How to Stop Cyberbullying: What the Research Says

Stopping cyberbullying requires a
different approach from stopping traditional
bullying — because it occurs in digital
spaces that operate by different rules,
involve different actors, and require
different interventions. Research on
cyberbullying intervention provides
specific, evidence-based guidance about
what actually works — for parents,
for children, and for schools.

This article covers what the research
shows about stopping cyberbullying —
the immediate steps, the longer-term
strategies, and what genuinely reduces
cyberbullying risk.

Immediate Steps When Cyberbullying
Is Discovered

Do not respond to the cyberbully.
Research on cyberbullying and
response consistently finds that
responding to cyberbullying —
even to defend oneself — typically
escalates rather than stops the
behavior. Cyberbullies frequently
seek reactions — not responding
removes the reward.

Document everything first. Research
on cyberbullying and evidence
finds that documentation — screenshots
of specific incidents, dates,
platforms, usernames — is essential
for school reporting, platform
reporting, and potential legal action.

Before blocking or deleting —
screenshot everything.

Block the person cyberbullying.
Research on cyberbullying and
blocking finds that blocking
the cyberbully on all relevant
platforms — social media, messaging,
gaming — is one of the most
effective immediate steps for
stopping ongoing cyberbullying.

Report to the platform. Research
on platform reporting and cyberbullying
finds that reporting cyberbullying
to the platform — using built-in
reporting tools — can result
in content removal and account
suspension. Most major platforms
have specific cyberbullying or
harassment reporting options.

How to report on major platforms:
Instagram/Facebook — use the
three-dot menu on the post
or profile and select “Report.”
TikTok — press and hold the
comment or use the share button
to report.
Snapchat — press and hold
the message and select “Report.”
YouTube — use the three-dot
menu on the video or comment.
Gaming platforms — use the
in-game reporting system or
contact platform support.

Involve the school when the
cyberbullying involves classmates.
Research on school intervention
and cyberbullying finds that
when cyberbullying involves
school peers — even if it occurs
off school grounds — school
involvement significantly improves outcomes.

Most schools have authority
to address cyberbullying that
affects the school environment —
even when it occurs outside school hours.

Longer-Term Strategies for
Stopping Cyberbullying

Privacy settings and account security.
Research on online privacy
and cyberbullying finds that
private accounts — where only
approved followers can see
content — significantly reduce
cyberbullying exposure. Reviewing
and strengthening privacy settings
on all platforms is an important step.

Reducing the audience for cyberbullying.
Research on cyberbullying and
audience finds that cyberbullying
is significantly more harmful
when it has a large audience.
Removing the cyberbully from
all mutual online spaces —
group chats, shared accounts —
reduces the audience for the bullying.

Taking a break from social
media. Research on social media
use and cyberbullying finds
that temporary breaks from
social media — particularly
during active cyberbullying —
reduce ongoing exposure and
allow emotional recovery. This
is not a long-term solution —
but a short-term protective step.

Changing usernames or accounts.
Research on cyberbullying and
identity finds that in severe
cases — where the cyberbullying
is extensive and platform-based —
creating new accounts with
different usernames can effectively
stop ongoing cyberbullying
by making the target harder to find.

What Schools Can Do

Research on school-based cyberbullying
intervention identifies several
effective approaches:

Clear cyberbullying policies
with consistent enforcement —
research finds that schools
with clear, consistently enforced
cyberbullying policies show
significantly lower rates.

Education about cyberbullying —
research finds that age-appropriate
education about what cyberbullying
is, how to recognize it, and
how to report it significantly
reduces both perpetration and victimization.

Bystander intervention training —
research finds that teaching
students to support cyberbullying
targets — by not sharing or
engaging with bullying content —
significantly reduces the audience
that maintains cyberbullying.

Preventing Cyberbullying

Research on cyberbullying prevention
identifies several important approaches:

Open parent-child communication
about online life. Research
consistently finds that children
whose parents maintain open,
non-judgmental conversations
about their online lives show
significantly lower rates of
both cyberbullying victimization
and perpetration.

Digital literacy education.
Research on digital literacy
and cyberbullying finds that
children who understand how
online communication works —
the permanence of digital content,
the potential audience, the
real impact of online words —
show lower rates of cyberbullying perpetration.

