Cyberbullying and the Law

Cyberbullying and the Law

In this final post, we look over the law and Cyberbullying, including the consequences for those found Cyberbullying as well as the recent provisions made in the Online Safety Act (2023) to tackle Cyberbullying.

For parents, it is important to know that Cyberbullying is taken very seriously under UK law. Instances of online threatening behaviour, harmful DMs (Direct Messaging) and sexual inappropriateness will in the first instance be dealt with your child’s school, who will escalate the matter to the authorities if need be. Cyberbullying can massively affect children’s development and social skills for the rest of their life (see our previous posts), so it is important to report any instances as soon as possible so that safeguards can be put into place. The consequences for those found bullying can include being spoken to by the school, or even by the police, but they will always be appropriate to the level of harm the bully has caused. Remember to always keep you child in the loop with conversations around Cyberbullying so that you can catch harmful behaviour early!

For kids, it is important to know that being Cyberbullied is not normal, and it will be taken seriously. You can speak to your parent or guardian, or to a trusted adult at school, who will be able to take you through the next steps. In cases where harassment affects your day-to-day life, or if the harassment is targeted (say for example, targeting the colour of your skin or your religion), those who are bullying are potentially committing a crime, with severe consequences for them. If you feel uncomfortable with your own behaviour and think you may be bullying or harassing someone online, stop it now: you are harming yourself and others with your behaviour.

The recent Online Safety Act has codified previous provisions such as the Malicious Communications Act 1988, the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, and the Communications Act 2003. The Act gives broad scope for police and regulatory bodies in the UK to combat the cause and effects of Cyberbullying. The legal frameworks allow these bodies to penalise social media and online platforms that facilitate online bullying, hopefully reducing the impact on children going forward.

Please remember that Cyberbullying is a serious issue but there are many ways to get help! Look at our other blog posts or on our socials for more info 🐝

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Bibliography

UK GOV (2024), https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer [Accessed 27 November 2024]