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Year 8

Impact of online bullying

I can explain the impact of online bullying.

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New
New
Year 8

Impact of online bullying

I can explain the impact of online bullying.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Online bullying is just as serious as in-person bullying.
  2. Online bullying can affect people's mental and physical health in numerous ways.
  3. The impacts of online bullying on the victim can be serious and long-lasting.

Keywords

  • Mental health - the health of our minds and emotions

  • Physical health - the health of our bodies

  • Anxiety - a state of unease, worry or nervousness about uncertain outcomes, often accompanied by physical sensations

  • Depression - a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest that affects how you think and feel; it can make daily activities hard and may include physical symptoms

Common misconception

Online bullying isn't as serious as in-person bullying because the victim can just log out of their digital devices.

Cyberbullying can have a lasting impact on a person's health and just because you turn off your digital device, doesn’t mean the feelings associated with the bullying go away. Bullying online or in-person is never ok.


To help you plan your year 8 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Impact of online bullying, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Ensure that students know the school's bullying policy and who they can turn to for support if necessary.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
  • Depiction or discussion of mental health issues

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the words to their correct definitions.
Correct Answer:self-esteem,how we value and perceive ourselves

how we value and perceive ourselves

Correct Answer:body shaming,to make hurtful comments about a person's appearance, shape or size

to make hurtful comments about a person's appearance, shape or size

Correct Answer:bullying,behaviour which is intended to hurt someone emotionally or physically

behaviour which is intended to hurt someone emotionally or physically

Q2.
Which form of bullying is this? Pretending to be someone else online in order to post pictures or comments that are harmful to them.
harassment
Correct answer: impersonation
humiliation
Q3.
Treating a person unfairly or differently because of certain characteristics is a form of ...
disintergration
deflation
dissolution
Correct answer: discrimination
degradation
Q4.
Which of the following is not a protected characteristic?
disability
sexual orientation
Correct answer: eye colour
marriage or civil partnership
gender reassignment
Q5.
Which of these is an example of exclusion?
Using social media to hack into a person's profile to get their information
Correct answer: Making a group chat with the intention of deliberately leaving a person out
Using social media to track where a person is and what they're doing
Making a fake profile on social media to post embarrassing images
Q6.
If someone is experiencing online bullying they should ...
retaliate
Correct answer: block and report
Correct answer: speak to a trusted adult
seek revenge

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:mental health,the health of our minds and emotions

the health of our minds and emotions

Correct Answer:anxiety,a state of unease, worry or nervousness about uncertain outcomes

a state of unease, worry or nervousness about uncertain outcomes

Correct Answer:depression,a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest

a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest

Q2.
Online bullying is just as as bullying in person.
Correct Answer: serious, harmful, bad
Q3.
Over time, the stress of online bullying can lead to ...
improved performance in school
Correct answer: lack of trust or difficulty making friends
Correct answer: developing a fear of group settings
higher attendance in school
Correct answer: panic attacks
Q4.
Which statement about online bullying is correct?
Online bullying only impacts someone in the moment, once they log out it's fine.
Online bullying doesn't have an impact on a victim, they should just log out.
Correct answer: The impacts of online bullying can be significant and long-lasting.
Q5.
Match the potential impacts of cyberbullying with the correct type of impact.
Correct Answer:headaches and difficulty sleeping,physical

physical

Correct Answer:nausea and digestive issues,physical

physical

Correct Answer:anxiety and depression,mental

mental

Correct Answer:body dysmorphia,mental

mental

Q6.
Which of the following advice can help a person to deal with online bullying?
Ignore it and keep concerns to yourself.
Correct answer: Speak to a trusted adult, such as parent, carer or teacher.
Correct answer: Block the sender and report upsetting content.
Seek revenge on the perpetrator.
Correct answer: Speak to a medical professional if affecting your mental health.