable.

If you are in immediate danger, then you should contact the police or emergency services in your country.

Facebook/Instagram

At Meta, we take bullying and harassment situations seriously. Bullying and harassment is a unique challenge and one of the most complex issues to address because context is critical. We work hard to enforce against this content while also equipping our community with tools to protect themselves in ways that work best for them.

If you're experiencing bullying online, we encourage you to talk to a parent, teacher or someone else you can trust – you have a right to be safe and supported.

We also make it easy to report bullying directly within Facebook or Instagram. You can send our team a report from a post, comment, story or direct message (DM). Your report is anonymous; the account you reported won’t see who reported them. We have a team who reviews these reports 24/7 around the world in 70+ languages and we will remove anything that violates our policies.

Meta’s Family Center offers resources, insights and expert guidance to help parents, guardians and trusted adults support their teen’s online experiences across our technologies. Additionally, the Meta Safety Center provides bullying prevention resources that can help teens seeking support for issues related to bullying like what to do if you or a friend is being bullied or if you've been called a bully. For educators , we have expert-backed tips on how to proactively handle and work to implement bullying prevention strategies

Bullying is something no one should have to experience, either in person or online. 

Snapchat’s Community Guidelines clearly and explicitly prohibit bullying, intimidation, and harassment of any kind. We don’t want it on the platform; it’s not in keeping with why Snapchat was created and designed. Learn more here .

Letting us know when you experience or witness someone breaking our rules allows us to take action, which helps to protect you and other members of our community. In addition to reporting violating content or behaviour to Snapchat, speak with a friend, parent, caregiver, or other trusted adult. Our goal is for everyone to stay safe and have fun!

Everyone has the right to feel safe and to be treated with respect and dignity. Bullying and harassment are incompatible with the inclusive environment we aim to foster on TikTok. 

If you ever feel someone is bullying you or otherwise being inappropriate, reach out to someone you trust - for example, a parent, a teacher or a caregiver – who can provide support.

We deploy both technology and thousands of safety professionals to help keep bullying off TikTok. We also encourage our community members to make use of the easy in-app reporting tools to alert us if they or someone they know has experienced bullying. You can report videos, comments, accounts and direct messages so that we can take appropriate action and help keep you safe. Reports are always confidential. 

You can find out more in our Bullying Prevention guide for teens, caregivers, and educators on how to identify and prevent bullying, and provide support.

Being the target of bullying online is not easy to deal with. If you are being cyberbullied, the most important thing to do is to ensure you are safe. It’s essential to have someone to talk to about what you are going through. This may be a teacher, another trusted adult, or a parent. Talk to your parents and friends about what to do if you or a friend are being cyberbullied.

We encourage people to report accounts to us that may break our  rules . You can do this on our  Help Center  or through the in-post reporting mechanism by clicking on the “Report a post” option.

Last updated: January 2022.

5. I’m experiencing cyberbullying, but I’m afraid to talk to my parents about it. How can I approach them?

If you are experiencing cyberbullying, speaking to a trusted adult – someone you feel safe talking to – is one of the most important first steps you can take.

Talking to parents isn’t easy for everyone. But there are things you can do to help the conversation. Choose a time to talk when you know you have their full attention. Explain how serious the problem is for you. Remember, they might not be as familiar with technology as you are, so you might need to help them to understand what’s happening.

They might not have instant answers for you, but they are likely to want to help and together you can find a solution. Two heads are always better than one! If you are still unsure about what to do, consider reaching out to other trusted people . There are often more people who care about you and are willing to help than you might think!

6. How can I help my friends report a case of cyberbullying especially if they don’t want to do it?

Anyone can become a victim of cyberbullying. If you see this happening to someone you know, try to offer support.

It is important to listen to your friend. Why don’t they want to report being cyberbullied? How are they feeling? Let them know that they don’t have to formally report anything, but it’s crucial to talk to someone who might be able to help.

Anyone can become a victim of cyberbullying.

Remember, your friend may be feeling fragile. Be kind to them. Help them think through what they might say and to whom. Offer to go with them if they decide to report. Most importantly, remind them that you’re there for them and you want to help.

If your friend still does not want to report the incident, then support them in finding a trusted adult who can help them deal with the situation. Remember that in certain situations the consequences of cyberbullying can be life threatening.

Doing nothing can leave the person feeling that everyone is against them or that nobody cares. Your words can make a difference.

We know that it can be hard to report bullying, but everyone deserves to feel safe online. If your friend is experiencing cyberbullying, encourage them to talk to a parent, a teacher or an adult they trust.

Reporting content or accounts to Facebook or Instagram is anonymous and can help us better keep our platforms safe. Bullying and harassment are highly personal by nature, so in many instances, we need a person to report this behaviour to us before we can identify or remove it. You can report something you experience yourself, but it’s also just as easy to submit a report for one of your friends. You can find more information on how to report something on our How to Report Bullying section  at the Meta Safety Center.

You and your friends may be reluctant to report to a technology platform for any number of reasons, but it’s important to know that reporting on Snapchat is confidential and easy. And remember: You can report Snaps (photos and videos), Chats (messages) and accounts – about your own experiences or on behalf of someone else. 

In the more public places of Snapchat, like Stories and Spotlight, simply press and hold on the piece of content and a card with “Report Tile” (as one option) will appear in red. Click that link and our reporting menu will appear. Bullying and harassment are among the first categories in the reporting list. Just follow the prompts and provide as much information as you can about the incident. We appreciate you doing your part to help us protect the Snapchat community!  

If you believe another member of the TikTok community is being bullied or harassed, there are ways you can provide support. For example, you can make a confidential report on TikTok so that we take appropriate action and help keep your friend safe. 

If you know the person, consider checking in with them and encourage them to read our Bullying Prevention guide so they can find out more information about how to identify bullying behaviour and take action.

If your friends are experiencing cyberbullying, encourage them to talk to a parent, a teacher or an adult they trust.

If a friend of yours does not want to report their experience, you can submit a bystander report  on their behalf. This can include reports of private information , non -consensual nudity  or impersonation.

7. How do we stop cyberbullying without giving up access to the Internet?

Being online has so many benefits. However, like many things in life, it comes with risks that you need to protect against.

If you experience cyberbullying, you may want to delete certain apps or stay offline for a while to give yourself time to recover. But getting off the Internet is not a long-term solution. You did nothing wrong, so why should you be disadvantaged? It may even send the bullies the wrong signal — encouraging their unacceptable behaviour. 

We need to be thoughtful about what we share or say that may hurt others.

We all want cyberbullying to stop, which is one of the reasons reporting cyberbullying is so important. But creating the Internet we want goes beyond calling out bullying. We need to be thoughtful about what we share or say that may hurt others. We need to be kind to one another online and in real life. It's up to all of us!

We’re continuously developing new technologies  to encourage positive interactions and take action on harmful content, and launching new tools to help people have more control over their experience. Here are some tools you can use:

• Comment warnings: When someone writes a caption or a comment that our AI detects as potentially offensive or intended to harass, we will show them an alert that asks them to pause and reflect on whether they would like to edit their language before it’s posted.
• Comment and message controls: Comments with common offensive words, phrases or emojis, and abusive messages or messages from strangers can be automatically hidden or filtered out with the ‘ Hidden words ’ setting, which is defaulted on for all people. If you want an even more personalized experience, you can create a custom list of emojis, words or phrases you don’t want to see, and comments containing these terms won’t appear under your posts and messages will be sent to a filtered inbox. All Instagram accounts have the option to switch off DMs from people they don’t follow. Messenger also gives you the option to ignore a conversation and automatically move it out of your inbox, without having to block the sender.
• Block and Mute: You can always  block  or  mute  an account that is bullying you, and that account will not be notified. When you block someone on Instagram, you’ll also have the option to block other accounts they may have or create, making it more difficult for them to interact with you.
• Restrict: With ‘Restrict,’ you can protect your account from unwanted interactions in a quieter, or more subtle way. Once Restrict is enabled, comments on your posts from a person you have restricted will only be visible to that person. You can choose to view the comment by tapping “See Comment”; approve the comment so everyone can see it; delete it; or ignore it. You won’t receive any notifications for comments from a restricted account.
• Limits:  You can automatically hide comments and DM requests from people who don’t follow you, or who only recently followed you. If you’re going through an influx of unwanted comments or messages — or think you may be about to — you can turn on Limits and avoid it.

Our priority is to foster a welcoming and safe environment where people feel free to express themselves authentically. Our Community Guidelines make clear that we do not tolerate members of our community being shamed, bullied or harassed. 

We use a combination of technology and moderation teams to help us identify and remove abusive content or behaviour from our platform. 

We also provide our community with an extensive range of tools to help them better control their experience – whether it's control over exactly who can view and interact with your content or filtering tools to help you stay in control of comments. You can find out about them on our Safety Centre . 

Since hundreds of millions of people share ideas on X every day, it’s no surprise that we don’t all agree with each other all the time. That’s one of the benefits of a public conversation in that we can all learn from respectful disagreements and discussions.

But sometimes, after you’ve listened to someone for a while, you may not want to hear them anymore. Their right to express themselves doesn’t mean you’re required to listen. If you see or receive a reply you don’t like, unfollow  and end any communication with that account. If the behaviour continues, it is recommended that you block the account . If you continue receiving unwanted, targeted and continuous replies on X, consider reporting the behaviour to X here .

We are also working proactively to protect people using our service through a combination of human review and technology. Learn more about how to feel safer on X here .

8. How do I prevent my personal information from being used to manipulate or humiliate me on social media?

Think twice before posting or sharing anything on digital platforms – it may be online forever and could be used to harm you later. Don’t give out personal details such as your address, telephone number or the name of your school.

Learn about the privacy settings of your favourite social media apps. Here are some actions you can take on many of them: 

• You can decide who can see your profile, send you direct messages or comment on your posts by adjusting your account privacy settings. 
• You can report hurtful comments, messages, photos and videos and request they be removed.
• Besides ‘unfriending’, you can completely block people to stop them from seeing your profile or contacting you.
• You can also choose to have comments by certain people to appear only to them without completely blocking them.
• You can delete posts on your profile or hide them from specific people. 

On most of your favourite social media, people aren't notified when you block, restrict or report them.

9. Is there a punishment for cyberbullying?

Most schools take bullying seriously and will take action against it. If you are being cyberbullied by other students, report it to your school.

People who are victims of any form of violence, including bullying and cyberbullying, have a right to justice and to have the offender held accountable.

Laws against bullying, particularly on cyberbullying, are relatively new and still do not exist everywhere. This is why many countries rely on other relevant laws, such as ones against harassment, to punish cyberbullies.

In countries that have specific laws on cyberbullying, online behaviour that deliberately causes serious emotional distress is seen as criminal activity. In some of these countries, victims of cyberbullying can seek protection, prohibit communication from a specified person and restrict the use of electronic devices used by that person for cyberbullying, temporarily or permanently.

However, it is important to remember that punishment is not always the most effective way to change the behaviour of bullies. Sometimes, focusing on repairing the harm and mending the relationship can be better.

On Facebook, we have a set of  Community Standards , and on Instagram, we have  Community Guidelines . We take action when we are aware of content that violates these policies, like in the case of bullying or harassment, and we are constantly improving our detection tools so we can find this content faster.

Bullying and harassment can happen in many places and come in many different forms from making threats and releasing personally identifiable information to sending threatening messages and making unwanted malicious contact. We do not tolerate this kind of behavior because it prevents people from feeling safe and respected on our apps.

Making sure people don’t see hateful or harassing content in direct messages can be challenging, given they’re private conversations, but we are taking steps to take tougher action when we become aware of people breaking our rules. If someone continues to send violating messages, we will disable their account. We’ll also disable new accounts created to get around our messaging restrictions and will continue to disable accounts we find that are created purely to send harmful messages.

On Snapchat, reports of cyberbullying are reviewed by Snap’s dedicated Trust & Safety teams, which operate around the clock and around the globe. Individuals found to be involved in cyberbullying may be given a warning, their accounts might be suspended or their accounts could be shut down completely. 

We recommend leaving any group chat where bullying or any unwelcome behaviour is taking place and please report the behaviour and/or the account to us.  

Our Community Guidelines define a set of norms and common code of conduct for TikTok and they provide guidance on what is and is not allowed to make a welcoming space for everyone. We make it clear that we do not tolerate members of our community being shamed, bullied or harassed. We take action against any such content and accounts, including removal.

We strongly enforce our rules to ensure all people can participate in the public conversation freely and safely. These rules specifically cover a number of areas including topics such as:

• Child sexual exploitation
• Abuse/harassment
• Hateful conduct
• Suicide or self-harm
• Sharing of sensitive media, including graphic violence and adult content

As part of these rules, we take a number of different enforcement actions when content is in violation. When we take enforcement actions, we may do so either on a specific piece of content (e.g., an individual post or Direct Message) or on an account.

