What are the signs that someone is being cyberbullied?

Asked by: Modesto Waters  |  Last update: February 11, 2026
Score: 4.4/5 (73 votes)

Signs of cyberbullying include emotional changes (sadness, anger, anxiety), behavioral shifts (secrecy, withdrawal, avoiding devices/school), and physical signs (sleep/appetite changes, stress symptoms) after device use, often accompanied by digital behaviors like receiving mean messages, having rumors spread, or fake accounts created in their name, leading to social withdrawal or loss of interest in activities.

What are the signs of cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying signs to watch for:

  • being emotionally upset during or after using the Internet or the phone.
  • being very secretive or protective of one's digital life.
  • spending more time than usual in their room.
  • withdrawal from or lack of interest in family members, friends, and activities.
  • avoiding school or group gatherings.

What are the signs for online abuse?

Signs

  • Spending more time than usual online or on their phone,
  • Being secretive about what they're doing or who they're talking to,
  • Hiding computer screens or taking phone calls in rooms away from other people,
  • Engaging less with family and usual friends,
  • Sudden personality changes or severe mood swings,

What are the 10 forms of cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying can include:

  • Sending mean texts or IMs to someone.
  • Pranking someone's cell phone.
  • Hacking into someone's gaming or social networking profile.
  • Being rude or mean to someone in an online game.
  • Spreading secrets or rumours about people online.
  • Pretending to be someone else to spread hurtful messages online.

How would you recognise if one of your friends is being cyberbullied?

Watch for signs they are being cyberbullied

Your friend begins to avoid or spends much more time using their computer, phone or other devices. They often seem upset, withdrawn or angry, especially after receiving comments, emails, instant messages or texts. They become more secretive about their online activities.

Bullies & Bullying - Psychologist discusses techniques to deal with it.

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What are 5 facts about cyberbullying?

10 Facts About Cyberbullying

  • 1 – More than One Third of All Students Are Cyberbullied. ...
  • 2 – Social Media is the #1 Cyberbully Platform. ...
  • 3 – Nearly 25% of Students Admit to Mean Behavior. ...
  • 4 – Girls Suffer from Cyberbullying Most Often. ...
  • 5 – The Majority Who See Cyberbullying Do Nothing.

Who do you tell if you are being cyberbullied?

We understand how difficult it is for children to talk about bullying. Whether it's happening now or happened in the past, Childline can be contacted 24/7. Calls to 0800 1111 are free and confidential. Children can also contact Childline online.

What does cyberbullying look like?

You are being cyberbullied if: you receive mean, threatening or abusive texts, tweets, emails or Facebook posts (either from someone you know, or a stranger) someone keeps sending you harassing messages. photos or videos of you are shared to try and embarrass or hurt you.

How to tell if someone is being bullied?

If a student is being bullied at school they may:

  1. become aggressive and unreasonable.
  2. start to get into fights.
  3. refuse to talk about what is wrong.
  4. have unexplained bruises, cuts, scratches, particularly those appearing after recess or lunch.
  5. have missing or damaged belongings or clothes.
  6. have falling school grades.

What is the best example of cyberbullying?

Some examples are:

  • Posting rumors on social media.
  • Sharing embarrassing pictures or videos online.
  • Sharing someone else's private information online (doxing)
  • Making threats against someone online.
  • Creating fake accounts and posting information to embarrass someone.

What are the 10 effects of cyberbullying?

Psychological effects – low self-esteem, isolation and withdrawal, harmful habits. Physical effects – headaches, stomach aches, sleeping problems. Mental effects – anxiety, loss of concentration, self-harm, suicidal thoughts. Emotional effects – depression, shame, guilt, embarrassment.

What are the 7 signs of emotional abuse?

The 7 signs of emotional abuse often center on control, isolation, criticism, gaslighting, manipulation, disregard for your feelings, and possessiveness, leading you to feel demeaned, confused, and constantly walking on eggshells, with patterns including constant put-downs, isolating you from friends, making you doubt your reality, controlling your actions, giving the silent treatment, extreme jealousy, and blame-shifting. 

What are the 4 C's of online risk?

The 4 Cs of online safety

KCSIE groups online safety risks into four areas: content, contact, conduct and commerce (sometimes referred to as contract). These are known as the 4 Cs of online safety.

What are the behaviors of cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.

How does a victim of cyberbullying feel?

Victims can experience significant social isolation and feel unsafe. It can lead to emotional and physical harm, loss of self-esteem, feelings of shame and anxiety, concentration and learning difficulties. Incidents of young people committing suicide have also occurred.

What are 6 things you can do about cyberbullying?

If you or someone you know is being cyberbullied, these tips can help stop the bullying before it gets worse.

  • Don't respond. One of the most effective ways to stop a cyberbully is by not engaging. ...
  • Keep the evidence. ...
  • Block the bully. ...
  • Seek support. ...
  • Report the incident. ...
  • Secure your social accounts.

How do you know if a girl is bullying you?

Friends or 'frenemies'? Spotting the signs of bullying

  • Constantly compare themselves with her, or seem to compete with her all the time.
  • Seem to always mix a compliment with a criticism.
  • Gossip about her behind her back.
  • Cancel plans they've made together when a better offer comes along.

What is the ten-four rule?

The TEN-4 rule is a clinical tool to spot potential child abuse, reminding adults to look for bruises on the Torso, Ears, or Neck (TEN) in children under four, or any bruise on an infant 4 months or younger (4). It's often expanded to TEN-4-FACESp, adding specific facial locations (Frenulum, Angle of jaw, Cheeks, Eyelids, Subconjunctivae) and patterned bruising (p) as high-risk signs, with October 4th (10/4) used for awareness. 

What are the 5 most common warning signs of escalating behavior?

The 5 most common signs of escalating behavior involve changes in body language (pacing, clenched fists), verbal cues (raised voice, threats), emotional shifts (sudden anger, anxiety), increased physical tension (pounding fists, shaking), and behavioral defiance (refusing to cooperate, invading space, throwing objects). Recognizing these signs early helps in de-escalation by showing heightened agitation before an outburst, notes Trillium Staffing. 

What are four signs of cyberbullying?

Signs You're Being Cyberbullied

  • Posting rumors or mean messages about you on social media.
  • Messaging you to call you names, make derogatory comments, or threaten to hurt you.
  • Making fake accounts in your name and pretending to be you on online forums or social media sites.

What are 7 types of cyberbullying?

Seven examples of cyberbullying behaviors include spreading rumors, sending mean/threatening messages, impersonating someone online, sharing private images without consent, excluding someone from online groups, doxxing (sharing personal info), and cyberstalking (repeatedly harassing). These actions use digital communication to harass, humiliate, or harm someone, often persistently, through texts, social media, or games.
 

How does cyberbullying start?

Cyberbullying can happen anywhere there is online social interaction. For example, some young people use social media, video games, texting, or anonymous apps to bully other youth, post embarrassing pictures, share private information, or send threatening messages.

How to tell if you're being bullied?

Signs a Child Is Being Bullied

  1. Unexplainable injuries.
  2. Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry.
  3. Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness.
  4. Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating. ...
  5. Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares.

Is sexting cyberbullying?

What is sexting? Sexting is a form of cyberbullying. It is the sending of sexual messages or images to and from cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices.

Can you be a bully and not know it?

But why is bullying so widespread and difficult to tackle? Part of the problem is that bullies sometimes don't even realise that they are bullies. For example, bullying managers may easily justify upsetting certain employees by telling themselves that they are only pushing them to be their best.