How to Support the Victims of Cyberbullying?
Support the young person being bullied

As with other forms of bullying the target of cyberbullying may be in need of emotional support. Key principles here include reassuring them that they have done the right thing by telling someone; recognizing that it must have been difficult for them to deal with; and reiterating that no-one has a right to do that to them.

Offer them advice on online empowerment

It is essential to advise the young person being bullied not to retaliate in any way or reply angrily to any of the messages or emails. Responding, particularly by showing anger, is probably what the bully would expect and by refusing to do this, the bully is thrown off guard and may discontinue their actions. If there is a need to respond, it should be done in an assertive manner, and with support.

Some strategies that can be effective, depending on the situation:

if it is a private message, not responding and ignoring bullying behavior is often effective

if it is public, take action to report, delete or block the post or message

ask a friend to come to their assistance and help by standing up for them in a constructive and assertive way.

Be sure to let the young person know that keeping evidence of the bullying is important, and they can pass this information on to parents, teachers, carers or even police if necessary.