Cyberbullying is not a new version of playground bullying — it is a different experience altogether.
It follows children home. It happens at 2am. It involves an audience that can be seen. And it can be invisible to every adult in a child's life until real harm has been done.
What Cyberbullying Actually Looks Like
Direct harassment: Repeated offensive, threatening, or humiliating messages sent privately or in group chats.
Public humiliation: Screenshots of private conversations posted publicly; unflattering photos shared without consent; deliberate tagging in embarrassing content.
Exclusion: Being publicly removed from group chats, left out of conversations others can see, or being 'muted' as a social signal.
Impersonation: Creating fake accounts in your child's name to send messages or post content that damages their reputation.
Dogpiling: Coordinated harassment from multiple accounts, often organised in a separate group. Your child receives a surge of negative comments or messages simultaneously.
Gaming harassment: In-game verbal abuse, targeted griefing (deliberately ruining someone's game), and false reports to get a player banned.
Warning Signs
On devices
- Stopping device use suddenly when a parent enters the room
- Visible distress during or after using their phone
- Deleting accounts or apps without explanation
- Refusing school after heavy device use the night before
Emotionally and socially
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- Unexplained mood drops, irritability, or anxiety
- Loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy
- Sleep disturbances