You can find more on our enforcement actions here .

10. Technology companies don’t seem to care about online bullying and harassment. Are they being held responsible?

Technology companies are increasingly paying attention to the issue of online bullying.

Many of them are introducing ways to address it and better protect their users with new tools, guidance and ways to report online abuse.

But it is true that more is needed. Many young people experience cyberbullying every day. Some face extreme forms of online abuse. Some have taken their own lives as a result.

Technology companies have a responsibility to protect their users especially children and young people.

It is up to all of us to hold them accountable when they’re not living up to these responsibilities.

11. Are there any online anti-bullying tools for children or young people?

Each social platform offers different tools (see available ones below) that allow you to restrict who can comment on or view your posts or who can connect automatically as a friend, and to report cases of bullying. Many of them involve simple steps to block, mute or report cyberbullying. We encourage you to explore them.

Social media companies also provide educational tools and guidance for children, parents and teachers to learn about risks and ways to stay safe online.

Also, the first line of defense against cyberbullying could be you. Think about where cyberbullying happens in your community and ways you can help – by raising your voice, calling out bullies, reaching out to trusted adults or by creating awareness of the issue. Even a simple act of kindness can go a long way.

The first line of defense against cyberbullying could be you.

If you are worried about your safety or something that has happened to you online, urgently speak to an adult you trust. Many countries have a special helpline you can call for free and talk to someone anonymously. Visit  United for Global Mental Health to find help in your country.

We have a number of anti-bullying tools across Facebook and Instagram:

• You can block people, including any existing and new accounts they might create.
• You can  mute  an account and that account will not be notified.
• You can limit unwanted interactions for a period of time by automatically hiding comments and message requests from people who don’t follow you, or who only recently followed you.
• You can use ‘ Restrict ’ to discreetly protect your account without that person being notified.
• You can  moderate comments  on your own posts.
• You can  modify your settings  so that only people you follow can send you a direct message.
• We will notify someone when they’re about to post something that might cross the line, encouraging them to reconsider.
• We automatically filter out comments and message requests that don’t go against our Community Guidelines but may be considered inappropriate or offensive. You can also create your own custom list of emojis, words or phrases that you don’t want to see.

For more tips and ideas, visit Instagram’s Safety page and Facebook’s Bullying Prevention Hub . We also offer resources, insights and expert guidance for parents and guardians on our Family Center .

We want teens and young adults to be aware of the blocking and removal functions on Snapchat. Clicking on the person’s avatar will bring up a three-dot menu in the upper right-hand corner. Opening that menu offers the option of “Manage Friendship,” which, in turn, offers the ability to Report, Block or Remove the person as a friend. Know that if you block someone, they will be told that their Snaps and Chats to you will be delivered once the relationship is restored.  

It’s also a good idea to check privacy settings to ensure they continue to be set to the default setting of “Friends Only.” This way, only people you’ve added as Friends can send you Snaps and Chats.  

We also recommend reviewing your Friends’ list from time to time to ensure it includes those people you still want to be friends with on Snapchat.  

Alongside the work that our safety teams do to help keep bullying and harassment off our platform, we provide an extensive range of tools to help you control your TikTok experience. You can find these in full on our Safety Centre . Here are a few highlights:

• You can restrict who comments on your videos to no one, just friends or everyone (for those aged under 16, the everyone setting is not available)
• You can filter all comments or those with specific keywords that you choose. By default, spam and offensive comments are hidden from users when we detect them.
• You can delete or report multiple comments at once, and you can block accounts that post bullying or other negative comments in bulk too, up to 100 at a time.
• A comment prompt asks people to reconsider posting a comment that may be inappropriate or unkind, reminding them of our Community Guidelines and allowing them to edit their comments before sharing.

We want everybody to be safe on X. We continue to launch and improve tools for people to feel safer, be in control and manage their digital footprint. Here are some safety tools anyone on X can use: 

• Select who can reply to your posts  – either everyone, only people you follow or only people you mention
• Mute – removing an account's posts from your timeline without unfollowing or blocking that account
• Block – restricting specific accounts from contacting you, seeing your posts, and following you
• Report – filing a report about abusive behaviour
• Safety mode  – a feature that temporarily blocks accounts for using potentially harmful language or sending repetitive and uninvited replies or mentions.

With special thanks to:  Meta, Snap, TikTok and X (formerly known as Twitter). Last updated: February 2024.

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TikTok stars Charli and Dixie D'Amelio open up about their personal experience of being bullied and share tips on how to make the internet a better place.

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Cyberbullying: What is it and how can you stop it?

Explore the latest psychological science about the impact of cyberbullying and what to do if you or your child is a victim

• Mental Health
• Social Media and Internet

Cyberbullying can happen anywhere with an internet connection. While traditional, in-person bullying is still more common , data from the Cyberbullying Research Center suggest about 1 in every 4 teens has experienced cyberbullying, and about 1 in 6 has been a perpetrator. About 1 in 5 tweens, or kids ages 9 to 12, has been involved in cyberbullying (PDF, 5.57MB) .

As technology advances, so do opportunities to connect with people—but unfettered access to others isn’t always a good thing, especially for youth. Research has long linked more screen time with lower psychological well-being , including higher rates of anxiety and depression. The risk of harm is higher when kids and teens are victimized by cyberbullying.

Here’s what you need to know about cyberbullying, and psychology’s role in stopping it.

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying occurs when someone uses technology to demean, inflict harm, or cause pain to another person. It is “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.” Perpetrators bully victims in any online setting, including social media, video or computer games, discussion boards, or text messaging on mobile devices.

Virtual bullying can affect anyone, regardless of age. However, the term “cyberbullying” usually refers to online bullying among children and teenagers. It may involve name calling, threats, sharing private or embarrassing photos, or excluding others.

One bully can harass another person online or several bullies can gang up on an individual. While a stranger can incite cyberbullying, it more frequently occurs among kids or teens who know each other from school or other social settings. Research suggests bullying often happens both at school and online .

Online harassment between adults can involve different terms, depending on the relationship and context. For example, dating violence, sexual harassment, workplace harassment, and scamming—more common among adults—can all happen on the internet.

How can cyberbullying impact the mental health of myself or my child?

Any form of bullying can negatively affect the victim’s well-being, both at the time the bullying occurs and in the future. Psychological research suggests being victimized by a cyberbully increases stress and may result in anxiety and depression symptoms . Some studies find anxiety and depression increase the likelihood adolescents will become victims to cyberbullying .

Cyberbullying can also cause educational harm , affecting a student’s attendance or academic performance, especially when bullying occurs both online and in school or when a student has to face their online bully in the classroom. Kids and teens may rely on negative coping mechanisms, such as substance use, to deal with the stress of cyberbullying. In extreme cases, kids and teens may struggle with self-harm or suicidal ideation .

How can parents talk to their children about cyberbullying?

Parents play a crucial role in preventing cyberbullying and associated harms. Be aware of what your kids are doing online, whether you check your child’s device, talk to them about their online behaviors, or install a monitoring program. Set rules about who your child can friend or interact with on social media platforms. For example, tell your child if they wouldn’t invite someone to your house, then they shouldn’t give them access to their social media accounts. Parents should also familiarize themselves with signs of cyberbullying , such as increased device use, anger or anxiety after using a device, or hiding devices when others are nearby.

Communicating regularly about cyberbullying is an important component in preventing it from affecting your child’s well-being. Psychologists recommend talking to kids about how to be safe online before they have personal access to the internet. Familiarize your child with the concept of cyberbullying as soon as they can understand it. Develop a game plan to problem solve if it occurs. Cultivating open dialogue about cyberbullying can ensure kids can identify the experience and tell an adult, before it escalates into a more harmful situation.

It’s also important to teach kids what to do if someone else is being victimized. For example, encourage your child to tell a teacher or parent if someone they know is experiencing cyberbullying.

Keep in mind kids may be hesitant to open up about cyberbullying because they’re afraid they’ll lose access to their devices. Encourage your child to be open with you by reminding them they won’t get in trouble for talking to you about cyberbullying. Clearly explain your goal is to allow them to communicate with their friends safely online.

How can I report cyberbullying?

How you handle cyberbullying depends on a few factors, such as the type of bullying and your child’s age. You may choose to intervene by helping a younger child problem solve whereas teens may prefer to handle the bullying on their own with a caregiver’s support.

In general, it’s a good practice to take screenshots of the cyberbullying incidents as a record, but not to respond to bullies’ messages. Consider blocking cyberbullies to prevent future harassment.

Parents should contact the app or website directly about removing bullying-related posts, especially if they reveal private or embarrassing information. Some social media sites suspend perpetrators’ accounts.

If the bullying also occurs at school or on a school-owned device, or if the bullying is affecting a child’s school performance, it may be appropriate to speak with your child’s teacher or school personnel.

What are the legal ramifications of cyberbullying?

In some cases, parents should report cyberbullying to law enforcement. If cyberbullying includes threats to someone’s physical safety, consider contacting your local police department.

What’s illegal can vary from state to state. Any illegal behaviors, such as blackmailing someone to send money, hate crimes, stalking, or posting sexual photos of a minor, can have legal repercussions. If you’re not sure about what’s legal and what’s not, check your state’s laws and law enforcement .

Are big tech companies responsible for promoting positive digital spaces?

In an ideal world, tech companies would prioritize creating safer online environments for young people. Some companies are working toward it already, including partnering with psychologists to better understand how their products affect kids, and how to keep them safe. But going the extra mile isn’t always profitable for technology companies. For now, it’s up to individuals, families, and communities to protect kids’ and teens’ best interest online.

What does the research show about psychology’s role in reducing this issue?

Many studies show preventative measures can drastically reduce cyberbullying perpetration and victimization . Parents and caregivers, schools, and technology companies play a role in educating kids about media literacy and mental health. Psychologists—thanks to their expertise in child and teen development, communication, relationships, and mental health—can also make important contributions in preventing cyberbullying.

Because cybervictimization coincides with anxiety and depression, research suggests mental health clinicians and educators should consider interventions that both address adolescents’ online experiences and support their mental, social, and emotional well-being. Psychologists can also help parents speak to their kids about cyberbullying, along with supporting families affected by it.

You can learn more about cyberbullying at these websites:

• Cyberbullying Research Center
• StopBullying.gov
• Nemours Kids Health

Acknowledgments

APA gratefully acknowledges the following contributors to this publication:

• Sarah Domoff, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Central Michigan University
• Dorothy Espelage, PhD, William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of North Carolina
• Stephanie Fredrick, PhD, NCSP, assistant professor and associate director of the Dr. Jean M. Alberti Center for the Prevention of Bullying Abuse and School Violence at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York
• Brian TaeHyuk Keum, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Social Welfare at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
• Mitchell J. Prinstein, PhD, chief science officer at APA
• Susan Swearer, PhD, Willa Cather Professor of School Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; licensed psychologist

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Cyberbullying and the Limits of Free Speech

Jamison chung , aaron kaufman , and brianna rauenzahn.

Schools and policymakers confront balancing the protection of cyberbullying victims with free speech.

Bullying poses a pervasive threat to students in primary and secondary schools. This aggressive behavior , which involves a power imbalance between the bully and the victim, can have serious mental, social, and physical health consequences. For example, victims of bullying are at a higher risk of developing anxiety and depression. In severe cases, bullying is even associated with suicidal ideation in victims. Victims of cyberbullying in particular have a higher likelihood of self-harm.

Cyberbullying is bullying through the use of digital devices such as computers and smartphones. Unlike other forms of bullying, the online nature of cyberbullying permits attacks at any time, creates a permanent online record that can impact victims for years, and can be difficult for parents and schools to notice . As internet-based communication continues to rise, the prevalence of cyberbullying is expected to increase .

Currently, no federal laws directly address bullying of any kind. State laws, however, protect individuals against bullying in all 50 states, many of which specifically grapple with the issue of cyberbullying. Despite the existence of state laws, the National Center for Education Statistics reported an increase in cyberbullying in recent years. Cyberbullying often takes place off school grounds and is typically limited to speech, which is more difficult for schools to regulate effectively.

This week’s Saturday Seminar focuses on the challenges associated with legal strategies to address cyberbullying in primary and secondary schools.

