7 Signs of Cyberbullying That You Should Know

Since the dawn of the digital age and the proliferation of social media activity across the country, a new kind of bullying has emerged: cyberbullying. This form of harassment via online channels can affect anyone of any age from any walk of life, as long as they have access to the internet and a mobile device. But, children are one of the most vulnerable groups that can struggle with cyberbullying as they - more often than not - have constant access to the online world through their devices, making it difficult for them to escape cyberbullying if they are victims.

According to a previous report published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), roughly 20% of children between the ages of 10 and 15 years of age in England and Wales experienced at least one form of cyberbullying behaviour. Not to mention that additional research from child mental health charity YoungMinds found that 45% of surveyed young people shared they were suffering from a mental health problem. An overwhelming 68% of these individuals said that they had experienced cyberbullying within the previous 12 months too.

Therefore, parents, carers, and professionals working closely with children and young people must know when their child may be a victim of cyberbullying. But, if this is new territory, it may be difficult to pinpoint what the telltale signs of cyberbullying are.

That’s why our team at Virtual College by Netex - which offers specialist training courses in child safeguarding - has shared the biggest signs of cyberbullying that you need to know, as well as what you can do if you suspect a child is being bullied online.

What is Cyberbullying and Where Can It Take Place?

Cyberbullying is a specific kind of bullying that takes place over digital channels and on mobile devices like phones, tablets, and computers. It can occur in a variety of online and digital settings, with one of the most common places for this harassment being on social media applications like Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Other settings or digital channels for cyberbullying include online gaming platforms, text messaging, and blogs. 

Online bullying can involve all kinds of victimisation, with some examples including:

•  Online trolling, which refers to sending upsetting or threatening messages
• The sharing of private photos, or the creation of embarrassing videos and images
• The sending of abusive messages or calls
• Impersonation
• Exclusion from playing or socialising with groups in online games, chat rooms, or activities
• Cyber-stalking

With the digital nature of cyberbullying, it can be hard to spot cases when someone is being cyberbullied unless the victim in question comes forward. According to the National Bullying Helpline UK, over 5,000 clicks are recorded to its website every day, which means 5,000 people daily need assistance relating to bullying, many of which will be subjected to cyberbullying specifically. This is why it’s incredibly important to know the different types of cyberbullying on social media and online, and what their signs are.

Why Is It Important to Identify The Signs of Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying can have a significant mental and psychological toll on a child. It can lead young people to become socially isolated, feel anxious, lose their self-esteem and confidence, or have trouble concentrating. In more severe cases, it can even lead to children self-harming or attempting to commit suicide. Reports reveal that those who are victims of cyberbullying are between two and nine times more likely to seriously consider suicide.

As such, it’s essential that people make an effort to identify the signs of cyberbullying early on so that young people don’t get to a point of significant mental, psychological, or physical distress, and so that they can receive the support that they need. 

What Are The Signs of Cyberbullying?

As the first step to stop cyberbullying is identifying when it’s taking place, it's essential that you know the main warning signs of online bullying to help young people before any significant harm comes to them. We’ve outlined the seven main signs of cyberbullying that you need to know:

Appearing Nervous When Using Devices or Receiving Messages or Emails

An obvious sign that a child may be a victim of cyberbullying is that they are nervous when receiving messages or notifications, or when using their devices at all. 

One of the worst things about cyberbullying is how easy it is for a cyberbully to access their targets, making it hard for a bullied child to escape. When using their phone or computer, the child is vulnerable to real-time hate messages, trolling, or flaming attempts. So, when they display nervousness when accessing their electronic device, it can be a sign that they may be experiencing these types of cyberbullying at that moment. 

Avoiding The Use Of Devices Altogether 

If a child has previously shown enthusiasm or enjoyment when using electronic devices, but has abruptly stopped doing so, this can be one of the signs of online bullying. 

Cyberbullying can be so severe that its target can want to turn their phone or computer off completely to avoid having to face online abuse. This forms a negative relationship between the child and their devices, which could otherwise be used for recreational purposes and learning, thus taking away from other positive experiences that they could be having. 

Being Secretive About Their Online Presence

Children might also try to hide their screens from you whilst using their devices. This is because they may be trying to stop you from seeing the online abuse they’re being subjected to. It may be that they spend an increasing amount of time in their room on their phone to eliminate the risk of you seeing this entirely, or even switching their screen off or turning it in a different direction if you’re present.

If you can sense that a child is being secretive, this is one of the biggest signs of cyberbullying, which should alert you to support the young person. 

