Originally published October 1, 2025 · Updated September 25, 2026
A student sees an unkind comment in a group chat. Do they join in, forward it, speak up, or ask an adult for help?
Preventing cyberbullying starts before that moment. Students need to recognize harmful behavior, understand how their actions affect others, and practice making safe, kind choices online. Families and schools can build those skills together through conversations, clear ways to ask for help, and opportunities to think through real situations.
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place through digital devices and online spaces, including texts, group chats, social platforms, and games. It can involve repeated hurtful messages, threats, rumors, impersonation, or sharing private or embarrassing content.
Students also encounter online disagreements that may not meet the definition of bullying. Adults should take a hurtful message seriously even when they do not yet know whether it is part of a pattern. Ask what happened, whether it has happened before, who else saw it, and how the student is feeling.
For more examples, see our guide to helping students identify cyberbullying.
How common is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying affects a significant number of students, but estimates depend on students’ ages, the questions asked, and the period measured. In the CDC’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, about 16% of U.S. high school students reported being electronically bullied during the previous year. That figure describes surveyed high school students; it should not be presented as the rate for all K–12 students.
A percentage cannot tell a family or teacher what one child is experiencing. Ongoing conversations make it easier for students to describe a problem and ask for help.
How can families help prevent cyberbullying?
Start with conversations students can use in their own lives. Ask what they would do if a group chat became unkind, someone shared an embarrassing image, or a friend asked them to forward a hurtful post.
Families can also:
- Make it safe to speak up. Let children know they can come to you if something online worries them. Listen first and work out next steps together.
- Practice a pause before posting or sharing. Ask: Is it true? Is it kind? Could sharing it hurt someone?
- Talk about the role of bystanders. Liking, forwarding, or adding a comment can spread harm, even when a student did not start it.
- Learn how to block and report. Review the tools in the apps and games a child uses, and identify trusted adults they can turn to.
- Watch for changes. A child who becomes upset after using a device, avoids friends, or suddenly changes online habits may need a gentle check-in.
These conversations are part of online safety: helping students assess a situation and make a responsible choice as well as protecting their accounts and information.
How can schools teach cyberbullying prevention?
An annual reminder can start a conversation. Students also need repeated chances to apply what they learn.
After an online safety or digital citizenship lesson, educators can discuss a realistic scenario: A classmate is being mocked in a group chat. What could happen if you react, share the message, check on the student privately, or tell a trusted adult? Ask students to explain the likely effect of each choice.
Schools can reinforce that practice by making reporting steps clear, responding consistently when students ask for help, and sharing conversation prompts with families. Digital citizenship instruction gives students a place to practice respectful communication and consider how their online actions affect others.
That practice builds digital judgment over time. Students learn to pause, consider consequences, and choose what to do next before a difficult situation arises.
What should students and adults do when cyberbullying happens?
Tell the student they were right to speak up. Ask them not to retaliate or forward the harmful content. Help them save relevant messages or screenshots, block the account when appropriate, and report the behavior to the platform and school. Follow up with the student so they know what support is available.
StopBullying.gov’s reporting guidance explains how to document and report cyberbullying, including when threats require additional help. Our article on how to handle cyberbullying offers more guidance for families and educators.
Students who witness bullying can help, too. They can avoid spreading the content, check in privately with the person targeted, and tell a trusted adult. They should not be expected to resolve a harmful situation on their own.
Free cyberbullying prevention resources for October 2026
Learning.com’s Cyberbullying Prevention Toolkit helps educators take the next step after a lesson. It includes a grade-level lesson guide, classroom discussion questions, and family resources in English and Spanish.
The toolkit also includes the Think Before You Type Digital Safety Challenge. After completing Digital Safety & Citizenship lessons, students in grades K–3 can do a coloring activity, while students in grades 4–8 can create an original poster about safe, kind choices online. Teachers or families can submit entries by October 30, 2026; the toolkit includes the entry details and family permission form.
Download the 2026 Cyberbullying Prevention Toolkit →
For a classroom reminder, download the Stop. Think. Choose. poster for grades K–5 or the poster for grades 6–8.
Frequently asked questions
Is every mean online message cyberbullying?
No. A disagreement or a single unkind message may not be bullying. Adults should still listen, address the harm, and find out whether the behavior is repeated or part of a wider pattern.
What should a child do first if they are being cyberbullied?
They should tell a trusted adult. Together, they can save evidence and decide how to report the behavior. A child should not have to manage it alone.
How do you teach students to make kinder choices online?
Give them situations to think through before they happen. Ask what they might post or share, how each action could affect someone else, and when they should seek help. Return to those questions across grade levels as students gain more independence online.