Online bullying: speak out

Being bullied can make you feel upset, lonely, isolated or worried about telling someone what is happening.  If you are being bullied online, by text message, on a social network or in a game it might feel like there is no escape.  It can be scary too if you do not know who is being nasty or why.

Whatever has happened, online bullying can be stopped.

Speak out

If you are being bullied it is never okay.  It is not your fault and you have the right to get help to make it stop.

There are a lot of different ways to cope with bullying, an important first step is to tell someone what is happening.

You might not feel ready to talk to an adult, but do speak to a friend.  Or, if you want to talk to someone who does not know you, you can talk to someone at Childline confidentially by calling 0800 1111.

Don't hide it!

If you are being bullied, an important first step is to tell someone what is happening.  

5 Steps to take if you're being bullied online

1. Tell an adult you trust.
   Bullying can be hard to talk about but you shouldn't feel that you have to handle it alone.
2. Talk to someone your age.
   Talk to a friend or if you don't want to talk to someone you know, you can post messages and get advice on Childline's Message boards.
3. Block the bullies.
   Most websites will let you block people to stop them communicating with you.  Find out how on most popular sites.
4. Keep the evidence.
   Keep any nasty emails, texts or web pages so you can show someone what has been going on.
5. Report mean videos, pictures, comments or pages to the website you have found them on.
   Learn how to do this on different sites.

Where to get help

If you are being bullied there is lots of help and advice out there. Talk to someone

ChildLine

On the ChildLine site you can find out more about online bullying.  Being bullied can really knock your confidence so they also provide tips on ways to be assertive which can help deal with bullying and build up your self-esteem.

You can also speak to a counsellor on 0800 1111.