What is Cyberbullying? (And how to spot it)

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Cyberbullying is a popular term that we wish wasn’t popular, and frankly, wish didn’t exist. The reality, though, is that cyberbullying has become incredibly prevalent and popular, especially with the rise of social media and other digital connection mediums, and the group we see most affected by this? Our kids and young adults.

As a powerful first step to combatting and eradicating cyberbullying, we have to start by being able to identify what it is and what it looks like in the real world. Today, we’ll share that definition and give some super practical examples so that parents, providers, teens, and even kids can spot this when it’s happening.

The Definition of Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is the term for when someone uses digital tools (like social media, text messages, group chats, gaming chats, DMs, email, etc.) to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person in any way, shape, or form.

The easiest way to think of this is think about “regular” bullying, and just imagine that happening over some form of technology. That is what cyberbullying is in a nutshell. We’ll give some real-world examples shortly.

Why Cyberbullying is Arguably Worse Than Standard Bullying

While we don’t ever want to minimize the real and meaningful effects of “standard” bullying (for lack of a better term), it’s important to point out that cyberbullying may actually be worse. This isn’t said to be any sort of contest, but merely as an opportunity to point out how the two are different and how the threat to our youth may be greater than in the past.

Here are a few of the reasons to consider:

• Cyberbullying doesn’t stop when someone goes home. It has the ability to give bullies access to their victims nearly 24/7.
• Cyberbullying can happen from complete strangers in the comfort of a victim’s own home. Strangers can now say and do things to affect a victim’s mental health while never having met them or even living in the same state or country.
• Cyberbullying can happen from bots that aren’t even real people. Programs can be written to bully and harass people without any additional intervention from actual people.
• Cyberbullying can give bullies a platform and the means to bully large groups of people all at once. Digital tools can be a force multiplier for good, or for bad things like bullying.
• Cyberbullies can remain anonymous. Many platforms allow people to say anything anonymously or they can simply create fake accounts. This can give bullies more confidence to attack their victims.

How to Spot Real-World Examples of Cyberbullying

While some forms of cyberbullying are easy to spot, others may not be as clear. To help, we want to include a list of real-world examples. Please be aware that this is not an exhaustive list. We have tried to highlight some of the lesser known activities that would fall under this umbrella.

• Spreading rumors or false information online, both in private messages and publicly
• Humiliating someone through posts, comments, memes, or pictures shared
• Negative comments left on social media posts or profiles
• Hurtful messages being sent through DMs, text, or email
• Unsolicited or unapproved sending of illicit images or revenge porn
• Ganging up on someone in the comments section of a post
• Excluding someone from a group chat on purpose to hurt their feelings or to talk about them negatively behind their back
• Impersonating someone to embarrass or hurt them, or to use that impersonated likeness to embarrass or hurt someone else
• Anonymous messages telling someone to hurt themselves
• Mean and hurtful comments disguised as “jokes”
• Private texts or photos that are shared with others without permission
• Tagging someone on an offensive meme or post to insinuate that it is a reflection of them
• Insults and hurtful posts made that don’t mention a person by name but where anyone connected to the situation knows who they are talking about (example: the situation of a breakup)
• Liking or reacting to sensitive posts (example: liking a post when someone is sharing something bad that happened)

Additional Notes About Cyberbullying to Be Aware Of

When looking for signs of cyberbullying, there are a few additional things to be aware of.

First, cyberbullying can start small. It doesn’t have to be full-blown out of the gate, even though it can be. Often, spotting the signs early can help you to put a stop to it before it increases. Regardless, cyberbullying of any degree should not be tolerated.

Second, anything done through a digital means to hurt or harm another person is cyberbullying. Even if it doesn’t fit the traditional definition or what we have on our list, it doesn’t matter. The only criteria needed for it to be cyberbullying is that it’s done through a digital means with the intent to hurt or harm.

Third, cyberbullying is always evolving as technology evolves. With every new platform, AI product, or communication tool that comes out, the opportunities for new forms of cyberbullying are there.