Cyberbullying facts and teaching scenarios
Key points
- Cyberbullying is not new, but new forms of cyberbullying develop.
- The eSafety Guide includes information on features of apps such as anonymous communication and encryption that can make it harder to prove cyberbullying.
- eSafety’s Spotlight on cyberbullying has resources to help school staff take a whole-of-school approach to cyberbullying prevention and response.
- Students should make a complaint to the platform where the cyberbullying is taking place. If the platform fails to act, they can report it to eSafety.
- A trusted adult can make a report on behalf of a student, with the student’s permission.
- Learning to recognise cyberbullying, understanding its impacts, and developing respectful relationships online is part of the Australian Curriculum.
Facts and stats
Bullying is defined as the repeated misuse of power in relationships, with the intent to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm. These defining elements can present slightly differently online than in face-to-face bullying.
Cyberbullying can take many forms, including posting mean comments or messages, excluding or ignoring someone, tricking or humiliating them through fake accounts, or sharing a photo or video that will make them feel bad.
Cyberbullying is not new, but the tools, platforms and tactics have become more complex and continue to evolve.
For example, cyberbullying can be hidden behind anonymous communication, encryption, and posts that are visible for only a limited time. Tactics such as coercion, extortion, surveillance using location apps, and coded language can make cyberbullying hard to escape. Use of generative AI deepfakes, voice cloning, and false content generation makes cyberbullying harder to detect and more personal.
The Online Safety Act (2021) defines cyberbullying material as 'online communication to or about an Australian child that is seriously threatening, seriously intimidating, seriously harassing or seriously humiliating. It can include posts, comments, emails, messages, memes, images and videos. For eSafety to investigate, the material must target a specific child, not broad groups of unidentified children.'
eSafety research
Children are bullied in lots of ways including:
- having someone say hurtful things to them online
- being purposely left out of an online activity
- having humiliating or hurtful things said about them online
- having private messages or information shared
- experiencing a fake online identity or profile made of them, without their permission.
How to report and block
Make a complaint to the platform
Most platforms including gaming and social media have community standards outlining how users should behave. They discourage the use of a service to harass or bully others or act in other ways that are anti-social or illegal.
The eSafety Guide has information with links to help users report abusive content directly to services, platforms, games and apps. It also has other helpful online safety information, like how a user can block someone from contacting them.
To get material removed, report it to the service or platform that was used to share it. Even if a user is under 16 and the cyberbullying happens on an age-restricted social media platform, they can report it to the platform and will not get into trouble for being on the platform. It is up to age-restricted platforms to take steps to prevent underage accounts.
Report to eSafety
eSafety works with platforms to help with the removal of cyberbullying material.
If the platform does not help, and the cyberbullying is serious enough, eSafety can ask the platform to remove the harmful content. For eSafety to do this, a report must be made to eSafety by an Australian resident. Also, the type of cyberbullying must be against Australia’s online safety laws. The cyberbullying material must be seriously threatening, seriously intimidating, seriously harassing or seriously humiliating.
In cases where eSafety is unable to help with the removal of material, we can offer advice, assistance and resources.
Read more about how eSafety can help with cyberbullying or print the ‘How to report serious cyberbullying’ poster and place around the school.
App features that increase the risk
The eSafety Guide includes information to help students, educators and families stay safer online and provides advice about how to report cyberbullying (to the app, platform and eSafety) when it occurs.
Anonymous communication
Anonymous online services allow people to communicate and share content without revealing their real name or identity. People may use an online handle, a fake name, an avatar, or an anonymous or impersonator account. By hiding their identity, they can harm others without being detected.
Encryption
Encrypted content can be viewed only by using a secret code to unscramble the data, which is usually done automatically inside the app. This makes it harder to detect illegal content and conduct. Encryption allows people to send private messages that only the person with the code can view. While encryption can stop unauthorised people such as cyber criminals from seeing sensitive information, it can also prevent online service providers, governments, regulators and law enforcement agencies from investigating harmful or illegal content and activities unless the person experiencing the cyberbullying reports it to them.
eSafety resources – cyberbullying
The eSafety website includes advice for kids, young people or adults who may be experiencing online abuse.
Primary
Mighty Heroes (animated series)
Online safety superpowers: A Mighty Heroes resource
Role-play respect online: A Mighty Heroes resource
Online safety classroom posters
Robo Raven and the Ancient Relics game: A Mighty Heroes adventure
Secondary
The Internet and The Law (slide deck)
Young and eSafe (videos and lesson plans)
Be Deadly Online (animated series)
Upper Secondary
The YeS Project (video and lesson plans)
Tagged (video and lesson plans)
Rewrite Your Story (video and lesson plans)
Resources for parents
Parental controls (advice on safe searching and device filters)
Cyberbullying
I’m worried my child might be bullying others
Good habits start young
Want to confront your child's cyberbully? Think before you act
Parent resources (resources to help parents and carers start the online safety chat)
Cyberbullying teaching scenarios
The following scenarios are designed for use with students to start skill-building conversations and with teachers for professional learning.
Integration across learning areas
Target Audience
- Level – middle primary, upper primary, lower secondary, middle secondary
- Keywords – online safety practices, emotional awareness and regulation, critical thinking, privacy awareness, using technology safety, emotional awareness and regulation, critical thinking, the law, understanding sexual harassment, understanding gendered violence, critical thinking.
- Type of resource – factsheet and scenarios
Australian Curriculum
- Key learning areas – Digital Technologies, Health and Physical Education, Humanities and Social Science
- General Capabilities – ICT Capability, Personal and Social Capabilities
- Curriculum connections – Online Safety
Prevent and respond to cyberbullying
Build student skills to prevent and respond to cyberbullying risks.
