Parents’ experiences with cyberbullying
Get advice and insight from other parents
Many parents have dealt with cyberbullying in different forms — from child-on-child abuse to misogyny. Their experience has helped them tackle online bullying and support their children. Below, they’ve shared their stories, how bullying impacted their children and what support they got to move forward.
Explore some parents’ experiences with cyberbullying
- Nicola: My child was a cyberbully
- Emma: Child-on-child abuse
- Barney: Misogyny in sport
- Experiences from other families
- Featured cyberbullying articles
Nicola: My child was a cyberbully
No parent wants to think of their child bullying someone else online. However, young people who may have never bullied anyone face-to-face can get drawn into cyberbullying easily, sometimes without realising that’s what they’re doing.
See Nicola’s story and how she dealt with her child’s actions.
Nicola talks candidly about finding out her daughter was bullying others online and how they dealt with this as a family.
Emma: Child-on-child abuse
Child-on-child abuse can happen in person and online, but many parents aren’t aware of what it actually is. Mum, Emma, shares her experience of online child-on-child abuse and what parents can do to help keep their children safe.
Emma’s 12-year-old child was targeted through the AirDrop feature available on iPhones, with violent and inappropriate content.
Barney: Misogyny in sport
Barney’s teenage daughter first encountered misogyny online in a thread about the England women’s football team. Here, Barney shares the steps he took to counter sexism-based bullying online with his child.
See what Barney does to support his teen manage the online hate in online football communities
Experiences from other families
Meet real families featuring children of different ages as they talk about their online experiences with bullying and other issues.
5-10-year-olds
Playground: playing nice
11-13-year-olds
On hand: playing nice
14-17-year-olds
In touch: playing nice
Featured cyberbullying articles

What tech-facilitated abuse looks like in teenage relationships
Lauren Seager-Smith from The For Baby's Sake Trust explores what tech-facilitated abuse looks like in relationships and how to keep teens safe.

What is undress AI? Guidance for parents and carers
Artificial intelligence continues to increase in ability and technology. Undress AI is one example that could leave young people open to harm.

It takes a village: How male role models can challenge online misogyny
Learn about how male role models can impact young boys' views of girls with guidance from The NWG Network.

How to counter online hate and extremism with young people
Hate and Extremism Analyst, Hannah Rose, shares insight into how young people might get involved online. Learn how to counter online hate.

A new lesson to teach cyberbullying for Anti-Bullying Week 2023
Get ready for Anti-Bullying Week with a lesson from Digital Matters and other cyberbullying resources.