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VIDEO — 3 Jan 2026

Eight forms of digital violence and four steps for young people facing it

A CGO video for young people on cyberbullying, hate speech, sextortion and other digital violence, and how to respond.

CGO
Published in
CGO
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Watch on YouTube

In this short video for CGO I explain to young people what digital violence looks like and how to protect themselves, because everyone has the right to a safe internet.

From cyberbullying to account takeover

Insults, blackmail and exposure

  • —Cyberbullying means insults, ridicule, gossip and photomontages in comments and messages. Do not argue: block, save the evidence, report it to the platform and tell an adult you trust.
  • —Hate speech attacks you for your origin, appearance, gender or religion. Do not feed the trolls: block, report and support others who are attacked.
  • —Sextortion is blackmail with intimate content for more photos or money. Cut contact, send and pay nothing, save the messages, tell an adult and report it to the police and platform.
  • —Doxing is publishing your address, phone number, school or private photos without permission. Keep sensitive details private, lock your profile and ask for removal.

Deception and stolen accounts

  • —Grooming is someone building your trust to exploit you, posing as a peer and asking for secrets, photos or a meeting. Trust your feeling: if it is uncomfortable, stop, block and tell an adult, without owing anyone an explanation.
  • —Impersonation is a fake profile in your name or someone posing as your friend with unusual requests. Do not share passwords or codes, turn on profile verification, report the profile and warn your friends.
  • —Phishing uses urgent messages, fake prizes and suspicious links to steal your password and profile. Do not click such links or send passwords or codes, and open the app directly to check the sender.
  • —Privacy violation is using your content and data without consent, or taking over your account. Use a strong password, limit who sees your profile and decline requests from strangers.

Four steps for every situation

  1. 01Calm down and do not reply in the heat of the moment.
  2. 02Save the evidence and take a screenshot.
  3. 03Block the account and report the content.
  4. 04Ask someone you trust for support.

If you need to talk, call the free and confidential national children’s helpline on 116 111, and tell a parent, teacher or school counsellor.

In the closing exercise, the answer to “send more or I’ll publish” is always to cut contact, save the evidence, report it and get help. You are not to blame for such a message, and sending it is a criminal offence.

Your reaction can save someone’s day, so do not share others’ content without permission, react to violence and support a friend who is targeted.

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