• The development of the internet brought massive technological advancements but upset the delicate balance between freedom of speech and freedom from harm, Qasim Rashid writes in the Stetson Law Review . He traces the history of free speech in the United States and how U.S. Supreme Court decisions on hate speech and obscenity restrictions have shaped the current framework for cyberbullying legislation. He argues that physical proximity is an outdated method to assess the harms from free speech and proposes legislative modifications that would criminalize certain intentional online statements “that result in foreseeable proximate harm.” He suggests that these changes could help bridge the gap between America’s “dangerously archaic” free speech model and the realities of the internet.
• Cyberbullying can create a serious threat to the health and safety of victims, Philip Lee of the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law argues in an article in the Utah Law Review . In fact, cyberbullying is so dangerous that it justifies reduced First Amendment free speech protections to aid primary and secondary schools that seek to prevent it, Lee writes . Schools have some flexibility in regulating speech on school grounds, but Lee notes that cyberbullies can target their classmates off school property with increasing ease. To regulate cyberbullying more effectively without giving schools unlimited power to limit students’ free speech, Lee advocates the use of a “foreseeability approach,” which allows schools to regulate speech “if it is reasonably foreseeable that the off-campus speech will reach campus.”
• Most state anti-bullying laws do not allow schools to address fully the complexities of cyberbullying, writes Emily Suski of the University of South Carolina School of Law in the Louisiana Law Review . Although bullying is associated with significant emotional and physical ramifications for victims, many state laws only give schools the power to suspend, expel, or exclude bullies from school, Suski observes . By analyzing cases from the Supreme Court that address student speech and the First Amendment, Suski concludes that the Court’s student speech jurisprudence highlights the inadequacies of current anti-bullying laws but also provides a framework that offers schools more freedom to suppress bullying in the form of speech.
• In an article published in the Akron Law Review , University of Illinois College of Media’s Benjamin Holden notes that courts are split over whether schools have authority to punish cyber-speech, even when it causes a disruption to the learning environment. In addition, the constitutional right to anonymity makes it difficult for minor victims of online bullying to seek legal redress outside of the school system, he explains . Holden proposes a new legal test for revealing the identity of cyberbullies who target minors with “school-related harassment.” If the victim can show that anonymous cyberbullies could be disciplined under applicable law if their identities were known, Holden argues that a court should be able to force an internet service provider to reveal the bullies’ identities.
• In an essay published in the Cornell Law Review , Northeastern University School of Law’s Ari Ezra Waldman concludes that anti-bullying laws alone cannot significantly reduce “bullying, cyberbullying, and suicidal thoughts among” LGBTQ teenagers. He finds that state laws that ban discrimination and promote LGBTQ inclusion more effectively reduce LGBTQ bullying in schools more than anti-bullying laws. Waldman suggests that existing anti-bullying laws are only “one part of a larger socio-legal approach to combating bullying in schools and online.” To reduce bullying, he recommends implementing state laws that protect the equality of LGBTQ individuals.
• Pervasive internet access and the rise of social media use among schoolchildren have led to an increase in suicides attributed to cyberbullying, according to Ronen Perry of the University of Haifa in a forthcoming UC Irvine Law Review article . He analyzes how school administrators are limited in their ability to regulate students’ online conduct both on and off campus by constitutional constraints and federal legislation such as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act . He proposes that increasing civil liability for education supervisors, when paired with technological advancements that allow supervisors to collect and analyze digital information, is an underused regulatory tool that could help address the cyberbullying epidemic in schools and help reduce teen suicide.

The Saturday Seminar is a weekly feature that aims to put into written form the kind of content that would be conveyed in a live seminar involving regulatory experts. Each week,  The Regulatory Review  publishes a brief overview of a selected regulatory topic and then distills recent research and scholarly writing on that topic.

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Bullying and Cyberbullying: Their Legal Status and Use in Psychological Assessment

Muthanna samara.

1 Department of Psychology, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, London KT1 2EE, UK; moc.liamtoh@egdibrubykciv (V.B.); [email protected] (A.E.A.)

Vicky Burbidge

Aiman el asam, mairéad foody.

2 Anti Bullying Research and Resource Centre, Dublin City University, Dublin D09 AW21, Ireland; [email protected]

Peter K. Smith

3 Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of London, London SE14 6NW, UK; [email protected]

Hisham Morsi

4 National Centre for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Doha 1705, Qatar; aq.damah@1isroMH

Associated Data

Bullying and cyberbullying have severe psychological and legal consequences for those involved. However, it is unclear how or even if previous experience of bullying and cyberbullying is considered in mental health assessments. Furthermore, the relevance and effectiveness of current legal solutions has been debated extensively, resulting in a desire for a specific legislation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the psychological and legal components of bullying and cyberbullying. This is a qualitative research that includes interviews with five practitioner psychologists and four lawyers in the United Kingdom (UK). Thematic analysis revealed three main themes. One theme is related to the definition, characteristics, and impact of bullying and cyberbullying and the need for more discussion among the psychological and legal professions. Another theme is related to current professional procedures and the inclusion of questions about bullying and cyberbullying in psychological risk assessments. The third theme emphasised the importance of intervention through education. Two key messages were highlighted by the lawyers: ample yet problematic legislation exists, and knowledge will ensure legal success. The study recommends the necessity of performing revisions in the clinical psychological practices and assessments, and the legal policies regarding bullying and cyberbullying. In addition to improving legal success, this will reduce bullying prevalence rates, psychological distress, and psychopathology that can be comorbid or emerge as a result of this behaviour.

1. Introduction

Bullying is generally regarded as an intentional, repeated, aggressive act that is carried out over time, with a power imbalance between the bully and the victim [ 1 ]. Cyberbullying adheres to the same definition but with the use of the internet and/or electronic devices [ 2 ]. The anonymity of the bully and their skilled use of technology can cause the power imbalance [ 3 ]; while repetition arises because different people can continually view the act over a short period of time [ 4 ]. Cyberbullying takes multiple forms, such as flaming, harassment, defamation, denigration, impersonation, outing, exclusion, and cyberstalking [ 5 , 6 , 7 ].

Bullying (throughout the remainder of the paper, the term “bullying” will be used to cover both traditional and cyber forms unless it is explicitly stated otherwise), whether traditional or cyberbullying [ 8 ], has psychological consequences for everyone involved, not just victims [ 9 , 10 ]. Wellbeing is influenced by type, frequency, and duration of bullying [ 11 ]. Being a bully is a risk factor for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance abuse [ 12 , 13 ], whilst victims report high rates of self-injury and suicidal ideation [ 8 ]. Victims can experience long term health risks, continuing into adulthood [ 14 ], even forty years after the experience has passed [ 15 ]. Cyber victims have also been shown to have low self-esteem, high levels of depressive symptoms [ 16 ], and emotional and peer problems [ 17 ], whereas cyber bullies have demonstrated conduct problems, hyperactivity, and low pro-social behaviour [ 17 ]. Bully/victims are most vulnerable in terms of psychopathology, experiencing some of the associated risks and sharing the characteristics of both perpetrators and victims [ 13 , 14 , 17 , 18 ]. The stronger influence of child inherent characteristics makes it likely that rather than being passive victims, they turn to become bullies as well. For example, a child who is bullied by someone stronger may react by bullying someone weaker to regain their status and/or self-esteem [ 19 ]. Involvement in traditional and cyber bullying has also been related to the increased use of alcohol and drugs [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], which is a relevant risk factor that is associated with suicidal attempts and behaviors [ 28 ]. There are thus serious psychological risks for all involved, and the physical health of victims may be compromised due to stress [ 29 ].

Because of the above mentioned consequences, preventing bullying can reduce self-harming behaviours [ 30 ]. Idsoe et al. [ 31 ] argue that if children report being bullied they should be assessed for trauma related symptoms. Interventions are crucial and “early detection is central to the prevention of [the] long-term effects” [ 32 ] (p. 39). Because of the longevity of its impact, Sourander et al. [ 17 ] argue that questions about previous bullying experiences should be included in consultations with mental health practitioners. However, it is not known how many people consult a practitioner, or, if they do, whether practitioners actively consider bullying in their consultations.

It is assumed that because of the strong psychological risks, those involved in bullying are more likely to seek psychological help [ 33 ]. In the United Kingdom (UK), General Practitioners (GPs), as a first point of contact, should be able to recognise verbal and non-verbal cues about bullying [ 29 ]. The literature (see [ 29 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]) highlights ways in which GPs can do so, however guidelines about bullying for practitioner psychologists are limited. We would argue that all healthcare practitioners should have relevant guidelines to bullying, and the void recognised by Dale et al. [ 33 ] between research and its application in healthcare systems must be rectified.

To diagnose mental health issues, and to provide a common language for communicating diagnoses, psychologists use diagnostic manuals, such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and Mental Disorders (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). However, bullying is mentioned only once, as a criterion of conduct disorder, within DSM [ 37 ], and only one broad classification exists in the ICD-10 [ 38 ]. It is referred to in five of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines (Social anxiety disorder (CG159), social and emotional wellbeing (LGB12), obesity in children and young people (PH47), bedwetting in adolescence (CG111), and depression in children and young people (CG28)), suggesting that bullying should be within the practitioner psychologist’s assessment. The guidelines for depression in children and young people (CG28) refer extensively to bullying as a risk factor of depression, highlighting that the training of healthcare practitioners is imperative in recognising the symptoms of bullying. However, the overall reference to bullying in these guidelines, and in psychological practice, might be limited and we do not know to what extent, if at all, practitioner psychologists are screening for bullying.

The literature highlights the need for further research to explore how bullying is integrated into client consultations. One of the objectives of this research is thus to explore the level that bullying is considered in practitioners’ practices and in the psychological manual diagnostic tools.

Legally, on the other hand, there is no specific law addressing cyberbullying in the UK, despite the pressure to do so. However, there are legislative provisions that are applicable to both forms of bullying (see review by [ 39 ]). Section 49 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 is relevant when a message is “offensive … indecent, obscene or menacing” and intends to cause “annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another”, whereas Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 focuses on behaviour which is “threatening, abusive or insulting”. In 2001, the Malicious Communications Act 1988 was amended to include electronic forms of communication, and therefore captures cyberbullying. If on two or more occasions the conduct of the cyber bully amounts to the harassment of another, the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 may be applicable. If a public electronic communications network is used to send a message that is grossly offensive, indecent, obscene, or menacing an offence will be committed by virtue of Section 127 of the Communications Act 2006. Finally, the Defamation Act 2013 is relevant where a message has “caused or is likely to cause serious harm to reputation”. If the bullying is racially or religiously motivated, prosecution can be brought under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Criminal Justice Act 2003 [ 40 ]. The responsibility of schools to prevent bullying is set out within the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006 [ 41 ]. Further research is needed to evaluate if legislation is effective in preventing bullying, and consideration ought to be given to whether specific bullying legislation is a realistic and beneficial measure.

In this study, a qualitative design was chosen to allow for an in-depth exploration of both traditional and cyber forms of bullying, with expert participants who may have to deal with the consequences in their daily work. We sought to examine: how do practitioner psychologists and legal professionals define bullying? How is it perceived in their unique practice? What impact do they think it has on children and adolescents? And finally, what solutions do they recommend?

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. participants and ethical issues.

Purposive sampling and convenience sampling techniques were used in this study to select the participants. In purposive sampling the researcher selects a sample based on their knowledge about the study and population. Participants are selected according to the purposes and needs of the study. The participants were told that the study is expanding on the current literature on bullying by exploring whether it is included within mental health assessments and how the law can be used in instances of bullying/cyberbullying. Lawyers were told that their interviews will be based on bullying and the law, while practitioner psychologists were told that theirs will be based on bullying and mental health. The inclusion criteria were that the practitioner psychologists has dealt with children and/or adolescents as part of their work as psychologists or psychiatrists. Furthermore, participants should have knowledge about bullying, or have worked and dealt with cases who were affected by traditional and/or cyber bullying. These criteria were mentioned in the information sheet and the consent forms, and participants consented to participate in the study based on this.

A total of nine participants (lawyers and psychologists; six males and three females) agreed to take part and completed interviews with no withdrawals from the study (see Table 1 ). The participants were recruited via internet searches from within or nearby London. In total, 70 lawyers and 94 practitioner psychologists were contacted via email or letter inviting them to participate in the study and explaining the inclusion criteria. Four lawyers (three males and one female) and five practitioner psychologists (three males and two females—three clinical psychologists, one clinical neuropsychologist, and one child and adolescent psychiatrist) met the inclusion criteria. The participants were experts in their field and accurately portray the opinions of others who may also work with people affected by bullying and cyberbullying. Participants volunteered to participate without any compensation. All of the participants were given a written consent form to read and sign prior to the interview, which also included consent to being tape-recorded. In addition, verbal consent was obtained from all of the participants before the interviews were conducted. There were no further ethical issues within the data collection process as participants were not selected based on gender, age, ethnicity, or personal experience of bullying. No questions regarding their personal experience of bullying were asked during the interview. At the transcription stage, some information was not included, such as any personal experiences that were disclosed, detailed information about clients that did not relate to the topic and any identifiable information about themselves or others. In addition, participants were given pseudonyms to ensure confidentiality and anonymity. All of the original tape recordings were destroyed on the completion of the entire study. Ethical approval was obtained from a University ethics committee in the UK prior to data collection.

