What is bullying and harassment?

Bullying

Bullying can include hurtful language that targets an individual or group of people, trolling, spreading rumours, and excluding people from online communities.

Harassment

Harassment is when the bullying behaviour is repeated and intended to cause distress. Repeated harassment should be reported to the police.

What counts as bullying and harassment?

If someone targets you online by saying mean things, trolling, spreading rumours or excluding you, this counts as bullying (or 'cyberbullying'). Bullying can happen on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook or Roblox. Online bullying might also occur alongside abuse in the school or workplace by peers, bosses or colleagues.

If you have experienced any of the above, you may be asking yourself questions such as:

• What can I do if someone is bullying me online?
• How do I report online bullying?
• Is cyberbullying against the law?

Don’t panic! We're here to provide answers to these questions. Bullying is not tolerated on social networking sites and can be reported directly to most platforms below. 

What is the law around bullying and harassment?

In the UK, there is no specific legislation around cyberbullying. Certain types of cyberbullying could, however, fall under harassment or hate speech. Harassment and hate speech are considered criminal and are against the law. You should report harassment or hate speech to the police on 101.

Find more information on online bullying, and where to get support below.