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Online gaming - is this bullying?

Online gaming is lots of fun most of the time, but sometimes when you’re playing with others bullying can happen.

Young male playing online games with cyberbullying in speech bubbles appearing around him

Online gaming and bullying

Bullying can happen in online games too

Gaming should be a fun and creative space to enjoy. Playing online brings a whole new social element to gaming.

There are a lot of positive things about gaming. But sometimes it’s another place where cyberbullying happens. This can look like other gamers insulting, harassing or excluding you.

Bullying is NEVER ok, no matter where it happens.

It’s important to know that you’re not alone and there are things you can do.

You’re not alone.

1 in 2 online gamers have at some point been bullied within a game.

How online gaming can turn into cyberbullying

Here are some examples of what bullying might look like in an online game:

Trolling you

Hate speech

Name calling

Insulting you

Being sexist

Harassing you

Excluding you

Threatening you

Swearing at you

Spreading rumours

Unwanted sexual contact

Hacking into your account

Negative and hurtful messages

Destroying or stealing your items

Ganging up on or targeting you

Sharing your private information

Here's what you can do

If you find yourself being bullied during a game, there are a few things you can do online:

Don't retaliate
Turn off the chat function
Ignore the bullying
Leave or start a different game
Mute or block other players
Stop playing with people who bully others
Report the bullying
Take a break for a little while

If bullying is taking over your game

It’s ok to reach out for support

You don’t have to face it alone. Kids Helpline is here for you. 

Give us a call, send us an email or talk to us on WebChat.

This content was last reviewed 23/07/2019
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