Details of participants.

2.2. Interviews and Data Collection

Interviews were conducted at the participant’s place of work or home at a time and date that was convenient for the participants. They lasted between 25 and 55 min. The interviews were recorded using an Olympus WS-812 digital voice recorder. An interview protocol was devised based on the existing literature and the help of experts in the fields of psychology and law (see Supplementary Table S1 ). The protocol was differentiated for lawyers and practitioner psychologists, although there was some overlap between the questions. Due to the semi-structured nature of the study, additional questions were asked of each participant based on their responses to previous questions. This structure allowed for a full exploration of what the topic meant to participants in terms of their professional expertise. The interview protocol was pilot tested on two people.

2.3. Data Analysis

The transcription process was conducted following each interview and the recordings were transcribed verbatim by one of the researchers. Thematic analysis was used because it offers a flexible data analysis approach. The six phases of thematic analysis were implemented, as outlined by Braun and Clarke [ 42 ], and were conducted separately for the lawyers and practitioner psychologists. The first three stages of analysis were conducted separately for each transcript to ensure that the maximum range of data was gathered. The first step was familiarisation with the data. Each verbatim transcription was read a minimum of two times and then preliminary notes were made on the second reading. The second stage of thematic analysis was initial coding, based on relevant data to the research and were recorded in the right hand column of each transcript. The third stage was searching for themes, identifying further codes and drawing together each transcript; repetitive codes were recorded on a mind map. An analysis of each of the codes was completed at this stage and how different codes worked together. For each potential theme all of the data extracts were collated together in a CodeBook. The fourth stage involved reviewing the themes, with re-reading of the transcripts; the main themes began to be identified and it was ensured each theme was holistic and independent from the others. The fifth stage involved defining and naming each theme and checking them against the research questions. The sixth stage was writing up the themes and selecting data extracts to represent the theme appropriately, again reviewing the transcripts and CodeBook. Two coders independently constructed the themes that were then jointly reviewed and decided with the help of a senior reviewer. Cohen’s kappa was computed for the constructs and the results revealed very good inter-rater agreements; all kappa’s exceeded 0.87. All of the discrepancies were discussed and resolved by the coders.

The thematic analysis across both groups of participants revealed three main themes regarding both traditional and cyber bullying: (1) What does it entail? (2) Current professional procedures; and (3) Education is key.

3.1. Theme 1: What Is Bullying?

Overall, the practitioners and lawyers were familiar with the concepts of traditional and cyberbullying, and had a range of professional experience of such incidents with young people and adults. As such, the first and shared theme for all of the participants provided a platform for them to discuss what they believed to be the main facets and implications of bullying when drawing from their own experiences.

3.1.1. Definition and Characteristics

Overall, all participants identified at least one of the key elements of the standard definition of bullying, including the unkind nature, the power imbalance, intentionality, and repetition. However, their unique definitions were not entirely holistic and in general their individual answers did not account for all of the facets of the bullying definition:

“Telling the wider world something unpleasant about someone but there’s also the frequency and intensity of the one to one interaction” . (T.F., Practitioner Psychologist (PP))

Cyberbullying was believed to be similar to traditional bullying, but using different tools, such as the Internet and electronic devices, to target victims. However, the general speculation was that the characteristics of cyberbullying led to the consequences being more devastating than for traditional bullying. Various reasons were given for this belief, including the issue of anonymity and physical distance created by using the Internet to communicate:

“… I think people can hide behind anonymity and that they are protected from disclosure of identity which isn’t actually the case. I think that gives a false confidence but also I think it dulls the emotions of the attacker because when you are, you know, in the playground bullying for example, you are having to face your victim face to face so you actually see their reaction. Whereas if it is online or via a mobile you can’t see their reaction so your senses are essentially dulled.” . (L.G., Lawyer (L))

3.1.2. Impact

The psychological impact bullying has on the victim’s life was stressed throughout all of the interviews. In general, the practitioner psychologists felt that bullying significantly contributed towards psychopathology and directly influenced the psychological health of a victim. Despite the lack of professional experience in this area, the lawyers shared similar views and mentioned several negative consequences (e.g., suicide) of bullying. The range of psychological impacts that were mentioned were vast and accounted for less severe consequences, such as poorer school performance and lower self-esteem, to more severe clinical diagnoses, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and eating disorders:

“Self-doubt, reduced self-esteem, depression and anxiety, lack of trust in the world. Probably is some reduction in self-efficacy, probably some sort of externalising …it can also lead to anger, aggression, in the right circumstances a paranoid ideation” . (S.H, PP)

There was a tendency for all of the participants to concentrate on the outcomes for the victims and it was only when prompted that they discussed the other groups, suggesting there is less knowledge or awareness about the impact on bullies, bystanders, and bully-victims. In general, it was felt that the psychological impact was less severe for the bully and that it was difficult to determine what outcome it might have on their mental health. Responses were mixed and less certain regarding the long-term or psychological effects (if any at all) for the bully. It was felt that this depends on the bullies themselves and their reasons for engaging in the behaviour. One suggestion was that bullying could be used as an avoidance strategy where they were getting a strong sense of control that brings some relief from their own pain. Guilt was one emotion that was speculated to be strong for bystanders, particularly in the future when they look back on the event and feel shame for not stopping it.

“have some negative consequences for themselves in terms of I’m a coward, why didn’t I do something” . (S.H., PP)

3.2. Theme 2: Current Professional Procedures

For the practitioner psychologists, current procedures mainly referred to how bullying was considered in psychological assessments and interventions. In contrast, the lawyers focused on current laws and who was currently and legally responsible for preventing or intervening in such cases. These strands are outlined separately below.

3.2.1. Practitioners’ Professional Procedures

The practitioners displayed a mixed usage of diagnostic manuals in their practice. Some argued that these manuals did not inform professionals outside of their own knowledge base. Instead, they used their own professional training and the latest research to guide their clinical work:

“If I had some stats that said you know, which I’m sure there are for children, but you know X percentage of the general population suffers some form of bullying at a certain point that would give it more legitimacy” . (S.H., PP)

Indeed, some of the practitioner psychologists believed that including bullying within diagnostic manuals may be beneficial or something that they could consider during their own assessments. Although they believed this to be a worthwhile endeavour, they all admitted that they do not currently include such questions in their assessments. Instead, they wait for the client to raise this issue themselves. Only when the client indicates that they have been involved in a bullying event will they explore this issue further. In general, this was because the assessment period was believed to be too restricted to include extra assessments:

“in assessment the difficulty is you’ve got about a million other things that also have to be assessed at the same time so a lot of it’s informed by what the person is bringing to you” . (A.S., PP)

These practitioners believed that engaging the health services is essential in terms of intervention strategies for both bullies and victims. One practitioner noted that the individuals who have asked for help and had not received it are a particularly high-risk group. This issue of immediate intervention was raised frequently throughout the interviews as this can help prevent adult psychopathology:

“If it was managed at the time then you don’t have anything to manage later” . (A.S., PP)

It was suggested that more of an effort should be made to encourage and ensure an open dialogue about bullying in all schools and workplaces so that victims or bystanders do not feel shame when reporting it. Indeed, being able to openly discuss such an event at the time could allow for a faster healing process for the victim:

“a huge thing that makes a difference from my clinical experience is having somebody around you that you could speak to at the time” . (A.S., PP)

Furthermore, the practitioner psychologists also identified that there is a need for a legal element to bullying and for standard consequences for those who engage in it. Mainly, they felt that the psychological impact can be so severe on the victims that legalisation is necessary. Indeed, they all agreed that they would take legal action if they were presented with a case where they felt it was warranted:

“there will probably be a need for some kind of legal point for those who are the extreme offenders” . (T.F., PP)

3.2.2. Lawyers’ Professional Procedures

Although there is no specific and unique law for bullying and cyberbullying, the lawyers mentioned several existing laws that can be utilised in such cases, including the Equality Act 2010, the Malicious Communications Act 1988, Protection from Harassment Act 1997, and the Public Order Act 1986. These statutes can be utilised in different ways depending on each case and each victim. However, their effectiveness for dealing with bullying cases is debatable and questions were raised as to whether they were actually implemented as much as they could be. This point was consistently raised in terms of cyberbullying and there was a consensus that these laws are limited in combating this type and relatively new form of behaviour-one that has emerged since these statutes were enacted:

“with the scale of cyberbullying it’s actually quite difficult to tackle” . (L.G., L)

In terms of moving this area forward, there were mixed views on whether a new and specific legislation could and should be created that would consider the unique legalities of bullying and cyberbullying. One lawyer felt that this was a necessary and worthwhile step, particularly for cyberbullying. However, the majority were more cautious and felt that there was still a lot of work to be done in the area of cyberbullying in particular, and that having one piece of legislation for these negative behaviours might be a little overly simplistic:

“there is work to be done. Er but that doesn’t mean to say you rush into something too quickly just because you know where you are at the moment isn’t very good […] if you rush into something which is equally a bit of a mess then that is not really an improvement either” . (C.H., L)

For the most part, it was believed that efforts should be focused on the implementation of the current legislative provisions, something that has not been done to date. Indeed, the perceived ineffectiveness of these laws might be as a result of them not being enforced sufficiently. The lawyers highlighted several other problems with using existing laws to deal with cyberbullying cases in particular. The most problematic was the lack of expertise within the police system and police resources. Police officers are not often experts in technology, and training in online monitoring might not be prominent in their professional history. As such, intervening in online events may not be as prevalent as in offline environments:

“the officers […] they’re not specialists in computers and patrolling online, that’s not within their remit” . (P.K., L)

A second problem with existing legislation is the associated financial costs, which the lawyers believed prevents bullying cases reaching the courts. Indeed, there are costs that are associated with cyberbullying that might not be there for traditional, such as the process of identifying people who were initially anonymous. Overall, bringing a bully to court was stated to be a costly endeavour and one that is not affordable for all victims:

“it’s very disappointing for me as a lawyer when we have people ringing up all day saying I’m being cyberbullied and being stalked but they can’t afford you know to write a letter to try and deal with it. Erm and I think the system lets victims down on that regard” . (P.K., L)

The last problem focused on the jurisdictional issues that were noted as a potential to prevent the law being used effectively. It is very difficult to legally intervene with cyberbullying when the bullying is taking place in another country, which may have its own legislation for such events. As such, because of the geographical distance between the victim and perpetrator, the victims are only partly protected by the law:

“if bullying is being done from abroad it would be very difficult to stop it from happening and to prosecute” . (J.L., L)

3.3. Theme 3: Education Is Key

The most imperative prevention strategy for bullying identified by the practitioner psychologists and the lawyers alike was education. Education is considered as vital for bullies to take the perspective of their victims and to consider the consequences of their actions. In addition, victims would benefit from education in terms of their coping strategies so that they may increase their resilience to negative experiences.

It was consistently believed that increased education and awareness would reduce prevalence rates of bullying amongst all ages. In particular, it was argued that bullies or cyberbullies might not understand their behaviour because of a lack of awareness and education about what bullying entails, particularly when it comes to children and adolescents. As a consequence, they might not perceive themselves to be perpetrators, and as such, cannot be expected to understand the seriousness of their behaviours:

“I see adults who were bullies and didn’t realise they were bullies at the time and reflect later that they were actually bullies and they didn’t understand that was what they were doing” . (A.S., PP)

Education needs to be directed towards the general population as a whole and not just young people or schools. This will ensure that everyone is knowledgeable about the definition of bullying and its consequences, who is responsible for combating it and what the best strategies for stopping it are. This education could be generated in a range of different ways, including skills training for the parents of victims and bullies; legal training for employers and schools; technology training for the police; and individual coping strategies for young people and adults who have direct experiences of bullying:

“education for young people [should be] about safe internet use so they know how to recognise bullying if it happens for them and where they can go for help and the importance of speaking up and not trying to manage it on your own” . (R.Q., PP)

4. Discussion

This study took bullying research a step forward by investigating debates in the current literature with professionals who know the implications of such experiences. The study is the first of its kind and can form the basis for future quantitative and qualitative studies with bigger and more comprehensive sample sizes. This is to verify the conclusions of this study about the necessity of performing revisions in the legal policies and clinical psychological practices regarding traditional and cyber bullying.

