Preventing school cyberbullying

There are individual factors that can reduce the likelihood of being bullied or bullying others online. Many of these preventative factors relate to social and emotional traits and skills, such as:

• self-esteem
• empathy
• emotional regulation
• self-reflection
• the ability to see things from another person’s perspective.

These individual characteristics can be learned and developed. Families, other students, schools and preventative programs can all play an important role in this.

Visit Preventing cyberbullying at home for strategies for families.

Positive influences from other students matter with cyberbullying. In fact, peer-level protective factors might have a stronger impact on cyberbullying than school-level factors.³

When students feel accepted, included and liked by other students, they are less likely to be cyberbullied or cyberbully others. It’s not just about having friends – the behaviour of those friends matters too. Friends and classmates can have a positive influence by sharing, helping, cooperating, and showing kindness and respect to others. Students with friends and classmates like this are less likely to cyberbully and more likely to intervene when they witness cyberbullying.⁴

What is seen as ‘normal’ within a peer group can have a significant impact on cyberbullying. If students believe cyberbullying is a normal, acceptable behaviour, they are more likely to do it themselves. In contrast, students are more likely to intervene when their peer group thinks of that intervention as a positive, brave or attractive behaviour.⁵

Preventative measures in schools can have a significant impact by focusing on peer-group behaviour and attitudes to cyberbullying.

The strategies that schools use to prevent face-to face bullying can also help to prevent cyberbullying. This is because students who experience face-to-face bullying – whether they are bullied or bully others – are more likely to be cyberbullied and cyberbully others as well.⁶ When face-to-face bullying is reduced, incidents of cyberbullying also decrease. To be most effective, schools must also to address the unique features of cyberbullying and broader online safety issues.

Cyberbullying prevention is most effective when it includes age-appropriate, ongoing education about:

• cyberbullying (what it is, what it does and what to do if it happens)
• healthy online behaviour
• online risks
• good digital citizenship.

When this happens as part of a school-wide focus on student wellbeing, school belonging, positive peer relationships and strong student–teacher connections, it improves school culture and peer-group attitudes, reduces incidents of cyberbullying and increases the likelihood that bystanders will speak up.⁷

Staff professional learning and development is another key part of cyberbullying prevention. Educators should receive training to recognise cyberbullying and understand its serious effects, and its risks and preventative factors. 

The eSafety Commissioner offers many resources for schools and educators including access to trusted eSafety education providers, training for teachers and classroom resources to help teachers embed cyberbullying prevention in the curriculum. 

1. UNESCO & French Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports (2020). International Conference for on School Bullying: Recommendations by the Scientific Committee on preventing and addressing school bullying and cyberbullying. UNESCO Digital Library https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374794/PDF/374794eng.pdf.multi
2. Sae-Koew, J., Gonsalkorale, K., & Cross, D. (2024). Protecting children and adolescents from cyberbullying: An evidence review of risk and protective factors and effective interventions. NSW Government.
3. Zych, I., Farrington, D.P., & Ttofi, M.M. (2019). Protective factors against bullying and cyberbullying: A systematic review of meta-analyses. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 45, 4–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2018.06.008
4. Farrington, D.P., Zych, I., Ttofi, M.M., & Gaffney, H. (2023). Cyberbullying research in Canada: A systematic review of the first 100 empirical studies. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 69, 13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2022.101811
5. Villarejo-Carballido, B., Pulido, C.M., de Botton, L., & Serradell, O. (2019). Dialogic model of prevention and resolution of conflicts: Evidence of the success of cyberbullying prevention in a primary school in Catalonia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(6), 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16060918
6. Sae-Koew, J., Gonsalkorale, K., & Cross, D. (2024). Protecting children and adolescents from cyberbullying: An evidence review of risk and protective factors and effective interventions. NSW Government.
7. Sae-Koew, J., Gonsalkorale, K., & Cross, D. (2024). Protecting children and adolescents from cyberbullying: An evidence review of risk and protective factors and effective interventions. NSW Government.
8. Polanin, J.R., Espelage, D.L., Grotpeter, J.K., Ingram, K., Michaelson, L., Spinney, E., Valido, A., El Sheikh, A., Torgal, C., & Robinson, L. (2022). A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to decrease cyberbullying perpetration and victimization. Prevention Science, 23(3), 439–454. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-021-01259-y
9. Zych, I., Farrington, D.P., & Ttofi, M.M. (2019). Protective factors against bullying and cyberbullying: A systematic review of meta-analyses. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 45, 4–19.
10. Sae-Koew, J., Gonsalkorale, K., & Cross, D. (2024). Protecting children and adolescents from cyberbullying: An evidence review of risk and protective factors and effective interventions. NSW Government.
11. Sae-Koew, J., Gonsalkorale, K., & Cross, D. (2024). Protecting children and adolescents from cyberbullying: An evidence review of risk and protective factors and effective interventions. NSW Government. (p. 65)