Online safety for kids: How parents can recognize cyberbullying and other digital dangers

Home is where many parents expect their kids to be safest. You lock the doors, know where they are, and feel some relief when everyone is under the same roof. But a phone, tablet or gaming console can open another door into a child’s world, one that can be harder for parents to see.

Rachel Johnson, Director of Community Connect at Intermountain Health and a parent, felt that shift in perspective after a 12-year-old student in her daughter’s school community died by suicide. The tragedy prompted Rachel to learn more about online safety and the risks children can encounter through games and other digital platforms.

“What’s so scary to me is that they’re coming in through these technology platforms, and I just felt like I had lost all control,” Rachel says.

Protecting kids online starts with understanding where problems can happen, noticing when something changes and making sure kids know where to turn.

Cyberbullying happens anywhere kids communicate digitally

Harassment and bullying are already part of the digital landscape many teens are navigating. In a 2026 Pew Research Center report, roughly 3 in 4 teen users of TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat said harassment and bullying are a problem for people their age.

Of those surveyed, 27% of Snapchat users, 19% of Instagram users and 18% of TikTok users reported experiencing at least one form of harassment measured by Pew, including offensive name-calling, false rumors or physical threats.

But the risk isn’t confined to popular social media platforms.

Matt Christensen, Assistant Vice President and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at Intermountain Health, says parents often focus on familiar social platforms without realizing how many other digital spaces let kids communicate.

Games such as Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnite let players message each other during play. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram give kids a way to keep those conversations going outside the game.

These experiences range widely in severity. Understanding how more serious digital threats develop can help parents recognize when a child may need help.

Violent online networks and groups are targeting kids

Some of the most serious digital threats facing kids may be unfamiliar to parents. The FBI warns families about violent online networks that seek out children and other vulnerable people through social media, gaming platforms and messaging apps.

One of the best-known names is “764,” which the FBI uses broadly for a collection of related and offshoot networks.

The people involved may begin by befriending a child and building trust. Matt says a child may believe they’re talking with a friend or someone who understands them before the interaction begins to change.

Over time, the person may ask for personal information or images, encourage the child to keep the relationship secret, or move the conversation to a different messaging platform such as Discord, WhatsApp or Telegram.

They may then use what the child has shared to manipulate, threaten or blackmail them. Children have been pressured to create sexual content, harm themselves or others, harm animals or engage in other dangerous behavior. In the most serious cases, that coercion has involved suicide.

How to talk to your kids about cyberbullying and online safety

A child who has shared a photo, kept a conversation secret, or broken a family rule may worry about getting in trouble. A child being bullied may fear that telling a parent will make the situation worse. How parents respond can help keep communication open.

Matt recommends listening and letting your child explain what happened before deciding what to do next. Matt cautions that automatically taking away a device, game, or connection to friends may make some kids less likely to speak up again.

“The very first thing any parent should do is put their arm around their kid and say thank you,” Matt says. “It takes a lot of courage.”

Regular conversations can make those disclosures easier. Ask about the games and apps your kids enjoy, who they spend time with there and what they do when someone makes them uncomfortable. Those conversations give you a window into their digital life without making every question feel like an investigation.

How to recognize the warning signs of cyberbullying

The FBI encourages families to watch for signs that a young person may be experiencing manipulation, self-harm or suicidal thoughts, including:

• Changes in mood or routines, including becoming withdrawn or irritable, changes in sleep or eating, or pulling away from people and activities
• A new online friend or group your child seems unusually attached to, secretive about or afraid of
• Unexpected gifts or money, including gaming currency or other virtual items
• Signs of self-harm or suicidal thoughts, including unexplained injuries, covering arms or legs in warm weather, or talking about death or feeling unwanted
• Concerning behavior involving violence or animals, including a sudden interest in mass-casualty violence or unexplained harm to pets or other animals
• Unexpected harassment at home, such as a false report bringing police to your home or your family’s personal information being shared online

What to do if your child is cyberbullied or threatened online

If something does happen, start by listening and understanding the situation. Then StopBullying.gov recommends documenting and reporting the behavior so it can be addressed.

• Don’t respond or forward. Avoid responding to or sharing cyberbullying messages.
• Save the evidence. Record dates and details, and save screenshots, emails and text messages.
• Block and report. Block the person and report the behavior to the social media site, gaming service or other platform where it happened.
• Tell the school. Cyberbullying can affect a child at school and may be covered by school policies or state laws.
• Contact law enforcement for potentially criminal behavior. This includes threats of violence, stalking, hate crimes and certain sexually explicit images or messages involving children.
• Get immediate help in a crisis. Call 911 if your child is in immediate danger. If they are experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, call or text 988 for free, confidential support.

Above all else, staying curious about your kids’ digital life and keeping conversations open can help you notice when something changes and make it easier for your child to tell you when they need help.

Intermountain Health offers behavioral health services and resources for children, teens and families when an online experience begins affecting a young person’s emotional or mental health.

For ongoing mental health and well-being, explore CredibleMind resources and assessments.