Bullying is a prominent societal phenomenon that the majority of people will experience at some point in their life, not just in childhood. As technology develops rapidly over short periods of time, younger generations will undoubtedly become more technologically advanced. The practitioner psychologists described this as a developmentally challenging time, supporting the idea that bullying can be traumatic [ 31 ] and a serious health risk [ 43 ]. Both practitioner psychologists and lawyers (despite it not being the area of expertise for the latter) were aware of the mental health consequences that are associated with bullying. They also supported the recommendation that education and communication are the best interventions [ 44 ], with legal interventions deemed necessary for the serious cases where an individual’s mental health is in jeopardy [ 45 , 46 ]. Of course, individual differences need to be considered for legal cases and not everyone will develop a psychological disorder as a result of being involved in bullying and/or cyberbullying.

4.1. Definition and Interventions for Bullying and Cyberbullying

Practitioner psychologists and lawyers felt that education and communication are vital intervention strategies and should not just be targeted towards children. The practitioner psychologists believed that education ought to include the definition and the consequences of bullying and cyberbullying and the subgroups involved (bullies, victims, bully-victims, and bystanders). Whilst the lawyers felt that education should consist of information about how identities of anonymous users can be disclosed [ 5 , 47 ], there is an element of permanency about the internet [ 45 , 48 ] and the benefits of technology [ 49 ]. Education is important to highlight, because bullies are not always entirely knowledgeable about the consequences of their actions [ 40 ] and may not perceive themselves to be bullies. However, practitioner psychologists realistically understood that not everyone will be receptive to education, although they believed that the majority of people would be helped through greater awareness about bullying. In addition, raising awareness that bullying is a criminal offence may be a stronger deterrent than education alone [ 5 , 45 , 46 , 50 , 51 , 52 ].

It is imperative that there is education about appropriate online behaviour because “effective law tends to reinforce, rather than in itself change, social attitudes” [ 53 ]. Thus, a good moral compass needs to be taught at a young age before children start to use any form of technology. Overall, everyone (from website creators, parents, schools, employers, community groups, police, practitioners, and children) should have a basic conceptualisation of what bullying is and the consequences it can have both legally and psychologically.

It is crucial that such education starts early and is brought in rapidly, reinforced by the lawyers’ belief that there is no need to wait for the phenomena to get any worse than it currently is. It is also important that schools include cyberbullying within their anti-bullying policies, as this is often insufficiently covered [ 54 ]. It was implied by a practitioner psychologist that bullying and cyberbullying are not completely preventable, which may very well be the case; however, a lot can be done to prevent the majority of bullying happening. It may be that a minority of perpetrators will be recalcitrant to ordinary educational and policy work in schools [ 55 ], however this is when the work of the law and psychology combined will be vital.

The practitioner psychologists believed in the importance of immediately applying interventions to prevent negative consequences in adulthood, which is in support of Williams and Godfrey [ 32 ]. Furthermore, lawyers clarified in terms of the law that if bullying is reported, liability arises for those who the incident is reported to. However, previous research suggests that victims of bullying are unlikely to discuss their experience [ 47 , 50 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 ], which can also jeopardise their mental health [ 60 ]. In addition, victims perceived adults to be technologically incompetent [ 2 , 44 ], thus being unable to offer help and support. This further supports the lawyers’ belief that parents lack knowledge about online behaviour and lack control over their children’s internet or technology use.

The internet has been described as lacking restrictions [ 50 , 61 ] along with a lack of parental supervision [ 62 ]. However, parental supervision is considered a vital component for bullying intervention [ 46 , 56 , 59 , 63 ], thus needs to be implemented. In addition, online supervision could potentially ensure internet or technology use is monitored without impinging on the rights of free speech and should ensure long-term positive effects as children grow up to use technology as adults. However, control and monitoring (e.g., investigating which websites has been visited) are not always effective in reducing cyber aggression (e.g., [ 64 ]). Furthermore, there is a generation gap in terms of technological knowledge and skills between adolescents and parents on the one hand [ 65 ], and adolescents and mental health practitioners on the other hand. In some instances, parents may not be fully aware about online risks and believe that their children are able to recognize them and thus they reduce the level of monitoring [ 66 ].

Online and digital devices are particularly hard for parents to monitor for several reasons. They are technologically complex; market innovation requires parents to continuously adapt and update their habits, and at times parents might feel that they are outsmarted by their children who are often more skilled than them. Digital devices are increasingly more personalised and portable, and as a result, traditional methods of monitoring are becoming less effective [ 67 , 68 ]. This could lead to increased online problems. Parents and mental health practitioners are, therefore, strongly encouraged to take active interest in adolescent ICT activities [ 66 ] and invest in understanding the mechanisms and consequences of new technologies.

Consequently, a collective responsibility and proactive stance should be taken by a range of people; legal personnel, internet sites, parents, and practitioner psychologists, to help to prevent and protect those that are involved in bullying and/or cyberbullying. Education and communication could be the first steps in reducing the prevalence of these behaviours. These interventions help alleviate some of the psychological harm and ensure bullying is dealt with swiftly and effectively.

The lawyers felt that there is considerable behavioural change when using the Internet [ 69 ] due to anonymity and physical distance [ 17 , 70 ], which has been found to result in an online disinhibition effect [ 71 ]. However, there was consensus that offline and online behaviour should be treated the same in terms of criminality and appropriateness, which also needs to be communicated to the wider public.

Collectively, the participants were able to cover all of the aspects of the bullying definition (repeated, intentional, and include power imbalance), although individually their definition lacked specifics. Of course, being asked to describe any commonly used word is difficult, however, it appeared it was more than just a lack of recalling an accurate definition. The practitioner psychologists identified that the definition of bullying and cyberbullying is down to individual perception. This creates problems for understanding and dealing with such incidents. For example, a victim needs to be confident that their experience is defined as bullying in order to disclose it to another person and go through court proceedings if necessary. In order to use the law to its full advantage, specific elements of a behaviour need to be present. To use the law, bullying is described as being grossly offensive, indecent, threatening, abusive, and insulting, which causes distress, anxiety, and annoyance to the recipient (victim). Yet, these words are not encompassed within the current definition of bullying and cyberbullying, thus raising the question of whether a more cohesive definition needs to be created. A more accurate, holistic, and commonly known definition, which includes these legal aspects, would provide simplicity and clarity. It will be of advantage particularly when assessing whether legal action is appropriate.

4.2. The Psychological Risks of Bullying and Cyberbullying

In accordance with previous quantitative research [ 12 , 13 , 31 ], the practitioner psychologists identified a broad range of disorders that are associated with being a victim, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance misuse. Furthermore, other psychological consequences were raised, beyond the findings of previous research, which includes obsessive-compulsive disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and a negative view of the world. The practitioner psychologists believed a negative view of the world to be a detrimental and long-term consequence for victims because it can affect different areas of their lives, such as trust and confidence in relationships. Previous research found that victims can experience long term problems in relation to their health, finances, and socialisation [ 14 , 15 ]. In addition, they felt that the shame that victims experience as a result of being bullied results in reduced disclosure and more internal struggling, which contributes to psychological distress. Each practitioner psychologist, based on their expertise, identified at least one psychological disorder and believed bullying to be prominent in the majority of their client’s histories. This implies that their understanding about psychological disorders of bullying and/or cyberbullying is based purely on clinical work with clients. Furthermore, the practitioner psychologists believed that bystanders and perpetrators mainly experience guilt. There was also little recognition of the psychological consequences for bully-victims despite this group being consistently identified as the most vulnerable to psychological distress [ 13 , 17 ]. This confirms there is not enough awareness amongst practitioner psychologists regarding the psychological impact on others besides victims. This may also imply that there is not adequate support available for these high-risk individuals. It is important to stress that bullying and cyber bullying research is substantial, presenting wide spread knowledge to us all, but although there is consistency across studies and research, there are also discrepancies. Such discrepancies are often hard to moderate and assess presenting potentially conflicting and challenging content.

4.3. Bullying and Cyberbullying within Psychological Assessments

Previous research has called for questions relating to bullying to be included within psychological assessments [ 17 , 72 ]. Despite the practitioner psychologists believing in the importance of discussing bullying, they waited for the clients to raise and discuss such experiences. This reinforces the idea that there is still “a huge void between knowledge of the adverse consequences of bullying and awareness, enquiry and intervention by healthcare providers” [ 33 ], and highlights the gap between research and practice. It is possible that people are more likely to discuss bullying experiences in a therapeutic setting. However, those who do not raise it may be struggling with the impact of the experience and consequently will not receive support from professionals. Preventative measures need to be in place to reduce the psychological impact earlier and interventions need to be implemented at the time that the bullying is being experienced.

The practitioner psychologists noted that they should be more proactively addressing cyberbullying within their client work. However, time was the main reason for not asking specifically about bullying or cyberbullying in assessments. Diagnostic manuals, such as the DSM-5 [ 37 ] and ICD-10 [ 38 ], were considered secondary to previous training and research in regards to how they approach their clinical work. Therefore, it can be argued that bullying needs to be incorporated into training programmes, which is also suggested within NICE guideline CG28. This will increase the awareness of bullying and encourage professionals to consider the latest research on bullying in their sessions with clients. Practitioner psychologists would also be invaluable when a victim is going through court proceedings as it could be a psychologically difficult time [ 73 ].

4.4. The Legalities of Bullying and Cyberbullying

Both the practitioner psychologists and lawyers agreed that a legal intervention is vital for bullying because of the risks of negative outcomes (e.g., suicides). To understand the law that is applicable to bullying, it was suggested that speaking with “relevant … legal counsel” [ 48 ] is a priority, which this study achieved.

Bullying can be considered illegal under a number of legislative provisions (Legislation.gov.uk), namely; the Telecommunications Act 1984, Public Order Act 1986, Malicious Communications Act 1988, Protection from Harassment Act 1997, School Standards and Framework Act 1998, Communications Act 2006, Education and Inspections Act 2006, the Equality Act 2010, and the Defamation Act 2013. The lawyers believed the Equality Act 2010, Malicious Communications Act 1988, the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, and the Public Order Act 1986 were the main Acts that could be used to deal with bullying cases. Despite bullying being illegal, lawyers did not believe that there is sufficient awareness of this amongst the general public. Increased awareness could be achieved via specific legislation and education. However, the lawyers did suggest that there are sufficient existing provisions available, and thus did not feel that a specific Act would be appropriate at present.

During the completion of this study, the House of Lords created a Committee to review whether a specific Act was needed. It was decided the existing legislation is “generally appropriate for the prosecution of offences” [ 53 ], which supports the view of the lawyers in this study. However, there is some speculation that the current legislation is not entirely effective [ 52 ]. The main reason for this is that the legislation was created when cyberbullying was not a societal problem and when technology was not an everyday necessity. However, the lawyers in our study felt that once the legislation is reviewed and enforced there would be more successful prosecutions. Under UK legislation there is not a specific law that clearly makes cyberbullying illegal, although it can be considered a criminal offence under different legislation. For example, under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, it is a criminal offence for a person to pursue a course of conduct that amounts to the harassment of another, which the perpetrator knows or ought to know amounts to harassment. This could include sending a person multiple abusive emails with the intention of causing alarm or distress. Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988 states that it is an offence for any person to send a communication that is “indecent or grossly offensive” for the purpose of causing “distress or anxiety to the recipient”. The Act also extends to threats and information that is false and known or believed to be false by the sender of the communication. Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 makes it a criminal offence to send via any electronic communication network a message or other matter that is deemed “grossly offences or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character”. The Obscene Publications Act 1959 makes it an offence to publish an obscene article. An obscene article is classed as one whose effect is to deprave and corrupt persons likely to read, see, or hear the matter contained or embodied in the article. Publishing includes circulating, showing, playing, or projecting the article, or transmitting the data. Under Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, it is an offence to use threatening, abusive or insulting words, behaviour, writing, or any visual representations that is likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress within the hearing or sight of a person. With regards to cyberbullying, this offence could apply where the camera or video functionality now found on the vast majority of mobile phones is used as a way of causing such harassment, alarm, or distress. If in the course of cyberbullying a person hacks into the victim’s online accounts or personal computer, they may be committing an offence under the Computer Misuse 1990 (for more information see: [ 39 ]). In the United States (US) on the other hand, as of December 2017, forty-nine states (all but Montana) have authorised bullying prevention laws (for a regularly updated list of state legislation see: www.laws.cyberbullying.org ). All of these require schools to have policies to deal with bullying, and almost all of them refer to criminal sanction for cyberbullying or electronic forms of harassment (44 states) or specific school sanction for cyberbullying (45 states), but there exists great variation across states regarding what exactly is mandated. In Qatar, recently, there have been some positive initiatives, such as a Cybercrime Prevention Law, the development of a National ICT Strategy, and a website detailing safe practice guidelines for Internet usage [ 74 ].

