What to do in the first 24 hours when your kid is being bullied online

Step 1: Stay calm and stay close

The first hour determines whether your child keeps telling you things. If you escalate, they'll stop sharing. Sit down. Listen. Don't promise to fix it immediately.

Step 2: Document before anything else

Screenshots, timestamps, usernames. Save them to a private folder. If you ever involve the platform or school, you'll need this.

Step 3: Decide on the response together

Block, mute, report, or ignore. Each has a cost. Your child needs to feel like a participant in the response, not someone things are happening to.

• Block: stops it, but sometimes provokes the bully to a new account.
• Mute: keeps evidence flowing without engagement.
• Report: works best when you have evidence (see step 2).
• Ignore: only when both you and your child agree this is a one-off.

Step 4: Decide whether to involve the school

If the bully is at school, yes. Bring documentation. Ask for a written response, not a conversation. Conversations evaporate.