Being Visibly Worried About Going To School or Recreational Activities

Cyberbullying can often transfer from the digital world to the real one, and cyberbullying and real-life bullying rarely come without the other. If a child is scared or anxious about going to school, this can indicate that their tormentors are continuing the bullying offline in the schoolyard or classroom. 

Equally, it may be that the child is experiencing bullying from someone at one of their recreational groups, like a dance class or sports club. The same applies that these cyberbullies may continue to torment the child in person, causing them to become anxious or withdrawn from attending these recreational activities.

In these cases, after raising the issue with the child, it might be worth also getting in contact with their teacher or club leader with your concerns.

Becoming Withdrawn From Family and Friends

Due to the negative emotions that cyberbullying can make victims feel, this can lead them to act differently with those that are closest to them, including family and friends. If a victim of cyberbullying is acting differently around those whom they have strong bonds and relationships with, they likely have something else on their mind, such as ongoing experiences of cyberbullying. 

Changes in Mood, Sleep, or Appetite

Bullying, including cyberbullying, is one of the leading causes of mental health issues among children in the UK. Depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem are all examples of problems caused by cyberbullying. If you believe a child is suffering from a change in their mood or mental health, but you don’t see any evidence of real-world bullying, it may well be that they are being targeted by a cyberbully.

Similarly, it may be that you notice a child has a change in their sleeping patterns, such as they’re going to bed in the early hours or are sleeping in until later on in the day. They may also have a change in appetite, causing them to eat less frequently than they would or even consume more than normal throughout the day. These could all be signs of cyberbullying.

In these situations, it is important to talk to your child as soon as possible so that you can provide emotional and physical support to get them feeling like their normal selves again. 

Avoiding Conversations About Their Online Activity and Use of Devices

Finally, another sign of cyberbullying might be that a child avoids conversations about social media or their online activity if you bring it up in conversation. Their negative experience of cyberbullying might be something that they find difficult to raise or that they want to avoid discussing entirely. So, if they are avoiding specific questions that you ask or this topic of conversation entirely, this is a strong indicator that they could be a victim of cyberbullying. 

What to Do If You Think Your Child is Being Cyberbullied

If you suspect a child is being cyberbullied, the first thing to do is to sit down and talk to them. If they don’t want to talk to someone they know, they can ring Childline on 0800 1111 for confidential support which may help them to open up. 

If you have then confirmed that a child is a victim of cyberbullying, encourage them to block the accounts or phone numbers of the cyberbullies and tell them to not engage with them. Similarly, if the cyberbullying is taking place on a social media application or website, these sites often have moderators whom you can report instances of cyberbullying, so be sure to do this. If the perpetrator’s accounts are blocked, this will not only prevent the child from being bullied in the future, but it will prevent others from being bullied online as well.. 

If the child knows the cyberbully in real life, it may be worth keeping some of the instances of cyberbullying as evidence - like as screenshots or text messages - and setting up a meeting between the bully and victim alongside their parents, guardians, or teachers to try and resolve the issue. 

Finally, make sure you educate your children about cyberbullying so that they know how to act appropriately in the instance that they are being bullied online, and teach them how to navigate the internet and social media safely.

If you want to know more about cyberbullying and how to identify and prevent it, we offer informative and comprehensive courses on safeguarding and intuitive training materials to grant a deeper understanding of the issue. 

FAQs

Can You Get Depression From Cyber Bullying? 

It is possible for children to suffer from mental health problems as a result of cyberbullying. The National Institute of Health in a report revealed that depression was high among victims of school cyberbullying, which demonstrates the serious impact that this behaviour can have.

Is Social Media Bad for Teens? 

Excessive exposure to social media can not only have damaging psychological effects including sleep problems, attention deficits, and heightened levels of anxiety, but it can also mean your child is more likely to be exposed to cyberbullying. Social media is one of the most common settings for cyberbullying to take place, and if a child spends too much time on social media, they may be more likely to fall victim to a cyberbully. 

How Can Social Media Cause Anxiety? 

There are several ways that social media can cause anxiety, one of which is from cyberbullying. Receiving negative comments from others can make children feel more self-conscious or worried about certain things in their lives, leading to a heightened sense of anxiety.

Summary 

In a world that is becoming more heavily reliant on everyone having an online presence and using digital technology, children are increasingly likely to be exposed to cyberbullying. It is the responsibility of parents, teachers, and guardians more than anyone to ensure children’s safety when navigating our online world, and to ensure that they don’t suffer mentally or physically as a result of online bullying.

Our dedicated E-Safety course offers a user-friendly training platform for anyone to understand the dangers associated with the internet, including cyberbullying. You can also check out our useful and informative downloadable resources, including a guide to keeping your children safe online, a checklist on spotting the signs a child is being bullied, and a video on safeguarding children.