Empathy building. Research
on empathy and cyberbullying
perpetration finds that building
genuine empathy — helping children
understand the real impact
of online behavior on real
people — significantly reduces cyberbullying perpetration.

Monitoring online activity
appropriately. Research on parental
monitoring and cyberbullying
finds that age-appropriate parental
awareness of children’s online
activity — not surveillance
but genuine awareness — significantly
reduces cyberbullying risk.

What Does Not Help

Immediately taking devices away.
Research on device removal
and cyberbullying outcomes finds
that immediately removing devices —
however understandable — frequently
punishes the victim rather
than the perpetrator, cuts
the child off from their social
world, and reduces the likelihood
of future disclosure.

Telling the child to ignore it.
Research on coping strategies
and cyberbullying finds that
telling children to simply ignore
cyberbullying — without additional
action — is insufficient and
increases feelings of helplessness.

Retaliating online. Research
on online retaliation and cyberbullying
escalation consistently finds
that retaliating — however satisfying
it might seem — escalates rather
than stops cyberbullying.

Try This This Week

Practice 1 — The Privacy Settings Review
What it is: A collaborative
review of privacy settings
on your child’s online accounts —
reducing exposure to cyberbullying.

How to do it: Together with
your child this week — review
privacy settings on their main platforms:

Is the account public or private?
Who can comment on posts?
Who can send direct messages?
Who can see their friend list?

Adjust toward maximum privacy
appropriate to the child’s age.

Why it works: Research on
online privacy and cyberbullying
consistently finds that private
accounts with strong privacy
settings significantly reduce
cyberbullying exposure — by
limiting who can see and interact
with the child’s content.

Practice 2 — The Screenshot and Block Practice
What it is: A deliberate teaching
of the document-then-block response —
the most important immediate
cyberbullying response skill.

How to do it: This week teach
your child the specific sequence:

“If anyone ever sends you
something unkind online —
here is exactly what to do.”
Step 1: Screenshot it — before doing anything else.
Step 2: Don’t respond.
Step 3: Block the person.
Step 4: Tell me — show me the screenshot.

Practice the steps together — briefly and specifically.

Why it works: Research on
cyberbullying response and outcomes
consistently finds that the
document-then-block sequence —
rather than responding or deleting —
is the most effective immediate
response to cyberbullying. Teaching
it specifically in advance makes
it available when needed.

Practice 3 — The Digital Empathy Conversation
What it is: A brief, genuine
conversation about the real
impact of online words — building
the empathy that prevents cyberbullying perpetration.

How to do it: This week find
a genuine moment to discuss:

“I want to talk about something
important — online words are
real words that affect real
people. What do you think
it would feel like to receive
an unkind message from someone at school?”
“What do you think happens
to a person when something
embarrassing about them is
shared with lots of people?”

Listen genuinely — don’t lecture.

Why it works: Research on
empathy and cyberbullying perpetration
consistently finds that children
who genuinely understand the
real human impact of online
behavior — through genuine,
specific perspective-taking —
show significantly lower rates
of cyberbullying perpetration.

The Bottom Line

Stopping cyberbullying requires
specific, evidence-based steps —
documenting before blocking,
reporting to platforms, involving
school when classmates are
involved, and reviewing privacy
settings. Prevention requires
open parent-child communication,
digital literacy, and empathy building.

The research is clear: do
not respond to cyberbullying;
document first; block and report;
involve school when relevant;
and never remove devices as
the first response to disclosure.

With the right steps — cyberbullying
can be stopped, and the conditions
that allow it can be significantly reduced.

Sources

Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W.
(2014). Bullying Beyond the
Schoolyard. Corwin Press.

Kowalski, R. M., Limber, S. P.,
& Agatston, P. W. (2012).
Cyberbullying: Bullying in the
Digital Age. Wiley-Blackwell.

Smith, P. K., et al. (2008).
Cyberbullying: Its nature and
impact in secondary school pupils.
Journal of Child Psychology
and Psychiatry, 49(4), 376–385.

Tokunaga, R. S. (2010).
Following you home from school:
A critical review and synthesis
of research on cyberbullying victimization.
Computers in Human Behavior,
26(3), 277–287.