How online bullying targets children at home and what parents can do

A 2022 McAfee report found that 85 per cent of surveyed Indian children experienced cyberbullying, which is the highest proportion among the countries studied. Of those affected, 45 per cent faced bullying from strangers and 48 per cent from people they knew. Common forms of abuse include trolling, personal attacks, sexual harassment and doxing.

Expert Insights

Bikash Barai, founder of FireCompass, states that bullying no longer stops at school because children's online and offline worlds overlap. AI has made creating fake photographs, voices and videos much easier without needing deep technical knowledge. Harish Kumar, CEO of Quick Heal Technologies, adds that parents should watch for repeated trolling, public shaming, rumours, impersonation, and gaming-related harassment. Sandeep Kumar, founder of the COP child online protection app, notes that sudden changes in a child's relationship with their phone can signal trouble.

Warning Signs

Cyberbullying can be disguised as ordinary online behaviour, such as exclusion from WhatsApp groups, private chats being circulated, or edited memes making fun of a child. Digital content spreads fast and stays permanently, reaching hundreds of people and causing emotional distress, anxiety, social withdrawal, and sleep problems. Parents should look for sudden behavioral shifts, like a child stopping a game they loved, hiding their phone, or changes in mood, sleep, and concentration.

What Parents Can Do

Children often hide cyberbullying because they fear adults will take away their phone, restrict internet access, confront the bully, or blame them. Experts advise parents to listen without reacting angrily, avoid blaming the child, and not confiscate devices immediately. Amit Relan, co-founder and CEO of mFilterIt, emphasizes that schools, tech companies, gaming platforms, and policymakers must also help by making digital safety an ongoing part of education.