Although nearly half of all teens have experienced cyberbullying, the majority don’t report it. That’s why it’s especially important to watch for signs that your child is being cyberbullied. But it’s an issue that didn’t exist during our childhoods, meaning it can be difficult to recognize. This article will explain various types of cyberbullying, such as doxing and cyberstalking, so you can step in and support your child if you see a problem.
Cyberbullying is any harassing, threatening, abusive, or humiliating behavior that takes place in online spaces such as social media, texts, or gaming platforms.
Over the past decade, the lifetime rate of cyberbullying in the U.S. has steadily increased, from 33.6% in 2016 to 58.2% in 2025.
Parents should be aware of these seven types of cyberbullying.
According to the National Bullying Prevention Center, cyberbullying crosses the line into harassment when the behavior is based on the victim being a member of a protected class.
For example, if a person is cyberbullied because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or religion, that’s considered harassment.
Example: A teen repeatedly receives hate messages about their ethnicity or gender identity on social media.
The term fraping originated as a combination of the words Facebook and rape, but it has since expanded to apply to all social media platforms.
Fraping is an account takeover. It happens when a bully takes control of someone’s social media account and proceeds to post content intended to humiliate them. Not only is this behavior harmful, it could be illegal. Many states have laws against online impersonation.
Like fraping, masquerading is another form of online impersonation that involves posting harmful or humiliating content. Rather than taking control of the victim’s existing social media account, the cyberbully creates a new online profile impersonating their target.
In the case of one teen from Australia, a bully used the fake account to post mean comments about other kids, making it appear as though the victim was the one being a cyberbully.
Dissing is the act of using private messages or public posts to spread cruel information about a victim in order to ruin their reputation or their relationships with other people.
Cyberbullies who use this approach tend to have a personal relationship with their victim, which allows them to know what gossip will be most harmful.
Doxxing, also known as outing, is the act of revealing private information about a person without their consent in order to cause them harm or humiliation.
It could be anything from sharing sensitive photos of someone without their permission, to posting screenshots of private messages, to taking a video of the victim in a compromising situation and then sharing it on social media.
Take this real-life example of a teen who was filmed, without her knowledge, getting drunk for the first time.
Cyberstalking is using technology to cause another person to fear for their safety. This could include tracking their whereabouts (made easier by platforms like Snapchat which encourage users to broadcast their location), making threats via text, instant message, or social media, or posting threatening statements about them online.
Cyberstalking often happens to people with a large online platform, such as teenage TikTok star Ava Majury, but it can just as easily involve everyday teens, like the ones in this small New Hampshire town, where a man cyberstalked high school girls online for years before being caught.
Also known as roasting, flaming is similar to trolling, where the cyberbully attacks an individual in a group setting, such as a comment thread or chat forum, using profanity and insults with the goal of intimidating the victim or baiting them into reacting.
But while trolling is usually done anonymously or by a stranger, flaming is more personal and direct, often using the cyberbully’s knowledge of the victim to target their attacks.
If your child is being cyberbullied, here are some steps you can take:
Even the most vigilant parents can’t see every online conversation. That’s why BrightCanary was built — to help you fill those gaps.
BrightCanary uses advanced technology to scan everything your child types. You’ll receive an alert if any red flags are detected, such as signs your child is being cyberbullied. You can also access full transcripts which can be helpful as you document the bullying.
Download BrightCanary today to stay ahead of digital risks and support your child when they need it most.
Cyberbullying is on the rise, with nearly half of all teens reporting being victims of such behavior. There are various types of cyberbullying, such as doxing, flaming, and cyberstalking. But no matter what form of online bullying a child is victim of, the experience can be damaging.
That’s why parents should educate themselves on how to recognize cyberbullying, so they can step in and support their child if it happens to them.
BrightCanary can help you monitor your child for signs of cyberbullying by scanning what they type across all platforms and websites they frequent. Download the app today to get started.
The seven most common types include harassment, fraping, masquerading, dissing, doxing, cyberstalking, and flaming.
Trolling is usually anonymous and meant to provoke. Flaming is more personal, often directed at someone the bully knows.
Harassment and dissing are among the most frequent forms, especially on social media and group chats.
Teach digital empathy, monitor online activity with tools like BrightCanary, and maintain open communication with your child.
Certain forms, such as doxing, impersonation, and threats, can violate state or federal laws.
