Getting bullied is horrible whether it is happening to you in the real world or online.

Bullies can make your life really hard, and leave you angry, frustrated and upset. Your mental health can suffer a lot when someone makes fun of you or puts pressure on you.

If you are getting bullied online, it can feel a little different. People sometimes say things online that they wouldn’t say if they were standing in front of you. They can hide behind their screens, and they probably don’t understand the affect that it is having on you, or the way that you feel.

They can also contact you at any time – the internet doesn’t have opening hours, so they can make comments at whatever time they want.

Being Bullied Online

A lot of the steps you should take when you are getting bullied online are the same for if you are getting bullied in person.

Don’t keep it all to yourself. It might be hard to talk about, but it’s better to talk to someone. Otherwise it will build up inside you and make you feel worse. Speak to a family member, a friend, someone at school, or someone you trust like a youth worker to see if they can help. Even just saying it out loud will make it a bit better.

Sharing it with someone just means you are looking after yourself. If you know who it is, they might be able to ask them to stop. Because they have put it online, you’ll have evidence to show what people have been saying or doing.

And it is really important to tell someone if you don’t know the person that is bullying you.

If you are on social media, you can block people’s comments that you find are harmful. Or you could report them to the social media platform for aggressive or abusive behaviour.

Get Help

Don’t worry if you feel like you’ve not got someone you can speak to. You can call Childline free on 0800 1111, and it won’t show up on any phone bill. They also have an online chat where a counsellor can talk to you and suggest things that might help you feel better.