From Early Years to Year 2
Students should build skills in:
- respectful online relationships (as part of the ACARA Health and Physical Education curriculum, Online Safety and Respect Matters Curriculum Connections)
- interacting respectfully online
- identifying how emotional responses differ in online environments, for example, excitement when playing games or when in a group chat
- blocking and reporting for safer online relationships
- help-seeking strategies such as going to a trusted adult.
Years 3 to 6
Students should:
- understand the nature of online identity and the range of ways that people express themselves and their emotions online
- describe the ways that technology can enhance relationships between people
- practise appropriate communication strategies to share power within relationships online
- develop digital skills to manage negative experiences; managing what they see in their feed, controlling who can contact them, balancing time spent online and reporting bullying and discrimination
- investigate support services such as Kids Helpline and reporting to eSafety.
Years 7 to 10
Students should:
- apply concepts of rights and responsibilities in making online decisions
- understand the psycho-social impacts of cyberbullying and the legislation that is used to protect young people from serious cyberbullying
- identify situations where an imbalance of power plays a role in cyberbullying incidents and practise strategies that can be put in place to deescalate or redress the power balance
- evaluate the most appropriate sources of support if they experience cyberbullying
- offer empathetic support to someone else who has experienced cyberbullying.
Scenarios
How to use the scenarios
Use the scenarios with students or with teachers for professional learning.
The scenarios include questions and discussions about online safety incidents. As with child protection training, this material is important for you to know about. You are encouraged to take care of yourself and others and reach out to school and/or sector support services as needed.
Using the scenarios in professional learning
- Discuss the individual scenarios using the questions as a basis for discussion.
- Work in groups and identify where in the curriculum students can be taught skills to protect them from risk.
- Use the scenarios for parent information evenings to build parent skills and knowledge.
Using the scenarios with students
- Provide students with the scenarios to read, either in groups or individually.
- Students look at the scenario from the character's perspective and answer the questions provided.
- Once the students have read the scenario ask them to reflect on their own skills in managing this type of online risk.
1. That’s mean
Name: Thanh
Age: 7
Thanh has been sharing photos of his cake creations with his teacher and classmates at school. However, some classmates have started teasing him in the playground and have posted mean comments about Thanh to a class group chat. Thanh is hurt and confused and doesn’t know what to do.
What should Thanh do?
Possible responses:
- Thanh could talk to someone he feels safe with, like a parent or carer or teacher and
discuss what to do next. - Thanh could ask a 'trusted adult' to help take screenshots of the comments and report
what has happened to the class teacher. - Thanh could talk about how this made him feel, especially to his class teacher.
- Thanh could contact Kids Helpline for advice.
Teachers can help Thanh and other students prepare for this online risk by:
- teaching strategies that students can use when they feel uncomfortable or need help with a situation
- explicitly including online safety in lessons on friendship and relationships
- teaching technical skills to take screenshots of bullying comments
- ensuring all students understand how to report and manage cyberbullying incidents
- making help-seeking commonplace in the classroom ensuring students always know they can come to teachers for help
- displaying information on school notice boards about help-seeking agencies, like Kids Helpline, Parentline.
2. Working together
Name: Kobe
Age: 10
Kobe and Alex have been sending angry texts back and forth after school because of a misunderstanding about something that happened at school. This spills over into an online game and soon Alex is spreading rumours and firing insults in a gaming chat. This bothers other friends who are frightened by Alex’s comments and want it to stop so that gaming can be fun again.
How could Kobe and Alex’s friends help?
Possible responses:
- Friends could talk to someone they feel safe with and discuss what to do next.
- Friends could report the situation to their teacher or to a ‘trusted adult’.
- They could take a break from that gaming platform until the situation is resolved, especially if what is happening is worrying them.
Teachers can help Kobe and other students be prepared for this online risk by:
- explicitly including online safety in teaching and learning activities related to respectful relationships and wellbeing
- working with students in the class to include other students online and offline
- discussing how students can access support if they don’t feel comfortable talking to their teacher, for example, a school counsellor or wellbeing leader
- teaching students about platform’s Terms of Service and what this means for their conduct online
- reinforcing to them that following the platform’s Terms of Service is important
- posting messages to make sure they are following the platform’s Terms of Service
- integrating social and emotional learning into everyday classroom routines, especially activities to help with emotion regulation and clear communication.
3. You’re not invited
Name: Amy
Age: 15
Amy has moved to a new school. A group of students in Amy’s class have been invited to join the same WhatsApp group. At first, it was to chat about a soccer game, but soon it seemed like everyone was in the chat. Amy wasn't asked to join, and a friend showed her a message posted in the group which said, 'We hate Amy. She should go back where she came from.' Others have joined in, adding reasons why Amy should not be part of the group. Amy is devastated because she has been trying very hard to make new friends.
How can Amy get support?
Possible responses:
- Amy could talk to a trusted adult or teacher about the situation and problem solve how to get support.
- Amy could report the issue to the platform first. If she feels she needs help – she can use The eSafety Guide to find out how. (See eSafety's reporting page for advice, support and FAQs.)
- Amy could access eSafety’s Young People webpages for advice on cyberbullying and what to do.
- Amy might ask a teacher or wellbeing leader or school counsellor to help her report the issue.
Teachers can help Amy and other students be prepared for this online risk by:
- including online examples in teaching and learning activities related to cyberbullying, respectful relationships, and wellbeing
- ensuring all students understand platform standards and the consequence for misuse even in private communications
- ensuring all students understand how to report an online safety issue to platforms games and apps and when to report to eSafety. (See eSafety's reporting page for advice, support and FAQs.)
- helping all students know where to go for help if they have been called a bully or have been bullied
- promoting appropriate counselling and support services to all students.
Download the teaching scenarios
Last updated: 29/04/2026