How common is cyberbullying among children in Australia?
eSafety surveyed 3,454 Australian children aged 10 to 171 years to determine the prevalence of online experiences and harms, including cyberbullying.2
Key findings
We found that cyberbullying experiences are common
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Trans and gender-diverse children are more likely to be cyberbullied
81%
of trans and gender-diverse children had experienced cyberbullying.
(69% had experienced cyberbullying in the past 12 months.)4
|
Girls are more likely than boys to be cyberbullied
56%
of girls had experienced cyberbullying, compared with 50% of boys.
(40% of girls had been cyberbullied in the past 12 months, compared with 35% of boys.)
Cyberbullying is more common among teens than younger children5
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Children are bullied in diverse ways online
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38%
had someone say hurtful things to them online.
(23% in the past 12 months).
35%
were purposely left out of an online activity.
(23% in the past 12 months).
25%
had humiliating or hurtful things said about them online.
(14% in the past 12 months).
18%
had humiliating or hurtful lies spread about them online.
(9% in the past 12 months).
17%
had their private messages, information or secrets shared.
(9% in the past 12 months).
16%
were sent or tagged in offensive or upsetting photos or videos.
(9% in the past 12 months).
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13%
were told online to hurt or kill themselves, or that they should die.
(7% in the past 12 months).
11%
had humiliating or hurtful photos or videos of them shared online.
(5% in the past 12 months).
11%
had someone say that they were going to hurt or kill them or told other people to hurt or kill them.
(5% in the past 12 months).
8%
had someone share their phone number, email or home address online.
(4% in the past 12 months).
7%
had humiliating or hurtful fake photos or videos made of them and shared online.
(3% in the past 12 months).
7%
had a fake online identity or profile made of them, without their permission.
(4% in the past 12 months).
Notes
1 Part of a nationally representative survey of 3,454 children aged 10 to 17 years living in Australia between December 2024 and February 2025.
2 For more information about the methodology of the research, see the methodology report.
3 Sources: G.1.1 and G.1.2 Has anyone online ever done any of the following things to you on purpose because they really wanted to humiliate you or make you feel bad, or make others not like you? Important - answer ‘yes’ to these questions only if you think the person did these things to you on purpose, because they really wanted to humiliate you, or make you feel bad, or make others not like you.
4 The smaller sample size for trans and gender-diverse children should be considered when interpreting these findings (n=83).
5 Arrows denote statistically significant differences between sub-groups. The proportion of children aged 13 to 15 and 16 to 17 who had ever or in the past 12 months experienced cyberbullying didn’t differ significantly.
Helpful resources
eSafety’s Parents section has information for parents and carers, including advice about how to help children if they are being cyberbullied.
eSafety’s Kids and Young People sections also have advice about what to do if someone is being mean to you online and bullying online.
Educators can explore Spotlight on cyberbullying for resources to help develop a whole-school approach to the issue.
Last updated: 27/06/2025