New
New
Year 8

Why people bully online

I can explain reasons why online bullying happens.

New
New
Year 8

Why people bully online

I can explain reasons why online bullying happens.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. There are many motivations to take part in online bullying.
  2. Some people are insecure and look to put other people down.
  3. Some people enjoy being hurtful to others.
  4. Some people are passive bystanders, who say nothing when they witness bullying.
  5. Some people don't realise how much they've upset someone if they are unkind online.

Keywords

  • Motivation - the reason why someone does something

  • Insecure - feeling unsure about yourself or worried about what others think

  • Secure - feeling confident about yourself

  • Passive bystander - someone who does nothing when something bad happens

  • Active bystander - someone who takes action when something bad happens

Common misconception

People bully each other online because they are bad people.

Though some people are unkind online because they want to inflict pain, most do not realise the full consequences of their actions. Because people cannot see the impact they have on others, they can be less sensitive online than they are in person.


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

Talk further with pupils about the significant role that bystanders have in reducing discrimination, bullying and unhealthy behaviours.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • 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

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the words to their correct definition.
Correct Answer:discrimination,when people are treated unfairly because of their characteristics

when people are treated unfairly because of their characteristics

Correct Answer:peer pressure,when you feel pushed by friends to act a certain way

when you feel pushed by friends to act a certain way

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

behaviour which is intended to hurt someone emotionally or physically

Q2.
If we experience online bullying, we should never ...
tell a trusted adult
report it
Correct answer: retaliate
Q3.
The deliberate and repeated bullying, bothering or disturbing of a person is an example of ...
discrimination
Correct answer: harassment
cyberstalking
impersonation
Q4.
Which statement about bullying is correct?
It is only the responsibility of the victim to stand up to bullying.
Correct answer: It is the responsibility of everyone to stand up to bullying.
Online bullying is not as bad as in-person bullying.
The impact of online bullying stops once a device is powered off.
Q5.
An bystander is someone who does something when they witness cyberbullying.
passive
Correct answer: active
Q6.
Match the examples to the form of bullying.
Correct Answer:repeatedly sending unwanted messages,harassment

harassment

Correct Answer:making a fake profile,impersonation

impersonation

Correct Answer:tracking location through social media,cyberstalking

cyberstalking

Correct Answer:leaving someone out of a group chat,exclusion

exclusion

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:motivation,the reason why someone does something

the reason why someone does something

Correct Answer:insecure,feeling unsure about yourself or worried about what others think

feeling unsure about yourself or worried about what others think

Correct Answer:passive bystander,someone who does nothing when something bad happens

someone who does nothing when something bad happens

Q2.
Which of the following are not a motivation to engage in online bullying?
Correct answer: feeling happy, secure and confident in yourself
feeling insecure, angry and upset
wanting to feel power and control
Correct answer: wanting others to feel empowered
Q3.
Which of the following is an example of being a passive bystander?
reporting and blocking the account responsible for cyberbullying
reaching out to the victim experiencing cyberbullying
Correct answer: not feeling responsible so just ignoring the cyberbullying
Q4.
Why might someone choose to be a passive bystander?
they want to stop online bullying
Correct answer: they don't know what to do
Correct answer: they are scared of being bullied themselves
they feel empathy for the person being bullied
Q5.
Why might people not realise the impact of online bullying?
Correct answer: the impact on a person can't be seen from behind a screen
Correct answer: people might believe that the impact isn't as serious as face-to-face bullying
there are no consequences for online bullying
people can just log off if they don't like what they see online
Q6.
Some people bully online because ...
Correct answer: they are insecure
they are bad people
they want to feel weak
Correct answer: they want to generate engagement from others