Cyberbullying is a form of harassment that occurs between minors and involves the use of digital media (social networks, messaging apps, online games, email) to intentionally and repeatedly harm a victim, with a power imbalance between the aggressor and the person being targeted.
According to the Spanish National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE), cyberbullying includes behaviors such as mockery, humiliation, insults, spreading false rumors, identity theft, pressuring someone into social isolation, or sharing images without consent.
What distinguishes cyberbullying from traditional school bullying is how technology amplifies the harm:
- It has no limits in time or space. Victims experience it at home, on weekends, and during holidays. There is no safe place to disconnect.
- Content spreads rapidly. An insult in the playground is heard by a few; a humiliating message on WhatsApp or TikTok can reach hundreds within minutes.
- It is difficult to erase. Once an image, video, or comment is shared online, regaining control over it is almost impossible.
- Anonymity disinhibits the aggressor. Physical distance and the use of fake profiles reduce awareness of the harm caused.
- The victim feels more isolated. Not seeing the aggressors or knowing who is behind the attacks increases the sense of helplessness.
It is important to stress that cyberbullying involves minors on both sides, both aggressor and victim. When an adult uses the internet to harass or manipulate a minor for sexual purposes, this is known as grooming, a different crime with more serious legal consequences.
Types of cyberbullying we should be aware of
Cyberbullying takes many forms. Understanding them is essential to identifying situations of digital harassment, as not all leave the same trace or are equally visible.
Harassment
Repeated sending of offensive messages, insults, or threats via social media, messaging apps, or email. This is the most direct and common form. According to the VII Report on School Bullying (2025), insults, nicknames, and mockery account for 84.8% of reported incidents.
Digital social exclusion
Deliberately excluding someone from WhatsApp groups, class chats, or online gaming sessions. According to the same report, 44.8% of bullying cases involve social isolation. In digital environments, this exclusion is particularly harmful because the child can see it happening in real time.
Spreading rumors and public humiliation
Posting false information, rumors, or humiliating content about the victim on social media, forums, or messaging groups. This includes sharing screenshots of private conversations taken out of context or creating memes using the victim’s image.
Identity impersonation
Creating fake profiles using the victim’s name or photos, or accessing their accounts without permission to post content in their name. The goal is to ridicule them, damage their reputation, or create conflict in their environment.
Happy slapping
Recording a physical, verbal, or sexual assault against a minor and sharing the video online. According to the Spanish National Police, this is a particularly dangerous form of digital violence because it combines in-person aggression with ongoing public humiliation.
Non-consensual sexting
Sharing intimate images or videos of the victim without their consent. It may be used for blackmail (sextortion) or revenge. According to the Digital Childhood Report 2025, 9% of minors have been pressured to send intimate images.
AI-driven cyberbullying
An emerging and increasingly concerning form. According to the VII Report on School Bullying (2025), AI tools are already used in 14.2% of cyberbullying cases, mainly to create fake videos by manipulating images or audio of the victim (54.8%) or to impersonate them (32.2%). This use is more common among boys (60%) than girls (40%).
Why does cyberbullying occur?
No child is born harassing others online. Cyberbullying stems from multiple factors that, combined with early and unsupervised access to technology, create the conditions for digital abuse.
Individual factors
- Lack of empathy or difficulty understanding the impact of one’s actions without seeing the victim
- Need for social recognition or a sense of power within a group
- Low self-esteem compensated by exerting control over others
- Belief that “it’s just a joke” or that online actions have no real consequences
Family factors
- Lack of supervision or guidance in the use of technology
- Early access to devices without clear rules: 41% of children own a mobile phone by age 10 (Digital Childhood Report 2025)
- Absence of conversations about digital behavior, privacy, and online respect
- Exposure to aggressive communication models at home
School factors
- Lack of teacher training in digital risks and response protocols
- Absence of ongoing digital education and coexistence programs
- Normalization of aggressive online behavior (“kids being kids”)
- Disconnect between what happens in classrooms and what happens online
Social and technological factors
- Massive exposure to social media: 92.5% of adolescents are registered on at least one platform, and 75.8% on three or more (Red.es)
- A culture of virality that rewards shocking content without considering its harm
- Ease of acting anonymously
- Access to AI tools that enable content manipulation without technical knowledge
Understanding these causes is the first step toward action. Effective prevention of cyberbullying goes beyond installing filters or banning phones. It requires education, guidance, and a shared commitment between families, schools, and society.
Consequences of cyberbullying in minors
Cyberbullying is not “just a phase” or something that goes away on its own. Its consequences can be severe and, if not addressed in time, may extend into adulthood.
For the victim
- Anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem: studies show victims often experience depressive symptoms, loneliness, concentration difficulties, and sleep disorders
- Suicidal ideation: according to Infocop, 20.4% of school bullying victims have attempted suicide; cyberbullying can intensify this risk
- Social isolation: victims withdraw both online and offline, losing support networks when they need them most
- Psychosomatic symptoms: headaches, digestive issues, sleep disorders, chronic fatigue
- Poor academic performance: lack of motivation, absenteeism, and difficulty concentrating affect school results
For the aggressor
- Development of violent behavior patterns that may persist into adulthood
- Difficulty building relationships based on respect and empathy
- Possible legal consequences from the age of 14
For bystanders
- Desensitization to others’ suffering
- Fear of becoming the next victim if they intervene
- Feelings of guilt for not acting
Cyberbullying affects the entire environment, not just the direct victim. That is why the response must also be collective.