Other problems besides legislation exist, such as police resources, financial costs, and jurisdiction problems. The lawyers felt that these problems needed to be tackled separately. This reinforced the idea that a specific Act would not be effective at this time because it would not overcome these problems. Two important changes that are currently being considered are using private prosecution to eradicate the financial costs and specialist police units to ensure that reports of bullying are investigated sufficiently. However, it is hard to overcome the jurisdictional problems, thus the law can only protect victims to a certain extent. On the whole, the suggestions from previous research that specific legislation is the main solution to the legal problems appears unrealistic. Instead, efforts should be focused on improving how incidents of cyberbullying are dealt with by the police and the prosecution process to ensure that a more efficient legal intervention is achieved.

Moreover, the Internet provides both opportunities and risks. According to UNICEF [ 75 ], the Internet has positive impact on the lives of young people, allowing them to develop their digital capacities and increase their opportunities for learning. Despite the positive effects, internet and ICT, in general, pose challenges often translated in online safety. Cyberbullying should not be looked at in isolation from other online risks. Despite internet and digital devices offering young people opportunities, they also increase the likelihood of experiencing different forms of risks. Livingstone and Haddon [ 76 ] reported various evolving online risks that translated into content, contact, and conduct. Content refers to young people receiving online harmful content (e.g., hateful, spams, pornographic), while contact refers to experiencing through the contact with others (e.g., being bullied, meeting strangers, online grooming). Conduct refers to perpetrating or conducting behaviour that pose risks such as gambling, hacking, and bullying others. When combined with the evolution of online communication and the nature of messages (text, images, video and audio) such risks are extremely difficult to control. Online safety and digital literacy are crucial, cyber bullying could intersect with other online risks, and as a result, prevention methods, including potential laws, should be inclusive of all and continuously evolving meeting the digital divide between children, parents, educators and practitioners.

5. Conclusions

Overall, this study indicated that interventions need to be adapted and implemented immediately to tackle bullying. This study investigated debates in the current literature about bullying with professionals who are experts on the implications of such experiences. The study can be the first step for a bigger study that can include more practitioners. It would have been also beneficial to interview members of the police force, school personnel, and parents about their current understanding of bullying regarding psychological issues and the law.

There are some limitations for the study. Firstly, the sample size of the study included nine participants. Any future study should include a bigger sample size using mixed method designs including quantitative and qualitative analysis to be able to generalise the findings to specific populations (lawyers and psychologists working with children and adolescents on cases related to bullying) and make stronger recommendations to inform policy change. Nevertheless, the nine participants within this study have explored the debates from previous research and how interventions can be applied in the real world, which is invaluable. Also, the study used a qualitative method to extract the results and opinions of the participants. Secondly, the study used purposive sampling for the inclusion of participants. It is true that there is no intended bias in purposive sampling, but due to a lack of random sampling, purposive sampling is sometimes open to selection bias and error. However, we made sure to eliminate selection bias by relying on the inclusion criteria.

This research extends the existing literature by indicating several areas of improvement and it will be essential for future research to investigate the impact that these changes will have on prevalence levels, associated psychopathology, and the effectiveness of legal interventions. The first area of change is governmental resources for police forces to guarantee they have the expertise and means to investigate bullying cases. The second area is to include a question about experience (past or current) of bullying and/or cyberbullying within psychological risk assessments. This will ensure that all clients are given the opportunity to discuss their experience and allow for further exploration of the experience if necessary. The third area is the need for an immediate increase in education and discussions of bullying, including a detailed definition. Whether this is at home or school it will ensure that appropriate action, psychological or legal, is taken as early as possible. The fourth area of change is an increase in liability for website operators to ensure that internet sites cannot be used anonymously. Thus, guaranteeing users to think more critically about their online behaviour.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) a member of Qatar Foundation Doha, Qatar, National Priority Research Programs (NPRP) under Grant (NPRP 5-1134-3-240). The authors would like to thank QNRF for their support. We would like also to thank all the practitioner psychologists and the lawyers for their time and willingness to participate in this research study.

Supplementary Materials

The following are available online at www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/12/1449/s1 , Table S1: Interview Protocol.

Author Contributions

Authors Muthanna Samara and Vicky Burbidge conceived and designed the study, wrote the protocol, provided summaries of previous research studies and conducted the statistical analysis. Author Vicky Burbidge conducted the interviews with the participants. Authors Muthanna Samara, Vicky Burbidge, Aiman El Asam, Mairéad Foody, Peter K. Smith and Hisham Morsi contributed to the design of the study and the interpretation of the results. Muthanna Samara and Vicky Burbidge wrote the first draft of the manuscript and all authors contributed to read and have approved the final manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Cyberbullying: Everything You Need to Know

• Cyberbullying
• How to Respond

Cyberbullying is the act of intentionally and consistently mistreating or harassing someone through the use of electronic devices or other forms of electronic communication (like social media platforms).

Because cyberbullying mainly affects children and adolescents, many brush it off as a part of growing up. However, cyberbullying can have dire mental and emotional consequences if left unaddressed.

This article discusses cyberbullying, its adverse effects, and what can be done about it.

FangXiaNuo / Getty Images

Cyberbullying Statistics and State Laws

The rise of digital communication methods has paved the way for a new type of bullying to form, one that takes place outside of the schoolyard. Cyberbullying follows kids home, making it much more difficult to ignore or cope.

Statistics 

As many as 15% of young people between 12 and 18 have been cyberbullied at some point. However, over 25% of children between 13 and 15 were cyberbullied in one year alone.

About 6.2% of people admitted that they’ve engaged in cyberbullying at some point in the last year. The age at which a person is most likely to cyberbully one of their peers is 13.

Those subject to online bullying are twice as likely to self-harm or attempt suicide . The percentage is much higher in young people who identify as LGBTQ, at 56%.

Cyberbullying by Sex and Sexual Orientation

Cyberbullying statistics differ among various groups, including:

• Girls and boys reported similar numbers when asked if they have been cyberbullied, at 23.7% and 21.9%, respectively.
• LGBTQ adolescents report cyberbullying at higher rates, at 31.7%. Up to 56% of young people who identify as LGBTQ have experienced cyberbullying.
• Transgender teens were the most likely to be cyberbullied, at a significantly high rate of 35.4%.

State Laws 

The laws surrounding cyberbullying vary from state to state. However, all 50 states have developed and implemented specific policies or laws to protect children from being cyberbullied in and out of the classroom.

The laws were put into place so that students who are being cyberbullied at school can have access to support systems, and those who are being cyberbullied at home have a way to report the incidents.

Legal policies or programs developed to help stop cyberbullying include:

• Bullying prevention programs
• Cyberbullying education courses for teachers
• Procedures designed to investigate instances of cyberbullying
• Support systems for children who have been subject to cyberbullying 

Are There Federal Laws Against Cyberbullying?

There are no federal laws or policies that protect people from cyberbullying. However, federal involvement may occur if the bullying overlaps with harassment. Federal law will get involved if the bullying concerns a person’s race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, or religion.

Examples of Cyberbullying 

There are several types of bullying that can occur online, and they all look different.

Harassment can include comments, text messages, or threatening emails designed to make the cyberbullied person feel scared, embarrassed, or ashamed of themselves.

Other forms of harassment include:

• Using group chats as a way to gang up on one person
• Making derogatory comments about a person based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, or other characteristics
• Posting mean or untrue things on social media sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, as a way to publicly hurt the person experiencing the cyberbullying  

Impersonation

A person may try to pretend to be the person they are cyberbullying to attempt to embarrass, shame, or hurt them publicly. Some examples of this include:

• Hacking into someone’s online profile and changing any part of it, whether it be a photo or their "About Me" portion, to something that is either harmful or inappropriate
• Catfishing, which is when a person creates a fake persona to trick someone into a relationship with them as a joke or for their own personal gain
• Making a fake profile using the screen name of their target to post inappropriate or rude remarks on other people’s pages

Other Examples

Not all forms of cyberbullying are the same, and cyberbullies use other tactics to ensure that their target feels as bad as possible. Some tactics include:

• Taking nude or otherwise degrading photos of a person without their consent
• Sharing or posting nude pictures with a wide audience to embarrass the person they are cyberbullying
• Sharing personal information about a person on a public website that could cause them to feel unsafe
• Physically bullying someone in school and getting someone else to record it so that it can be watched and passed around later
• Circulating rumors about a person

How to Know When a Joke Turns Into Cyberbullying

People may often try to downplay cyberbullying by saying it was just a joke. However, any incident that continues to make a person feel shame, hurt, or blatantly disrespected is not a joke and should be addressed. People who engage in cyberbullying tactics know that they’ve crossed these boundaries, from being playful to being harmful.

Effects and Consequences of Cyberbullying 

Research shows many negative effects of cyberbullying, some of which can lead to severe mental health issues. Cyberbullied people are twice as likely to experience suicidal thoughts, actions, or behaviors and engage in self-harm as those who are not.

Other negative health consequences of cyberbullying are:

• Stomach pain and digestive issues
• Sleep disturbances
• Difficulties with academics
• Violent behaviors
• High levels of stress
• Inability to feel safe
• Feelings of loneliness and isolation
• Feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness

If You’ve Been Cyberbullied 

Being on the receiving end of cyberbullying is hard to cope with. It can feel like you have nowhere to turn and no escape. However, some things can be done to help overcome cyberbullying experiences.

Advice for Preteens and Teenagers

The best thing you can do if you’re being cyberbullied is tell an adult you trust. It may be challenging to start the conversation because you may feel ashamed or embarrassed. However, if it is not addressed, it can get worse.

Other ways you can cope with cyberbullying include:

• Walk away : Walking away online involves ignoring the bullies, stepping back from your computer or phone, and finding something you enjoy doing to distract yourself from the bullying.
• Don’t retaliate : You may want to defend yourself at the time. But engaging with the bullies can make matters worse.
• Keep evidence : Save all copies of the cyberbullying, whether it be posts, texts, or emails, and keep them if the bullying escalates and you need to report them.
• Report : Social media sites take harassment seriously, and reporting them to site administrators may block the bully from using the site.
• Block : You can block your bully from contacting you on social media platforms and through text messages.

In some cases, therapy may be a good option to help cope with the aftermath of cyberbullying.

Advice for Parents

As a parent, watching your child experience cyberbullying can be difficult. To help in the right ways, you can:

• Offer support and comfort : Listening to your child explain what's happening can be helpful. If you've experienced bullying as a child, sharing that experience may provide some perspective on how it can be overcome and that the feelings don't last forever.
• Make sure they know they are not at fault : Whatever the bully uses to target your child can make them feel like something is wrong with them. Offer praise to your child for speaking up and reassure them that it's not their fault.
• Contact the school : Schools have policies to protect children from bullying, but to help, you have to inform school officials.
• Keep records : Ask your child for all the records of the bullying and keep a copy for yourself. This evidence will be helpful to have if the bullying escalates and further action needs to be taken.
• Try to get them help : In many cases, cyberbullying can lead to mental stress and sometimes mental health disorders. Getting your child a therapist gives them a safe place to work through their experience.

In the Workplace 

Although cyberbullying more often affects children and adolescents, it can also happen to adults in the workplace. If you are dealing with cyberbullying at your workplace, you can:

• Let your bully know how what they said affected you and that you expect it to stop.
• Keep copies of any harassment that goes on in the workplace.
• Report your cyberbully to your human resources (HR) department.
• Report your cyberbully to law enforcement if you are being threatened.
• Close off all personal communication pathways with your cyberbully.
• Maintain a professional attitude at work regardless of what is being said or done.
• Seek out support through friends, family, or professional help.

Effective Action Against Cyberbullying

If cyberbullying continues, actions will have to be taken to get it to stop, such as:

• Talking to a school official : Talking to someone at school may be difficult, but once you do, you may be grateful that you have some support. Schools have policies to address cyberbullying.
• Confide in parents or trusted friends : Discuss your experience with your parents or others you trust. Having support on your side will make you feel less alone.
• Report it on social media : Social media sites have strict rules on the types of interactions and content sharing allowed. Report your aggressor to the site to get them banned and eliminate their ability to contact you.
• Block the bully : Phones, computers, and social media platforms contain options to block correspondence from others. Use these blocking tools to help free yourself from cyberbullying.

Help Is Available

If you or someone you know are having suicidal thoughts, dial  988  to contact the  988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline  and connect with a trained counselor. To find mental health resources in your area, contact the  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline  at  800-662-4357  for information.

Cyberbullying occurs over electronic communication methods like cell phones, computers, social media, and other online platforms. While anyone can be subject to cyberbullying, it is most likely to occur between the ages of 12 and 18.

