When the bullies follow you home: How cyberbullying hurts children
Cyberbullying is uniquely invasive, but teachers can help
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Bullying typically used to mean kicks in the playground, whispered teases in hallways, or shoving when teachers were not looking. But with smartphones and social media a part of millions of children’s lives, peer bullying has moved online and followed young people home.
What’s the impact of cyberbullying on children and adolescents?
Cyberbullying is one of the most common and least visible forms of peer aggression, affecting up to 57% of children and adolescents in some parts of the world. Cyberbullies use texts, posts, photos, online platforms, and other digital communication tools to target their victims, often leaving no visible marks yet causing deep emotional wounds. Much like victims of traditional bullying, cyberbullied teenagers frequently report signs of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, substance use, loneliness, poor academic performance, school absenteeism, and even self-harm and suicidality.
“Cyberbullying is one of the most common and least visible forms of peer aggression.”
With cyberbullying affecting millions of young people around the world, we wanted to find out whether cyberbullying has a distinct and more severe impact than offline bullying.
To do so, we analyzed data from the Study on Social and Emotional Skills, conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The data consisted of self-reported responses from thousands of teenagers across nine countries: Canada, China, Colombia, Finland, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and the United States.
The good news is that most respondents did not report being victimized either online or offline. Among the over 60,000 ten- and fifteen-year-old participants, 47% reported never or almost never being victimized in school (in response to such prompts as “I got hit or pushed around by students” or “Students took away or destroyed my things”). Of the 30,000 fifteen-year-olds who were asked to report their experiences of cyberbullying, 73% indicated that they were never victimized online (i.e., “threatened by people on social media” or “people have spread nasty rumors about me on social media,” for example).
It became clear that cyberbullying has unique effects even after we account for traditional forms of peer victimization. When we controlled for experiences of offline harassment, cyberbullying predicted higher levels of school-related distress. This means that the anxiety and distress caused by online bullying adds an extra emotional burden on top of bullying in the offline world.
Why does cyberbullying hurt so much?
Unlike traditional forms of bullying, cyberbullying follows victims everywhere. A single humiliating post, message, or video can be shared repeatedly and rapidly, reaching large audiences and living online indefinitely. Once online, harmful content is nearly impossible to fully erase. That’s why victims often feel isolated, anxious, and unsafe even when they are at home. This sense of constant exposure intensifies emotional distress, disrupts sleep, impairs concentration, and strains social relationships.
“Unlike traditional forms of bullying, cyberbullying follows victims everywhere.”
Cyberbullies can be anonymous, making it difficult for victims to defend themselves or seek justice. What’s more, the public nature of online platforms can amplify feelings of shame and humiliation, as peers may witness or even participate in bullying. The lack of supervision on many digital platforms and the unpredictability of attacks further magnify stress and fear.
Together, these factors make cyberbullying a uniquely invasive form of aggression, capable of leaving deep and lasting emotional scars. We wanted to know if there was hope in one possible protective factor: support from teachers.
Can support from teachers help cyberbullied young people?
For the adolescents who experienced cyberbullying in our sample, having teachers who show genuine care and concern buffered its emotional toll. When teachers got along well with these students, treated them fairly, and were perceived as supportive and interested in their wellbeing, adolescents reported lower levels of school-related distress and less loneliness than teenagers who felt unsupported.
However, teachers already have full plates and shouldn’t be expected to serve as therapists or monitor students’ online behavior and activities. But simple, consistent actions can make a big difference. Here are some evidence-based suggestions for creating a supportive climate in school:
- Check in often: Say hello and call students by name, ask how they are doing during the day, and watch for subtle changes in mood or behavior that may indicate they are being victimized.
- Talk openly about digital citizenship: Make space for conversations about social media and cyberbullying. Normalize these discussions so students feel comfortable sharing.
- Create a safe classroom environment: Let students know they can share their experiences without fear of punishment or judgment.
- Encourage peer support: Teach students to look out for one another, stand up for each other, and report bullying.
- Share helpful resources: Provide information about online safety, school counseling, and trusted adults students can reach out to.
- Stay up to date: Keep an eye on social media trends to understand the challenges students face.
- Celebrate positive actions: Highlight kindness, inclusion, and responsible online behavior.
These small but consistent acts of attention and support go a long way in building trust, a sense of belonging, and resilience. Cyberbullying may never fully disappear, but schools have the power to make a real difference. By creating environments where students feel heard, supported, and valued, educators can help young people build emotional strength and resilience to make online and offline challenges easier to bear.
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