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What to Do If Your Child Is Cyberbullied

Your child has told you — or you have found out — that they are being bullied online. Stay calm. Believe them. Do not take the device away. This guide walks through the recovery steps in order, and where to get professional help when it is needed.

By Abdul Hannan · Published 14 November 2026 · Updated 14 November 2026

This page is education, not a counselling service. If your child is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. If a child is distressed, a professional service can help — in the UK, Childline on 0800 1111, free and confidential for under-19s (verified 14 November 2026 on childline.org.uk). Elsewhere, use a child helpline in your own country. You do not need to be certain it was a crime before asking for help.

Step 1: Listen first

The moment matters. Stay calm, listen fully, and believe what you hear. Do not start with questions about what your child did wrong, and do not take the phone or laptop away — that teaches a child that telling you costs them their device, and next time they will hide the problem instead. Say clearly: "Thank you for telling me. This is not your fault. We will deal with this together." Then ask, gently, what happened, who is involved, how long it has been going on, and how it is affecting them. Write down what they tell you, with dates — memory blurs, and a written record matters later.

Step 2: Save the evidence

Before anything is blocked or deleted, save it. Take screenshots of the messages, posts, images and profiles, with dates and times visible. Save the usernames, the platform names, and any links. Keep the original messages as well — do not delete them. If the bullying includes photos or videos of your child, save those too, and do not share them with anyone except the people who need to see them (the school, the platform, the police). Evidence is what turns "someone said something mean" into something a school or a platform can act on.

Step 3: Block and report — do not reply

Replying rarely helps and usually makes it worse: it gives the bully a reaction, which is what they want. The three steps are: do not reply, block the accounts, and report them on the platform using its reporting tool — every major platform has one, and reports with screenshots are acted on faster. If the bullying is happening in a group chat, leave the group or ask for the child to be removed, and save the evidence first. If fake accounts are created to continue the bullying, report each one and keep the record.

Step 4: Tell the school

Contact the school as soon as classmates are involved, or the bullying affects your child's school day. Schools have anti-bullying policies and a duty to act. Bring the saved evidence and ask three questions: what will the school do, who is responsible, and when will you hear back? Put the request in writing, by email, so there is a record. If the school does not act, escalate in writing to the head teacher or the school's governing body. Keep every reply. Bullying that follows a child from school to home, and back again, is the school's problem as much as yours.

Step 5: Care for your child

The emotional damage is the real injury, and it heals slower than the incident ends. Watch for changes: trouble sleeping, refusing school, withdrawing from friends, loss of appetite, a sudden drop in mood. Keep routines steady, keep them connected to the friends who are kind, and keep talking — short, regular check-ins, not one big conversation. If the distress lasts more than a couple of weeks, or is getting worse, get professional help: your family doctor can refer you, and school counsellors can help too. Tell your child plainly that the bullying was not their fault, and that telling you was the brave thing to do.

When to contact the police

Contact your local police if there are threats of violence, blackmail, sexual content, or repeated harassment that does not stop after reporting — or if an adult is involved in the bullying. Bring all the evidence, and do not delete anything. If someone is demanding money or images with threats, that is extortion, and the police take it seriously — do not pay, do not send anything, and report it the same day. In an emergency — if your child is in immediate danger — call your local emergency number first.

Getting professional help

You do not have to handle this alone, and you do not need to be certain it was a crime before asking for help. In the UK, a child can talk to Childline — free, confidential, and open any time, day or night — on 0800 1111 (UK only; verified 14 November 2026 on childline.org.uk ). Children can also use Childline's online 1-2-1 counsellor chat on the same site. Outside the UK, use a child helpline in your own country — search for your country's child helpline through your local authority or a trusted charity's website. For sextortion or intimate images shared without consent, report through the platform, the police, and — in the US — the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Take It Down service. Your family doctor and your child's school can also connect you with counselling support.

Prevention matters too. Our online safety for kids, teens and parents guide has the age-staged checklists, our family internet safety plan turns the rules into one written agreement, and our parental controls setup guide covers the technical backstop.

Remember the order. Listen, believe, save the evidence, block and report, tell the school, care for your child — and ask professionals for help whenever you need it. The bravest thing your child did was tell you. Make sure it was worth it. Back to the Safety Center.

Sources

Last checked: 14 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is cyberbullying?

Bullying that happens online: mean messages, threats, exclusion from group chats, fake profiles, or sharing embarrassing photos or videos. It can follow a child home, at any hour, and it can be seen by many people at once — which is why it feels so much worse than a single cruel comment.

What should I do first if my child is cyberbullied?

Stay calm, listen, and believe them. Do not take the device away as punishment — that teaches a child to hide the next problem. Then save the evidence, block the accounts, and report them on the platform. Tell the school if classmates are involved.

Should my child reply to the bullies?

No. Replying rarely helps and usually makes it worse. The three steps are: do not reply, save the evidence, and block and report. A reply gives the bully what they want — a reaction.

When should I contact the school?

As soon as classmates are involved, or the bullying affects your child’s school day. Schools have anti-bullying policies and a duty to act. Bring the saved evidence — screenshots with dates — and ask what the school will do and when you will hear back.

When should I contact the police?

If there are threats of violence, blackmail, sexual content, or repeated harassment that does not stop after reporting. Keep all evidence and do not delete anything. In an emergency — if your child is in immediate danger — call your local emergency number.