Cyberbullying at School: What You Can Do

Cyberbullying at school: what you can do yourself, who can help at your school, what the school can do and when bullying in a class chat becomes a crime.

Cyberbullying at school can feel like it never stops. What starts in the classroom in the morning carries on in the class group chat in the evening. If this is happening to you: it is not your fault, and you don't have to deal with it alone. This guide explains what you can do yourself, who can help at your school and what the school can do.

What does cyberbullying at school look like?

Mockery and insults in the class chat, in comments or in voice messages
Deliberate exclusion, for example from groups, and gossip about it
Embarrassing photos or videos shared without permission
Rumours and made-up stories, often about relationships or sexuality
Fake profiles or accounts that make fun of you
Polls and rankings, for example about who is the most “embarrassing”

It typically happens again and again, and many people watch. That is exactly what makes it so hard.

What can you do right away?

Don't reply. A reaction is often exactly what the others want. What you write can also be used against you later.
Secure it. Take screenshots that show the name, date and time. Scroll through the thread so the context is clear. Note down links. How to do this is explained in Securing Evidence of Online Hate.
Report it. Report posts and profiles to the platform.
Block. Only once everything is secured. After blocking, you often can no longer see the content.
Talk about it. Tell someone you trust. This is the most important step.

There is one exception for nude images: if a nude image of you or of anyone else under 18 is being passed around, do not take a screenshot and do not forward it, not even to report it. Anyone who forwards such images can commit a criminal offence, including teenagers (Sections 184b and 184c of the German Criminal Code, StGB). Note which chat it appeared in and who sent it. Tell an adult or the police. If someone is blackmailing you with an image, read Sextortion: What to Do About Blackmail with Nude Images.

Who can help you at school?

Class teacher: knows the class and can start conversations.
Trusted teacher (Vertrauenslehrkraft): a contact person for problems you don't want to discuss with your class teacher.
School social worker (Schulsozialarbeit): advises you, doesn't make decisions for you and doesn't give grades.
School psychology service: your school can put you in touch if this is weighing heavily on you.
Head teacher: decides on measures against those involved.

You can also go together with a friend or your parents. Take a short overview with you: what, when, who.

What can the school do about cyberbullying?

Schools can do more than many people think. Depending on the case, the school can, for example:

talk to those involved, individually or together
inform the parents of those involved
address the issue in class, for example in a class council or with a prevention project
impose educational and disciplinary measures

Which measures are possible is set by the school law of your federal state (Bundesland). Ask whether your school has an anti-bullying policy. If the school does not respond, your parents can contact the head teacher and then the school supervisory authority (Schulaufsicht). What parents can do is explained in Child Bullied Online? What Parents Can Do.

When is bullying in a class chat a criminal offence?

German law has no specific offence called “cyberbullying”. But individual acts can be criminal offences, for example:

Insult (Section 185 StGB)
Lies that damage your reputation, as defamation or slander (Sections 186 and 187 StGB)
Threats (Section 241 StGB)
Sharing photos without consent (Sections 22 and 33 of the Art Copyright Act, Kunsturhebergesetz)
Secret photos or videos, for example in a changing room or toilet (Section 201a StGB)
Secret audio recordings of conversations that were not held in public (Section 201 StGB)
Repeated stalking, including through fake profiles in your name (Section 238 StGB)

Only people who were at least 14 at the time of the act can be punished (Section 19 StGB). Whether a particular post is a criminal offence depends on the exact wording and the context. That is for the police or a law firm to assess, not you. For an overview, see Cyberbullying and Hate Speech: Definition and Legal Position.

What can classmates do?

If you are not affected yourself but are watching, you have more influence than you think:

Don't laugh along, don't like, don't forward.
Message the person affected privately to say you are on their side.
Report the content to the platform.
Tell a teacher or the school social worker.

People who know others are behind them can take more.

Where can you get help outside school?

JUUUPORT: young people advise you online about cyberbullying and other problems on the internet, confidentially and free of charge, at juuuport.de.
Nummer gegen Kummer: 116 111, Monday to Saturday from 2 pm to 8 pm, free and anonymous. On Saturdays, young people give the advice. Online counselling is available at nummergegenkummer.de.
Telefonseelsorge: 0800 111 0 111, around the clock, if you are feeling really bad or doubting yourself.
Police: 110, if someone threatens you or you feel in danger.

These services work mainly in German.

Frequently asked questions

Can the school act if the bullying happens after school hours?

That depends on the school law of your federal state and on the individual case. Talk to the school anyway: it can always hold conversations and inform parents.

Do I have to tell my parents?

You don't have to, but it helps. As a minor, you need your parents or others with parental responsibility for a formal request for prosecution (Strafantrag) anyway. If that conversation feels hard, the school social worker or Nummer gegen Kummer can support you first.

Will it get worse if I say something?

That fear is understandable. Say it openly and ask the school how it will protect you. Staying silent rarely protects you.

Can I get help anonymously?

Yes. Nummer gegen Kummer advises free of charge and anonymously, JUUUPORT confidentially and free of charge.

How Hass-Hetze can help

You can report it through our form. If you are under 18, it is best to do this together with your parents or another adult you trust. If you say yes, your report goes automatically to a suitable cooperating law firm (Kooperationskanzlei) as soon as one is available. If there is no suitable firm right now, you get an email with other places to turn to straight away. Deadlines keep running: you can always file a request for prosecution (Strafantrag) with the police yourself. The legal assessment comes from the law firm, not from us.