Cyberbullying

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying occurs when someone repeatedly engages in mean, nasty, harassing, or threatening behaviour towards another person using digital technologies. This includes social media, mobile phones, messaging apps, emails, and online games.

Just like face-to-face bullying, cyberbullying often happens between people who know each other—such as students from the same school, teammates from a sporting club, or individuals within the same friendship group. In many cases, students who experience cyberbullying are also being bullied in person.

Cyberbullying is particularly harmful because it can be constant and difficult to escape. Unlike traditional bullying, the behaviour can follow a young person into their home and continue at any time of the day or night. Although cyberbullies may hide behind fake accounts or blocked numbers, the source of the behaviour is often still identifiable.

Another significant concern is its public and permanent nature. Hurtful messages, images, or posts can be quickly shared with large audiences, and once something is published online, it can be extremely difficult to remove completely. This can make the impact long-lasting and deeply distressing for the person targeted.