Worse than getting a hurtful email or text is not knowing where it came from. Being cyber bullied is humiliating and confusing. There are ways to get support and make it stop without losing your online privileges.

What makes it hard to stop cyber bullying?

  • It happens as soon as you hit “send”
  • Emails and texts can be written anonymously, so you might not know who is targeting you
  • The Internet is a public space. Anything that goes online is global within seconds.
  • Think of how easy it is to copy and forward a message. Once you hit “send,” the message is no longer in your hands, and you can’t control what happens to it.

What can I do?

1. Stop

It might be tempting to respond to the email or text, but it’s better not to. Take a breath and count to ten.

2. Save

Don’t delete the message. Having a record can help you prove what happened.

3. Block

Block the sender from your inbox. Move the message to your Junk folder. If you don’t know how to block a sender from your phone, contact the service provider (your cell phone company).

4. Tell

It’s important to tell someone you trust about what’s happening, especially if it continues. If you are being threatened, you should contact the police.

How do I tell about cyber bullying?

If you don’t get help for what is happening, chances are that the cyber bullying will only get worse. Here are some tips for getting help:

  • Ask an adult you trust to help you talk to your parents. Say that you are being cyberbullied, but you don’t want to have your Internet privileges taken away. Talk to your parents together.
  • If you’re not sure how to start the conversation, call Kids Help Phone and bounce your ideas off a counsellor.
  • Don’t forget you are always anonymous and confidential when you call us.
  • Remember, you didn’t ask to be cyberbullied. You deserve to put an end to it.

Staying safe

Here are some ways to protect yourself from being cyber bullied:

  • Keep your passwords private, even from your friends.
  • Don’t make it easy for strangers to track you down. Keep your personal information to yourself. Personal information includes your name, the names of friends or family, your address, phone number, and the name of your school.
  • Don’t accept friend invites from strangers.
  • Be careful about who you share your photos with online.
  • Remove tags on photos that make you feel uncomfortable.
  • Create a fake email account, and use it when asked to submit it to websites you don’t trust.
  • Secure your profile information by making sure that only friends can see it.
  • Trust your gut. If you don’t recognize the name of a sender, don’t open or answer the message.

Who’s cyber bullying me?

  • People who cyber bully can be older, younger, or the same age as you
  • Most targets know the person who is cyber bullying them in real life, even if the cyber bullying is anonymous.
  • People who cyber bully usually know something about you, especially information that might be private or embarrassing.

I’m panicking. What can I do?

If you’re too upset to do anything, just turn off your phone or computer and take a deep breath. Then you can:

  • Call Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868
  • Do some breathing exercises
  • Call a friend to talk about what happened
  • Do something that will calm you down, like taking a walk, watching music videos, or reading a book

Did You Know?

70% of KHP users asked said they have been bullied online.