The complete guide to Cyberbullying

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is the use of electronic communication - often text, WhatsApp or Social Media - to to bully a person. It can take place over phones, computers, tablets and gaming devices. It includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, false or mean content about someone else. 

Cyberbullying brings a new set of challenges for schools because it breaks free from the boundaries of the school environment and the traditional support schools would put in place for their children and young people. Young people can be bullied anywhere, anytime - even when they’re at home. 

What are the different types of cyberbullying?

Bullying can take many different forms and cyberbullying is no different, online bullying provides additional means for bullies to target individuals via forums, social media, and messaging channels. According to a Cyber Crew UK report common types of cyberbullying are:

• Non-specific online bullying behaviour - 18.7%

• Name-calling, swearing and insults - 10.5%

• Messages with nasty content - 10.1%

• Rumour spreading - 5.3%

• Nasty messages passed around or posted publicly - 3.3%

• Purposeful threats - 2.1%

• Extortion of money or other things - 0.4%

Other forms can include: threats and intimidation, harassment, exclusion, identity theft, manipulation and sending personal information about another person. 

Cyberbullying facts and statistics (UK)

It’s important whether you’re looking at ways to support pupils with cyberbullying or raising awareness of keeping safe online, to keep in mind the key cyberbullying statistics and facts. The tootoot team have pulled together the latest facts for cyberbullying in the UK.

• 84% of 8-17s say they have been bullied on social media through text messages and on other online platforms, compared to 61% face-to-face.

• Only 58% of students were satisfied with how their school dealt with incidents of online bullying.

• Amongst school children, only 70% of responding students reported that the bullying came from someone who went to their school.

• Nearly a quarter of pupils reported being a victim of online bullying, but much smaller numbers (6%) report frequent online bullying.

• Nine out of ten children who experience cyberbullying behaviour also experience face-to-face bullying behaviour.

• Older children in the UK are more likely to be bullied on a screen than in person.

• The most common way for children to be bullied via technology is through text or messaging apps (56%), followed by social media (43%) or online games (30%).

How to support pupils who are experiencing cyberbullying

Due to the nature of cyberbullying it can be difficult to notice if a pupil is experiencing cyberbullying. Pupils who are bullied online and pupils who have bullied others online both have poorer experiences at school than those not being bullied, they are also more likely to report poor wellbeing, so it’s important to make sure you have a holistic approach to tackling cyberbullying in your school. 

1.Provide channels for pupils to speak up

Review the channels you offer to pupils and ensure they’re effective. Cyberbullying reaches beyond the school gates and your channels should too, giving the opportunity for pupils to speak up as soon as they experience cyberbullying. Digital tools like tootoot’s pupil voice feature support this part of your strategy.

“Without tootoot we probably wouldn’t have been notified about cases like this, especially as it happened out of school time.”

Read more about tootoot’s impact on cyberbullying

2. Document the bullying

Keep digital records of all reports to give you a holistic view of what your children are experiencing. This will allow you to provide better support and understand how to tailor your assemblies and teaching resources to keep them safe online. 

3. Report cyberbullying to the platform

If your pupil experienced bullying on a platform such as social media or gaming, make sure you help them and/or their parents to report it to the platform(s) or network that it happened on. 

4. Raise awareness of online safety

Speak to your pupils about how to stay safe online and how they should treat others. This might be through assemblies, activities during lessons, resources sent home with parents, or posters to remind pupils how to keep themselves safe online.

5. Maintain communication

It’s important to regularly remind pupils about how they should treat others online and how to keep themselves safe. The online world is rapidly changing, regular reminders also give pupils a chance to learn about these changes.

6. Promote a positive school culture

70% of pupils are bullied online by someone from within their school. Promote a culture of respect, kindness, celebrating each other’s differences and speaking up. Students should also be encouraged to build a positive school culture with you. 

7. Review your guidelines

Review your anti-bullying policies and procedures and make sure that they give your staff clear guidance on how to support pupils with incidences of cyberbullying.

Helping pupils speak up about cyberbullying

Tootoot gives pupils a way to speak up about anything that is making them feel unhappy or unsafe, wherever they are. This creates a more effective process to support, and reduces cyberbullying in schools by 50%. 

The software has been built to support pupils in the digital age. For example, Tootoot’s ‘attach evidence’ feature means gives  you get the context and detail you need to effectively support pupils with concerns. 

Speak to the tootoot team today to learn how tootoot can help you and your pupils.