Cyberbullying can be severe and lead to serious health issues, such as new or worsened mental health disorders, sleep issues, or thoughts of suicide or self-harm. There are laws to prevent cyberbullying, so it's essential to report it when it happens. Coping strategies include stepping away from electronics, blocking bullies, and getting.

Alhajji M, Bass S, Dai T. Cyberbullying, mental health, and violence in adolescents and associations with sex and race: data from the 2015 youth risk behavior survey . Glob Pediatr Health. 2019;6:2333794X19868887. doi:10.1177/2333794X19868887

Cyberbullying Research Center. Cyberbullying in 2021 by age, gender, sexual orientation, and race .

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Facts about bullying .

John A, Glendenning AC, Marchant A, et al. Self-harm, suicidal behaviours, and cyberbullying in children and young people: systematic review .  J Med Internet Res . 2018;20(4):e129. doi:10.2196/jmir.9044

Cyberbullying Research Center. Bullying, cyberbullying, and LGBTQ students .

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Laws, policies, and regulations .

Wolke D, Lee K, Guy A. Cyberbullying: a storm in a teacup? . Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2017;26(8):899-908. doi:10.1007/s00787-017-0954-6

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Cyberbullying tactics .

Garett R, Lord LR, Young SD. Associations between social media and cyberbullying: a review of the literature . mHealth . 2016;2:46-46. doi:10.21037/mhealth.2016.12.01

Nemours Teens Health. Cyberbullying .

Nixon CL. Current perspectives: the impact of cyberbullying on adolescent health . Adolesc Health Med Ther. 2014;5:143-58. doi:10.2147/AHMT.S36456

Nemours Kids Health. Cyberbullying (for parents) .

By Angelica Bottaro Bottaro has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and an Advanced Diploma in Journalism. She is based in Canada.

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Home / Blog

What Is Cyberbullying? Facts, Laws & Resources

October 25, 2018 

The internet is a defining factor of modern education. In fact, education has become more accessible and widespread than ever before because of the internet. From using digital textbooks to earning a degree online , more classroom functions and student experiences are moving into cyberspace — including, unfortunately, bullying.

Despite all the good that the internet has brought to students, parents, and teachers alike, there are people who use it with malicious intent. And just as bullying has existed since the dawn of time, virtual bullying has existed since the beginning of the internet. This guide on what cyberbullying is from Maryville University Online will help you learn everything you need to know about cyberbullying, from relevant facts and statistics to helpful resources, so you can keep your teen safe online.

Discover the following sections of this guide:

Cyberbullying Definition

What is the difference between cyberbullying and bullying, examples of cyberbullying, cyberbullying laws, how to identify cyberbullying, the potential effects of cyberbullying, how to prevent cyberbullying, cyberbullying information resources.

So exactly what is cyberbullying? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary , “cyberbullying” was first used in 1998 and is defined as “the electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person (such as a student) often done anonymously.” But as time has gone on and the internet has evolved, so has the definition of cyberbullying.

StopBullying.gov defines cyberbullying as “bullying that takes place over digital devices like cellphones, computers, and tablets,” whereas the Cyberbullying Research Center describes it as the “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cellphones, and other electronic devices.” Essentially, it is the use of electronic communication to mirror the way a person would be bullied in real life, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.

Cyberbullying Statistics

Cyberbullying is more common than you may think. And for many teenagers, young adults, and social media users, it poses a very real threat.

• According to the National Center for Education Statistics , 20.2% percent of all students have reported experience with some kind of bullying.
• Another National Center for Education Statistics study published in 2020 reports that about 15% of students between the ages of 12 and 18 had been a victim of cyberbullying within a 12-month period.
• Youth who are part of the LGBTQ community are significantly more likely to experience cyberbullying. This study by the Cyberbullying Research Center found that 56% of students who identified as LGBTQ had experienced cyberbullying compared to just about a third of non-LGBTQ students.
• The Cyberbullying Research Center also found that about 16% of students had cyberbullied others at some point in their lifetime.
• Admissionsly notes that about 5.1% of students have bullied others in some way or form as of 2020.
• Teachers listed cyberbullying as the top online issue for students in a survey by Google , ahead of privacy, inappropriate content, and other concerns.
• The consequences of cyberbullying can be substantial for both the bullied and the bullies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those who are bullied are at an increased risk for anxiety and depression, as well as poor academic performance and even not finishing school; bullies are more likely to have problems with substance abuse and violence later in life.

Back To Top

There are a few aspects of cyberbullying that differentiate it from traditional bullying, which make it a unique concern for parents and teachers. The following qualities can help answer the question “What is the difference between cyberbullying and bullying?”:

• Anonymity: While victims usually know who their bully is, online bullies may be able to hide their identities. The anonymity of the internet can lead to crueler or harsher abuses from the bully, all while the victim has no means of discovering who his or her harasser is.
• Relentless: Bullying typically ends once the victim is removed from the negative social situation. However, smartphones, laptops, and other devices have made it possible for people to communicate with each other at all hours and from nearly any location. Cyberbullies may be able to torment their victim 24 hours per day, seven days per week, making it difficult for the victim to escape it by going home or even changing schools.
• Public: With traditional bullying, often only people who interact with those involved will know of the abuse. However, when content is posted or shared online, it is possible that anyone may see it. This opens up the victim to more potential ridicule or pain from strangers. This is compounded by the anonymity afforded by virtual spaces; while bullying in person may be done covertly or out of view to avoid punishment, cyberbullies need not fear being witnessed in the act if their identities are not known.
• Permanent: Because online content is impossible to delete entirely, cyberbullying may damage the victim’s, or possibly the bully’s, reputation permanently. Even if the content is removed or deleted from the original site, someone may find it posted from screengrabs elsewhere later. This may negatively impact future employment, college admissions, or relationships for victims and bullies alike.
• Easy to Overlook: Cyberbullying may be harder for teachers, administrators, and parents to discover because they may not have access to students’ online activities. They may not be able to overhear or see the abuse taking place. Unless someone comes forward, parents and teachers may never know that bullying is taking place.

The difference between cyberbullying and bullying is clear, but cyberbullying is still bullying, and the consequences and dangers remain the same, if not increased in their severity and duration. Even though it occurs online instead of in person, cyberbullying needs to be taken as seriously as traditional bullying.

As technology has developed over the past 20 years, cyberbullying has become an increasingly larger issue. The immense popularity of smartphones, instant messaging apps, and the rise of social media have opened up an ever-growing number of ways for cyberbullies to hurt their targets.

Various forms of cyberbullying often overlap, and the bully may choose to employ or combine multiple tactics to hurt their target. For example, they may share private information about someone after gaining access to their account.

In addition, all these different kinds of cyberbullying may take place on different devices, social media websites, forums, text messages, or mobile apps. Someone may not even realize they are bullying someone, or even that they are being bullied.

Much like offline harassment, online harassment involves sending abusive or offensive messages to an individual or group. Harassment takes great effort on the part of the bully to hurt the victim. Further, it is intentional, repeated, and constant. The victim will often have no reprieve from the bully. Especially over a period of time, these messages can have a negative impact on the victim’s self-esteem or confidence.

Cyberstalking

Cyberstalking is a form of harassment. These messages are often no longer just offensive or rude, but more threatening in nature. Messages may escalate to threaten the victim’s physical safety. Cyberstalking can quickly lead to in-person harassment or stalking.

Exclusion is the act of deliberately ostracizing the victim. This may involve leaving them out from social media groups, chat rooms, messages, events, or activities. It may mean purposefully having conversations on social media platforms or apps that the victim does not have access to, or that they see but are unable to join. The group may then go on to say cruel or rude things about the excluded person behind their back.

Outing is when the bully publicly shares private messages, pictures, or other information about the victim on the internet. This is done without the victim’s knowledge or consent and is meant to embarrass, shame, or humiliate them. The information may be trivial or more private and serious, but either way, it is a form of outing.

Masquerading

Masquerading occurs when the bully, or possibly even bullies, assumes another identity to anonymously harass the victim. They may either impersonate someone else, use a real person’s account or phone number, or create an entirely fake identity. Often, the bully will know the victim well if they feel the need to hide their identity. The bully may harass or cyberstalk the victim. This is typically done in an attempt to amuse themselves or humiliate the victim.

Fraping is the act of logging in to someone’s social media profile and posting inappropriate content under their name. While many people consider this to be a funny joke, fraping can hurt someone’s reputation, get them in trouble with family, or otherwise embarrass or harm them.

Bullying has become such a pervasive issue in recent years that there are initiatives and laws at multiple levels of government to prevent it.

Federal Laws

As of May 2021, there are no federal laws that specifically address bullying. Cyberstalking is a notable exception to this rule. Though there are no federal laws regarding cyberstalking specifically, it is a criminal action under other anti-stalking and harassment laws.

Bullying may overlap with discrimination, harassment, or hate crimes if it is based on race, national origin, color, sex, age, disability, or religion. If that overlap occurs, federally funded schools at all levels must address and resolve the harassment.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service offers resources to help communities resolve conflicts, prevent violence, and respond to hate crimes and discrimination. It is a free, confidential service that offers everything from counseling to technical assistance. If harassment persists, victims should consider filing a formal complaint with both the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice .

All 50 states have anti-bullying laws in place. Most states also have laws meant to prevent cyberbullying. Some states have additional policies to help guide schools and their district’s response to bullying.

Familiarize yourself with the laws and policies in your state. You can find more information at the Cyberbullying Research Center or StopBullying.gov .

There may also be local laws at the regional, county, or city level. If nothing else, most school districts or school codes of conduct contain anti-bullying language or rules. Be sure to research the various policies and laws at the local level in your area.

As discussed above, one of the most concerning aspects of what cyberbullying is includes how difficult it can be to recognize. Still, teachers should always be on the lookout for signs that a student is either being a bully or being bullied.

Signs and Symptoms of Cyberbullying

Some of the warning signs of cyberbullying may overlap with those of traditional bullying. However, here are a few things you should look for in children’s behavior:

• Anxiety or Anger: Pay attention to your teenager’s mood both during and after they use a mobile phone or computer. Do they consistently seem anxious, nervous, or otherwise upset when spending time online? Do they get angry or have outbursts when they are online?
• Secretive: Has your teen become secretive or defensive about their online activities? If they unexpectedly shut off devices when others approach, refuse to discuss what they do online, or get upset or agitated when you try to discuss this with them, they may be attempting to hide the fact that they are being bullied.
• Avoiding Technology: Take note of the frequency of the amount of time your teen spends online, especially if they have always enjoyed it. If they have suddenly stopped using their devices as frequently (or possibly altogether), they may be attempting to avoid a bully.
• Becoming Withdrawn: Even if your teenager has always been quiet or introverted, observe their social behavior. Do they want to spend more and more time away from their friends and peers? Have they suddenly started commenting on their lack of friends or how there is drama at school? Have they been pushing away people they are close to and wanting to spend more time alone?
• Increase in Messages: Has your teen started to receive a lot more messages or emails than they usually do? Are they from numbers or people you don’t recognize? Is your teenager evasive when you ask them who is contacting them?
• Depression: Has your teen’s mood changed? Do they often seem sad or depressed? Has there been a drastic change in their eating or sleeping patterns? Are they claiming to be sick more often to avoid going to school or social events? Have they lost interest in other activities or hobbies?

One of these symptoms alone may not be immediate cause for concern, but if you begin to notice your teen continually exhibiting many of these behaviors, it may be time to address your concerns with them.

Why Children Do Not Discuss It

Many teenagers hide the fact that they are being bullied, online or in person, from their parents, teachers, and other adults in their life.

Do not take it personally if your teen does not tell you about being bullied. It is an intense, confusing experience that everyone responds to differently, and there are many reasons they may choose not to talk about it with anyone.

They may feel embarrassed or ashamed, worry that their online privileges will be taken away, or simply not know what cyberbullying is. They may fear that the bully will retaliate or the abuse will intensify if they speak up, or they may just want to figure out how to handle this situation on their own.

Signs Your Teen Might Be a Cyberbully

Also be on the lookout for warning signs that your teen might be bullying their peers. It may be unexpected or shocking, but cyberbullying is becoming more common. Not only the “bad kids” are bullies, and it doesn’t mean you have failed as a parent.

