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Bullying and Cyberbullying: Helping Your Child

Updated November 7, 2026

Bullying is repeated, unwanted aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived imbalance of power. It can be physical, verbal, social or online, and it can affect a child's mental health long after it stops.

Signs a child may be bullied

Many children do not tell adults about bullying, out of embarrassment or fear of making things worse. Possible signs include:

• Unexplained injuries, or damaged or missing belongings
• Not wanting to go to school, or changing their route to avoid certain places
• Frequent headaches or stomachaches, or pretending to be ill
• Changes in eating or sleeping, or nightmares
• Falling grades or loss of interest in schoolwork
• Sudden loss of friends, or avoiding social situations
• Seeming upset after using a phone or computer
• Low self-esteem, sadness, or talk of self-harm

If your child tells you

• Listen calmly and thank them for telling you. Let them know it is not their fault.
• Ask what happened, where, when and who was involved. Write it down.
• Avoid telling them to fight back or to simply ignore it.
• Work out a plan together, including which trusted adults at school they can go to.

Working with the school

Contact your child's teacher or school counselor, then the principal if needed. Bring your notes and ask what the school's anti-bullying policy says, what they will do, and how they will keep your child safe. Follow up in writing. Do not contact the other child's family directly in anger; let the school handle it.

Cyberbullying

Online bullying can follow a child home and reach a wide audience. Help your child to:

• Not respond to or forward hurtful messages
• Save evidence with screenshots
• Block and report the person on the platform
• Tell you or another trusted adult

If there are threats of violence, sexual images of a minor, or stalking, contact the police.

If your child is bullying others

Take it seriously and stay calm. Make clear the behavior is not acceptable, and try to understand what is behind it: children who bully may be struggling with their own problems, have been bullied, or be copying behavior they have seen. Work with the school on consequences and on repairing harm, and consider a mental health evaluation if the behavior continues.

When to seek help

If bullying has left your child anxious, depressed, withdrawn or afraid to go to school, a counselor or therapist can help them recover confidence. If your child talks about self-harm or suicide, get help right away. In the US, call or text 988.

Sources and further reading

• StopBullying.gov
• American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Related guides

• School Refusal: When a Child Will Not Go to SchoolWhy some children refuse or dread going to school, the role of anxiety, how parents and schools can help a child return, and when to get support.
• Building Healthy Self-Esteem in ChildrenWhat healthy self-esteem is, signs of low self-esteem, and everyday ways parents can help children feel capable, accepted and resilient.
• Screen Time, Social Media and Children's Mental HealthHow screens and social media can affect children's mood, sleep and relationships, and how to set a family media plan that fits your child's age.

This guide is general information, not medical or psychological advice. For questions about your child, talk with a pediatrician or a licensed mental health professional. In a crisis in the US, call or text 988 or call 911; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.