Children starting out in secondary school account for more than a third of all cyberbullying reports to eSafety, which have surged by more than 450 per cent in the past five years, new data reveals.
The figures have been released as the world marks Safer Internet Day (February 11, 2025) - a global day of action dedicated to raising awareness of online safety issues, such as cyberbullying.
"This Safer Internet Day - we are calling on all Australians to help make the online world a safer, more positive place," eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said.
"It's an opportunity for everyone to have important conversations about online safety with your family, friends and community networks."
Safer Internet Day comes ahead of the launch of a back-to-school cyberbullying community awareness campaign, which will feature a suite of targeted resources and webinars for parents and carers of children transitioning to secondary school.
In 2024, eSafety received 2,978 valid cyberbullying complaints, a 25 per cent increase compared to the previous year. Of those reports, 1,385 (46 per cent) were in relation to children 13 years-old and younger. Children aged 12 and 13 accounted for 35 per cent of reports in 2024.
Ms Inman Grant said cyberbullying reports tend to increase during the school term as online bullying is often an extension of bullying behaviour in the playground or classroom.
"We know the real-world consequences of cyberbullying can be devastating, particularly for young people," Ms Inman Grant said.
"Parents and carers of children who are entering secondary school will find eSafety's webinars relevant, informative and help you have those crucial conversations about what their online activities are and who they are chatting to.
"Most importantly, the conversations you have now with your children are about reassuring them they can come to you if anything they experience online makes them feel uneasy."
Scheduled throughout February when students are beginning the school year, eSafety's webinars will explore the social pressures and other challenges young people face as they transition to secondary school. They will offer practical strategies about how to navigate online friendships to help minimise negative experiences.
"Unfortunately, we are seeing a significant proportion of cyberbullying complaints impacting young people aged 12 and 13, many of whom are navigating high school for the first time. And interestingly, girls are reporting cyberbullying at double the rate, compared to boys," Ms Inman Grant said.
Valid cyberbullying reports to eSafety increased from 536 in 2019 to 2,978 in 2024 – a 455 per cent increase over the five-year period.
"While the exponential growth in cyberbullying reports in recent years is concerning, it is also a clear indication that more people know what to do when it happens and they are reporting to us at eSafety.gov.au," Ms Inman Grant said.
- "It's important to remember that these are not just numbers. Behind each report is a child who is potentially in pain and in crisis, which is why we are urging parents and educators to take full advantage of the free information and resources provided by eSafety, which are designed to boost resilience among families and school communities."
ESafety's back-to school support resources for parents, carers and educators includes:
- Transition to secondary school webinars for parents and carers throughout February and other webinars scheduled for Term 1, 2025.
- Professional development and tailored classroom resources for educators.
- A range of resources to assist educators integrate cyberbullying awareness into their curriculums.
"Education is a cornerstone of our work and our focus on supporting parents, carers and schools will continue," Ms Inman Grant said.
"As we work towards effectively implementing the social media minimum age legislation, this will intersect with our holistic approach to keeping children safe online. Our world-first enforceable industry codes and standards will support our umbrella-of-protection approach."
Ms Inman Grant thanked the thousands of workplaces, schools and individuals supporting Safer Internet Day, by joining the global conversation about online safety.
"We know 45 per cent of children aged between 8 and 17 years-old have been treated in a hurtful or nasty way online," Ms Inman Grant said.
"This Safer Internet Day you can be a part of the solution, by taking simple steps such as being kind and respectful to others – as adults, we should continue to model that positive, pro-social behaviour."
Five steps you can take to help make the internet a safer and more positive place:
- Be kind – Practice respect, empathy and kindness online.
- Be mindful – Balance your time online and consume and share factual and respectful content
- Speak up – Collect evidence and report online abuse and harmful content.
- Start the conversation – Talk about online safety with your networks and communities, family, friends and colleagues.
