Online Harassment & Cyberbullying

Online harassment can be insults, threats, rumors, fake accounts in your name, sharing your private information or images, or a group piling on. It can follow you home and to work. You don’t have to put up with it, and a few steps help you take control.

• Everyone
• Teens
• Parents

Common forms

• Repeated insulting or threatening messages and comments
• Rumors or embarrassing posts about you
• Fake accounts that impersonate you
• Doxxing: posting your address, phone number or workplace
• Sharing private or intimate images without consent. See Sextortion
• Harassment based on race, religion, sex, disability or other traits

What to do

1. Don’t respond or retaliate. Harassers often want a reaction.
2. Document everything: screenshots showing the date, time, username and link. Save them somewhere safe before anything is deleted.
3. Block and mute the accounts after you’ve saved evidence.
4. Report the posts and accounts to the platform. Note your report numbers.
5. Tighten privacy: make accounts private, limit who can comment or message you, and remove your address and phone number from public profiles. See Social Media Privacy.
6. Tell someone you trust.

When to call the police

Contact police if there are threats of violence, stalking, extortion, posts of your home address with threats, or sexual images of a minor. Many forms of online threats and stalking are crimes. Bring your saved evidence. Online crimes can also be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. See Reporting Cybercrime.

Harassment from coworkers

If a coworker or supervisor harasses you by text, social media or a group chat, it can still count as workplace harassment, especially if it’s about your race, sex, religion or another protected trait. Report it to your supervisor or HR in writing and keep copies. See Discrimination & Harassment. If it includes threats, also see Workplace Violence.

For kids and parents

• Kids: tell a parent, teacher or another trusted adult. It’s not snitching, and it’s not your fault.
• Parents: stay calm, listen, and don’t take away the device as punishment for telling you.
• Save evidence and report it to the platform and the school. Many schools have cyberbullying policies.
• Watch for signs like avoiding school, hiding their screen, trouble sleeping or sudden mood changes.

StopBullying.gov has guides for parents and schools. See Kids’ Online Safety.

Take care of yourself

Harassment is stressful. Take breaks from the apps, lean on people you trust, and talk to a counselor if it’s affecting your sleep, work or mood. If you have thoughts of hurting yourself, call or text 988.

Harassment response checklist

• Screenshots saved with dates, usernames and links
• Accounts blocked after saving evidence
• Posts reported to the platform
• Privacy settings tightened
• Police or employer told if there are threats or it involves work

Last updated: October 2, 2026