Dealing with Cyberbullies

Someone is sending me horrible messages on social media that are making me sad/angry. What can I do?

If someone is sending you messages that are making you feel sad or angry there are few things you can do:

• Firstly, do NOT send horrible messages back. Talk to someone you trust about what happened and how it made you feel.
• If you know the person you might want to talk to them face-to-face to explain to them why their message made you feel sad/upset/angry.
• Most social media platforms let you “block” a person so that they cannot contact you or send you messages. On Facebook you can click on the person’s profile and click on the “block” button. This button might look different depending on the phone you are using.
• Most social media platforms have strict rules against bullying and harassment and give you the option of reporting someone who is breaking these rules. On Facebook you can report people who are breaking these rules by going to their profile and clicking “report”.
• If you are younger than 18 there is a special phone number you can call to speak to somebody about your problem.

Calling this number doesn’t cost any money. You can find a full list of the Child helpline number by clicking here (external link, data charges may apply)