Media Violence

Online harassment can sometimes be easy to identify, such as when your child shows you a text, comment, or post that is overtly harsh or cruel. However, other forms of harassment are more subtle, like sharing someone's personal information without consent or using embarrassing photos or videos. Harassers might also create fake accounts or screen names to bully anonymously.

With kids having near-constant access to their devices, escaping online harassment can be challenging. This constant connectivity means that children and teens can feel the impact of online harassment very intensely, as they may feel there is no respite from the abuse.

“the use of digital communication tools, such as social media, messaging apps, emails, and online forums, to repeatedly engage in behavior that intimidates, threatens, humiliates, or harms an individual.”

Ways people can hurt you online

  • Pretending to be someone else online to establish a romantic or sexual relationship under false pretenses. (catfishing)

  • Repeatedly using electronic devices to threaten, harass, or humiliate someone. (cyberbullying)

  • Using GPS or other tracking systems to monitor someone’s movements or persistently contacting them through digital platforms without their consent. (cyberstalking)

  • Distributing or threatening to distribute intimate images of someone without their consent. (revenge porn)

  • Disclosing personally identifiable information about someone to the public. (doxing)

  • Posting provocative or upsetting statements online to provoke reactions (trolling)

  • Sending unwelcome or unsolicited sexually explicit emails, chats, texts, photos, videos, or emojis.

  • Pressuring you to send explicit images or videos of yourself 

  • Using gaming platforms to intimidate or bully players.

  • Hacking into someone’s online accounts or devices to steal personal images or information intended to remain private.

  • Taking and sharing explicit photos or videos without the person's consent.

Signs of Online Harassment

  • Feeling emotionally distressed during or after using the Internet or phone

  • Being unusually secretive or protective of one's online activities

  • Spending excessive time isolated in their room

  • Withdrawing from or showing a lack of interest in family, friends, and activities

  • Avoiding school or social gatherings

  • Declining academic performance

  • Experiencing changes in mood, behavior, sleep, or appetite

  • Suddenly wanting to stop using an internet device

  • Being nervous or jumpy when receiving a message, text, or email

  • Avoiding discussions about their online activities


Effects of online harassment

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Panic attacks

  • PTSD

  • Sleep or eating disturbances

  • Substance abuse

  • Suicidal thoughts

Things you can do

  • Set passcodes: Secure your phone and other devices with passcodes. After each use, log out of social media and messaging apps and avoid saving passwords in your web browser.

  • Monitor yourself online: Regularly search yourself on the internet to find and remove any personal information or photos that you are uncomfortable with or that could be used for harassment.

  • Protect personal information: Never feel pressured to share personal details like your full name, address, date of birth, or phone number online. If someone insists, refuse, block them, or provide false information.

  • Avoid unknown messages: Do not open messages from unknown senders. Consider deleting texts, calls, friend requests, or private messages from unrecognized sources without reading them to avoid inappropriate content, hacking, or viruses.

  • Limit shared information: Be cautious about the personal information you post online. For example, avoid sharing your personal email on public blogs to prevent unwanted contact.

  • Be conscious of who you share photos with: Be mindful of who can see your photos. Sharing pictures increases the likelihood that unintended viewers might see them.

  • Block and report: If someone makes you uncomfortable on a public site, use the platform’s reporting or blocking features.

  • Keep your webcam private: Cover your webcam, laptop camera, or phone camera with a sticker when not in use to prevent unauthorized access and recording in case someone hacks into your device.