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What Is Cyberbullying: Definition, Forms, and How to Respond
Published: 12.08.2026·Updated: 12.08.2026
Bayu Nugraha
Children's Coding Specialist
Cyberbullying is bullying carried out through digital devices, repeatedly and deliberately, with the intent to hurt, humiliate, or exclude someone.
Table of Contents
- Forms of Cyberbullying
- Why It Is Harder Than Ordinary Bullying
- Signs a Parent Can Recognise
- What to Do
The key words are repeated and deliberate. A single rude comment is usually not cyberbullying, though it is still unacceptable. What distinguishes it is the sustained pattern and the imbalance of power between the people involved.
Forms of Cyberbullying
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| Insults | Demeaning comments sent repeatedly by message or on social media |
| Exclusion | Deliberately removing someone from a class group or online game |
| Exposure | Sharing photos, screenshots, or secrets without permission |
| Impersonation | Creating a fake account in the victim's name to embarrass them |
| Stalking | Following and commenting on every one of the victim's online activities |
The form parents most often miss is exclusion, because it leaves no trail of harsh words. The child simply disappears, slowly, from the groups and games where their friends gather.
Why It Is Harder Than Ordinary Bullying
Three things set it apart from bullying at school.
There is no safe place. Bullying at school stops when the bell rings. Cyberbullying follows the child into their bedroom through a phone.
The trace persists. Screenshots can be saved and circulated again months later, so the victim never quite feels the episode has ended.
The audience is large and the bully can hide. One post can be seen by an entire year group, while the bully may use an anonymous account.
Signs a Parent Can Recognise
Children experiencing cyberbullying rarely speak first, usually because they fear losing their phone. So the earliest visible signs are behavioural.
- Becoming withdrawn, anxious, or angry after using a phone.
- Suddenly avoiding a device they used to enjoy, or conversely checking it constantly.
- Hiding the screen quickly when a parent approaches.
- Pulling away from friends, or refusing to go to school.
- Changes in sleep and appetite.
These signs do not automatically mean cyberbullying, but they always mean something is worth asking about, calmly.
What to Do
- Listen first; do not confiscate the phone. Taking the device feels like punishment to the victim, and it is the main reason children stay silent.
- Preserve the evidence. Screenshots showing the account name, the messages, and the dates, before anything is deleted.
- Do not reply. Replying almost always prolongs and escalates the situation.
- Block and report through the platform. Every major social network has a reporting route for bullying.
- Involve the school if the bully is a classmate, and contact child protection services if there are threats of violence.
The best prevention is not tight surveillance but an agreement that the child can speak up without losing access. A child who is confident they will not be punished reports far sooner. For broader context, see our guides on Parenting in the Digital Era and Digital Literacy for Children.