It is incredibly important to look for warning signs that your teenager may be a bully. Not only are they deliberately trying to hurt others, but it may also be their way of seeking attention or help. Some of the signs to look for include the following:

• Many Accounts: Does your teen have a large number of social media accounts on various websites? Are they under other names? Do you recognize the name listed on the account? They may be attempting to anonymously harass someone or infiltrate others’ accounts.
• Secretive: Is your teenager secretive about what they do online? Do they turn off or hide their screen when others approach them while they are online? Are they evasive or hostile when you ask them questions about their online activities? Do they get irritated or annoyed if you interrupt them while they are using a phone or computer?
• Long Hours Online: Pay attention to the amount of time your teen spends online. Is it excessive, especially compared to how much they have spent on the internet in the past? Are they obsessive about spending time on their devices or checking their messages? Do they prefer to spend time online at times of the day when they are less likely to be supervised, like before you get home from work or in the middle of the night?
• Lack of Remorse: Does your teenager seem to not care if their words or actions hurt others? Do they make snarky or rude comments, especially when using their phone or computer? Is this callousness new or previously out of character for your teen?
• New Friend Group: Has your teen recently made new friends who seem to be mean or aggressive? Do these friends have a history of bullying others themselves? Has your teenager become preoccupied with impressing them or becoming more popular with them? Peer pressure from new friends who seem aggressive can motivate many teens to start cyberbullying others.
• Becoming Withdrawn: Has your teen abandoned activities and hobbies in favor of spending more time online? Do they no longer want to spend time with close friends or family members, preferring to spend time alone with their devices? Do they appear to be depressed?

Again, one of these warning signs may not be a definite indicator that your teenager is cyberbullying others. Pay careful attention to your teen’s behavior, as some of these signs overlap with those that indicate they are a victim of bullying.

Why Teenagers Cyberbully Others

The reasons why one teen chooses to bully another are complex and varied. They may want to feel powerful, feel the need to act out for attention, or feel like they must control others. While each person’s motives are different, similar factors may come into play when teenagers choose to cyberbully:

• Boredom: Some teens may simply be bored or craving attention. It is a way to add excitement or drama to their lives with very little effort. Cyberbullying often will become a new form of online entertainment.
• Peer Pressure: Some bullies may be trying to impress their peers, become more popular, or maintain their social status. Being part of a group can give people a false sense of security that their actions are acceptable or normal.
• Revenge: Teens may choose to cyberbully someone because they feel wronged by that person or that their victim deserves it. The bully may feel that their behavior is justified due to the pain the victim previously inflicted upon them.
• Anonymity: Cyberbullies can embrace the chance to be anonymous by doing all of their harassment online under another identity. They may feel like they will not get caught and do not have to face their victim directly.
• Ignorance: Some cyberbullies may simply not realize that what they are doing is, in fact, bullying. They may think it is just a joke and not take the situation seriously.

Traditional bullying is known to have adverse effects on victims . Academic performance can suffer and anxiety and depression can develop — and these issues can continue into adulthood. And much like traditional bullying, cyberbullying can have severe negative consequences for the victim.

Victims may experience the following effects after being cyberbullied:

• Decreased Self-Esteem: Bullying of all kinds is often detrimental to the victim’s self-esteem. Victims may believe that all of their peers dislike them and develop issues with trust and confidence.
• Emotional Distress: Cyberbullying can lead to a shift in mood or emotion in the victim. The constant stress of the attacks can make victims prone to outbursts of frustration, sadness, or anger as they try to cope with the bullying.
• Physical Symptoms: Victims may begin to develop frequent headaches, stomachaches, and trouble sleeping. Though they are not attacked physically by the bully, the ongoing stress of the harassment may still take a physical toll as the victim grows increasingly stressed and anxious.
• Depression: Cyberbullying can cause victims to develop depression. The constant stress and lowered self-esteem can cause them to feel hopeless, unloved, and sad.
• Suicidal Thoughts: A study published in ScienceDaily indicates that cyberbullying victims are twice as likely to attempt suicide or engage in self-harming behaviors. Bullying does not directly cause victims to commit suicide, but it does put them at a higher risk of doing so.

As with traditional bullying, these issues may persist even after the victim is no longer suffering from cyberbullying, continuing well into adulthood.

As cyberbullying becomes more common and widespread among teenagers and young adults, it becomes increasingly important for parents and teachers to prevent it from happening, to intervene when it does, and to respond appropriately to victims and bullies alike. Sharing cyberbullying information is a good way to start.

Guidelines for Appropriate Internet Use

Even before they are old enough to use the internet, initiate conversations about internet safety . Be sure to keep this an open dialogue with your teen. You will likely need to have new discussions as their online activities change and new safety concerns arise.

Some important topics to discuss before your teen goes online include the following:

• Privacy: Teach your young adult about the importance of maintaining privacy online. Make sure they know to never share personal information, such as physical addresses and phone numbers, with strangers online. Ensure they know to never share any of the passwords to their accounts , even with their close friends.
• Strangers: Let them know that the same rules apply to strangers online as they do in person. Make sure they know they should be careful about, or avoid altogether, talking to strangers online. Tell them that you do not always know what someone’s intentions are, and some people may try to befriend you to hurt you.
• Permanence: Remind your teen that once something is put online, it cannot ever be truly deleted — even if the post is removed. Let them know that they cannot anticipate or control who may eventually see that content, so they must think very carefully before sharing things online.

Set clear guidelines about how you expect your young adult to behave on the internet. Let them know that you expect them to behave as ethically online as you would expect in person. Consider having your teen sign a youth pledge and signing a parent pledge yourself.

Remind them that there may be consequences if they violate the pledge, and ask them to help hold you accountable as well. Encourage them to ask you questions if anything is unclear when they are online.

Educating Your Teen on Cyberbullying

In addition to general internet safety practices, educate your teen about what cyberbullying is and how to identify it. Make sure they know cyberbullying is not a joke. Just because their friends are doing it for fun does not mean that it is acceptable or that they have to participate.

Emphasize that the Golden Rule — that your teen should treat others the way they want to be treated — still applies when they are online. Teach them what it means to be a good digital citizen .

Keep the lines of communication open. Let them know they can always come talk to you if they experience or encounter any cyberbullying online. Reassure your teen that they will not face repercussions or a loss of computer privileges if they are being bullied.

How to Deal with a Cyberbully

Provide your teenager with the tools to deal with anyone who is rude to them online, including a cyberbully. Remember that informing an adult about cyberbullying can be difficult for teens, so they need to be prepared enough to handle the situation on their own.

Highlight the importance of common sense when dealing with a cyberbully:

• Do Not Engage: Encourage your teenager to avoid engaging with cyberbullies. It can be difficult to ignore purposefully inflammatory comments, but remind your teen that responding to their messages will only intensify the bully’s efforts and they are doing this to get a reaction. There is a greater chance that the bullying will stop if your teen ignores them.
• Block Them: Tell your teen they should block the phone number and social media accounts of anyone who bullies them. This is especially important if your teenager has trouble ignoring them or the bullies are very persistent. Bullies may make other accounts or recruit friends to continue tormenting your teenager, so encourage them to block those accounts too.
• Change Contact Info: If ignoring and blocking the cyberbullies does not help or intensifies their efforts, tell your teen that you can always change their contact information. Be sure they know that you are happy to help them update their phone number and email address.
• Make a Record: Ask that your teen document all messages, comments, or other abuses from bullies online. Teach them how to take a screenshot and ask them not to delete any messages. Having proof of the bullying will be helpful if you need to contact any authorities.

Though it may be easier said than done, you can also encourage your teen to get offline more often . Stepping away from their devices and focusing on another activity may help distract your teenager from cyberbullying.

Monitoring Social Media Activity

Find the right balance between supervising your teenager’s online activities and respecting their privacy.  Talk with your teen about the degree to which you will keep an eye on them. They may not be thrilled at the prospect, but explain that this is important to maintaining their safety online.

Be sure to always be open with your teen if you choose to monitor their social media accounts or text messages. Avoid looking at personal content or messages without your teen’s consent; it can be a huge breach of privacy.

Whether you have your suspicions or your teenager comes to you on their own, be sure to respond with love and support if you learn your teenager is experiencing cyberbullying. Always be willing to listen to what they have to say and reassure them that you are there to help them resolve this issue.

Maryville University has additional reading and resources available, including social media safety precautions you can take and a guide to keeping your kids secure online .

For more cyberbullying information, consult the following resources:

StopBullying.gov

Cyberbullying Research Center

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

Delete Cyberbullying

Embrace Civility Initiative

Cyberbully Help

The Bully Project

U.S. Department of Civil Rights

U.S. Department of Justice

Recommended Reading

A Guide to Children’s Mental Health

Student Guide to Social Media

The Evolution of Social Media: How Did It Begin, and Where Could It Go Next?

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Cyberbullying and the First Amendment Essay

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• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
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First Amendment Arguments and Responses

Required actions.

Cyberbullying, like other forms of bullying, is an increasingly serious issue, particularly in schools. Laws and regulations exist intended to prevent students from falling victim to it. However, as the process often happens outside of the school and does not necessarily involve any of its facilities, it can be challenging to detect and protect students from it. When detected, it requires action from the school faculty, which may include legal action. Fundamentally, case law, such as the precedent of Morse v. Frederick (2007), states that a “student’s First Amendment rights are circumscribed in light of the special characteristics of the school environment.” Nonetheless, several precedents establish arguments related to the protection of student online speech that may constitute cyberbullying.

Several key arguments can be brought up in a cyberbullying case. The primary argument that involves the First Amendment directly was made in the Tinker vs. Des Moines (1969) case, where the Supreme Court ruled that students’ actions that interfere with the disciplinary requirements of a school are not protected by the First Amendment. More recently, Currently, Bittner (2013) identifies three key themes with legal arguments related to cyberbullying: the geographical approach, the substantial disruption approach, and the relational/duty to the student approach. Under the geographical approach, the defendant can argue that since the event in question occurs online and outside of school property, it is covered by the First Amendment and the school has “no authority to discipline the student” (Bittner, 2013, p. 177). Similar argumentation was used in Layshock v. Hermitage Sch. Dist (2011), where the court ruled in favor of the student. However, the message’s content, intent, and the possible effect on the school environment determine the relevant response, as well.A defendant in a cyberbullying case can argue that the speech on a Facebook page does not constitute a threat. However, following from the precedent established in Tinker vs. Des Moines (1969), a counterargument exists that a potential disruption of a school’s instructional process by off-campus activity can be grounds for legal action (Bittner, 2013). Furthermore, the reasoning in Bethel Sch. Dist. v. Fraser (1986) and Hazelwood Sch. Dist. v. Kuhlmeier (1988) is that a school is obligated to provide certain protections to their students and faculty members, and, therefore, may limit a student’s expression to do so. Therefore, if it can be proven that the student’s messages can cause harm, including psychological harm and harm to academic performance, to another student, violate privacy, or interfere with the school’s function and environment, the courts may be justified to rule against the defendant.

According to the Board Policy of LA County School District and California State statutes, school staff should immediately intervene to stop the incident of bullying. In the case of cyberbullying, this involves investigation and documenting the activity and identifying “specific facts or circumstances that explain the impact or potential impact on school activity, school attendance, or the targeted student’s educational performance” (California School Boards Association [CSBA], 2012, BP 5131.2(d)). Furthermore, if a social networking site or service was used for bullying, a request should be filed with the site or service in question, requesting that the offending material is removed and the bullying student’s social networking privileges suspended (CSBA, BP 5131.2(d)). Disciplinary measures against the offending student may include suspension and expulsion (CSBA, AR 5144.1(d); Los Angeles Unified School District, 2018). During the course of the investigation, the involved students’ parents may be notified, as appropriate (CSBA, BP 5131.2(c)). In general, these steps are aimed at minimizing harm and restoring school discipline.

• Bethel Sch. Dist. v. Fraser, 478 U.S. 675 (1986).
• Bittner, M. L. (2013). Beyond the schoolhouse gate: Students First Amendment speech rights in the digital age. The Clearing House, 86 , 174-178.
• California School Boards Association (2012). Board Policy .
• Hazelwood Sch. Dist. v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 260 (1988).
• Layshock v. Hermitage Sch. Dist., No. 07-4465 (3d Cir. 2011).
• Los Angeles Unified School District (2018). 2018-2019 Parent Student Handbook . Los Angeles, CA.
• Morse v. Frederick, 551 U.S. 393 (2007).
• Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969).
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IvyPanda. (2022, February 16). Cyberbullying and the First Amendment. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cyberbullying-and-the-first-amendment/

"Cyberbullying and the First Amendment." IvyPanda , 16 Feb. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/cyberbullying-and-the-first-amendment/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Cyberbullying and the First Amendment'. 16 February.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Cyberbullying and the First Amendment." February 16, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cyberbullying-and-the-first-amendment/.

1. IvyPanda . "Cyberbullying and the First Amendment." February 16, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cyberbullying-and-the-first-amendment/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Cyberbullying and the First Amendment." February 16, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cyberbullying-and-the-first-amendment/.

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