The growing use of smartphones, the internet and social media among teenagers has brought new opportunities for learning, communication and entertainment, but it has also expanded the ways young people can be harassed online.
Cyberbullying is no longer limited to abusive comments or direct threats. It can include spreading false information, sharing private photographs or videos without permission, creating fake accounts, distributing screenshots of private conversations, deliberately excluding someone from online groups and manipulating images or other digital content to humiliate them.
The increasing accessibility of artificial intelligence tools has added another dimension, making it possible to create fabricated images, videos and audio that can be used to target or embarrass individuals.
A wider range of online harassment
What may begin as a joke among friends—including posting someone's photograph or revealing private information—can cause significant distress when shared without consent.
Online gaming and social platforms can also become environments for harassment, including public humiliation, exclusion and the circulation of altered images.
Impact on young people's wellbeing
Repeated insults, threats or attempts to isolate a child socially can affect confidence and emotional wellbeing. Some young people may experience fear, anxiety, loneliness or a loss of interest in their studies.
Changes in sleeping patterns and withdrawal from family members or friends can also occur. These signs underline why online harassment should not automatically be dismissed as ordinary teenage conflict.
Why many children remain silent
Many young victims do not tell their parents when they are being bullied online. Some fear that their phones or internet access will be taken away, while others worry about being reprimanded or feel embarrassed about what has happened.
Silence can allow the problem to continue for longer. Creating a family environment in which children can discuss online problems without fear is therefore an important part of prevention.
How parents can respond
When a child reports online harassment, parents should first listen calmly rather than blame the child.
Questions that imply responsibility—such as why the child was communicating with someone or why they did not report the incident earlier—can discourage further disclosure. Children should instead be reassured that being targeted is not their fault.
Depending on the circumstances, parents can involve a teacher or another trusted adult and consider additional support when necessary.
Preserve evidence
After preserving relevant evidence, users can block or mute the offending account and use the reporting mechanisms provided by social media platforms.
Where threats are serious or there are concerns about a child's physical safety, appropriate assistance should be sought promptly.
Avoid retaliatory behaviour
Responding to harassment with further insults or threats can escalate a situation and create additional problems.
Rather than engaging in an online confrontation, children and their parents can focus on documenting what happened, blocking the account and reporting abusive behaviour through the appropriate channels.
Young people should also understand that they are not required to respond to every provocation they encounter online.
Protect personal information
Children and teenagers should be cautious about sharing phone numbers, home addresses, passwords, personal photographs, detailed school information or sensitive family information with strangers online.
Privacy settings on social media accounts should be reviewed regularly. Users should also understand who can view their information, send them messages or interact with their accounts.
Schools also have a role
Educational institutions can play an important part in preventing cyberbullying by teaching students about responsible digital behaviour, online etiquette, privacy and the potential consequences of online harassment.
Schools should also ensure that students who report being targeted are supported rather than ridiculed or isolated.
Safer use rather than avoiding technology
Completely restricting children's access to the internet is not necessarily a practical solution. Digital technology has become an important tool for education, communication and skills development.
The emphasis should instead be on teaching young people how to use technology safely. Avoiding suspicious links, exercising caution with unfamiliar accounts, using strong passwords and promptly telling a trusted adult about online problems are among the basic habits that can improve digital safety.
Prevention requires a shared responsibility
Families, schools, friends and technology platforms all have a role to play in reducing cyberbullying.
Young people should be encouraged to consider the potential impact of their actions before posting or sharing content about another person. Private photographs or information should never be distributed without permission, and those who witness online harassment should be encouraged to support the person being targeted rather than remain silent.
Technology has opened new opportunities for children and teenagers, but it has also created new forms of vulnerability. Cyberbullying can extend beyond the screen, affecting confidence, emotional wellbeing and relationships in everyday life.
The goal, therefore, is not simply to keep young people away from technology, but to help them use it safely and responsibly—and to ensure they know they can seek help when something goes wrong.
A supportive environment in which children feel able to report harassment without fear or shame remains one of the most important safeguards against the growing risks of online abuse.
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