Advice For Students: Bullying
Related Tags
What does online bullying look like?
Online bullying can be private (e.g. in direct messages or by text) or more public (e.g. public posts, or in a closed or public group).
Online bullying is when someone does things online to another person to cause them fear, distress or another negative emotion – they are doing it on purpose and it’s not just a once-off thing.
- Trying to embarrass someone
- Calling someone names
- Spreading rumours and lies
- Spreading private information about someone
- Using fake accounts to make fun of someone
- Meme pages that embarrass someone
- Repeatedly sending you unwanted messages
- Purposefully excluding people from online groups, chats, events etc.
- Hacking or impersonating someone else online
Bullying isn’t banter between mates. True banter or ‘roasting’ isn’t meant to shame, upset or offend someone or make them feel uncomfortable. Having a laugh with your friends is a normal part of most friendships.
There are a few differences with online bullying that can make it particularly harmful.
- Things online can be shared with a lot of people very quickly
- Photos, images, messages and other things online can stay up online
- The bullying can happen anytime which can make it feel like it’s hard to get away from it
- People can use anonymous accounts to bully, so it’s difficult to tell who is doing it
Helpful advice
Netsafe is available to support anyone experiencing or involved with an online bullying incident. Even if you think you may have been the bully it's never too late to make something right and Netsafe has advice for people around what to do if you've said or done something online that you now regret.
- Take screenshots or keep URLs of the bullying
- Report it to the platform that it’s on (e.g. the social media or gaming platform)
- Get support from a friend, family member or a helpline
- Contact Netsafe for advice about what to do
- Read our full advice for dealing with online bullying
- Read our advice for rebuilding your confidence after being bullied
- Reach out and make sure that they’re OK
- Don’t try to “get back” at the bully – this could make things worse
- Help your friend take screenshots or keep URLs of the bullying
- Report it to the platform that it’s on (e.g. the social media or gaming platform)
- Contact Netsafe for advice about what else to do
- Read our full advice for helping a friend with bullying
Contact Netsafe
If you need online safety help or advice, you can contact us. Our service is free and confidential.
- Call toll-free on 0508 NETSAFE (0508 638 723) within New Zealand
- Call +6496660840 if calling from overseas
- Email [email protected](mailto:[email protected])
- Complete an online contact form(https://netsafe.org.nz/report/)
- Text 4284
Register for free to access tools & resources
Unlock valuable tools and resources for schools with Netsafe Kete. Join now to access essential online safety support tailored for educators.
Related Tools and Resources
Advice for students on how to respectfully disagree online.
Advice for young people on what to do if they have seen inappropriate, offensive or illegal content online.
Advice for young people on navigating relationships online. This resource includes steps to be safer online and what to do if things go wrong.