How to deal with online problems

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Being online offers plenty of opportunities, from doing research and making connections to watching videos and playing games. But spending time online also comes with risks, and it’s important to know how to deal with difficult situations.

Here are some steps you can take to help with some specific scenarios.

You are being bullied or harassed online

If you are being bullied you can, and should, get help. Online bullying is just as serious as bullying in person, and with constant notifications, it can sometimes even feel harder to escape.

Online bullying can take many forms, including messages, edited photos, excluding or harassing someone, or the non-consensual sharing of images or information.

If you experience online bullying, there are a few things you can do:

  • Don’t ignore it: Online bullying is never OK, and ignoring it won’t help the situation. Help and support is available.

  • Don’t retaliate: Although it might be tempting to say something unkind back, this could escalate the situation, and you could end up getting in trouble.

  • Block the person: This will help prevent them from contacting you again.

  • Report the content: Social media services and games should remove or deal with content or contact that breaks its terms and conditions, and in a lot of cases this includes bullying. Reporting is anonymous — the person won’t know that it was you that reported them. Find out how to report bullying on different platforms here.

  • Save the evidence: Take screenshots if you can, or keep a record of any behaviour which forms part of the bullying.

  • Talk to someone: There are many people who can support you such as parents, carers, teachers, or friends. You can also talk to a helpline. In the UK these include Childline and The Mix. Find a helpline in your country by visiting Child Helpline International.

Someone threatens to share intimate images of you online

Sextortion is a type of blackmail when someone threatens to share nude images, semi-nudes or sexual information about someone, unless the victim pays money or agrees to do something else, such as share more images. These threats can use real or fake images. There are also other situations where someone may threaten to share images as they think it is a joke, or because they want revenge.

Navigating the Digital World

A nude image of someone under the age of 18 breaks the law in the UK, as it is considered an indecent image of a child. This includes AI-generated images. Sharing someone else’s nude images without their consent is always illegal, regardless of age. Most countries will have similar laws on this issue.

If this happens to you, don’t blame yourself. You might be feeling worried, embarrassed, and scared you are going to get into trouble, but help and support is available.

The first step is to stop all communication with anyone who is blackmailing you and save any evidence. This could be taking screenshots of the person’s profile, messages which have been sent, their username, email address, phone number and bank details. Don’t delete any messages, images or videos you have sent, as these could be useful when reporting. Do not pay any money or accept their demands.

Tell a trusted adult, such as a parent, carer, teacher, support worker or youth worker, as soon as possible. You could also contact Childline or The Mix in the UK, or find a helpline in your country.

You can, and should, report what has happened to the police. Sextortion is a crime in many countries.

If you have the original images on your device, and if someone is threatening to share them more widely, you can report these images using Take It Down. When you report the content, the team will work hard to take it down or to prevent it from being uploaded altogether.

Remember: You are not alone, and it is never too late to get help.

Your friend is saying or sharing hateful content online

Online hate is any communication or content which seeks to isolate, harass, or target an individual or group based on their identity (eg race, religion, gender, sexuality). Online hate is harmful and can break the law.

Taking action against online hate can difficult, especially if it’s being posted by someone you know, so you may be tempted to ignore it. However, there are a few things you can do, including:

  • Reporting the content to the online platform.

  • Sending a private message of support to those who may be targeted.

  • Privately speaking to someone about why what they’ve said or posted is not OK.

  • Talking to a trusted adult to seek help or support with next steps. If you think a post is inciting violence towards a person or group, you can report it to the police.

You can also block or mute influencers or others who you see posting hateful content.

You are scammed online

Scams are increasingly becoming a part of online life for many people, including under 18s. Our research for Safer Internet Day 2025 found that almost half of 8 to 17-year-olds have been scammed online, with a fifth of young people knowing someone their age who has lost money.

Possible signs of a scam include:

  • If something seems too good to be true (eg hard-to-find concert tickets at a cheap price).

  • Being contacted out of the blue (eg being told you’ve won a competition when you didn’t enter one).

  • Being asked for your personal details.

  • Being asked to pay or transfer money.

While some scams may seem easy to spot, scammers are good at what they do and use different methods to target people and make them more vulnerable. Don’t feel ashamed about getting help.

It’s never too late to speak to a trusted adult about what’s happened, or if you prefer you could contact a helpline in your country.

You can report a scam to the site or platform where it has been hosted. If you have lost money, or have given your card details to someone online, contact your bank immediately. If you are victim to a scam online you may wish to speak to the police.

Becca Cawthorne works for Childnet, a UK-based organisation which works with children and young people to help make them safer online

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