Cyber violence is a form of targeted harm that happens online. It can include harassment, bullying, discrimination, impersonation, public shaming, or threats. These actions are often intended to control, isolate, or humiliate someone. Like other forms of gender-based violence, cyber violence is about power and harm.
It can come from anyone in your life. Sometimes it is anonymous. Sometimes it is public. Either way, it can make you feel unsafe, exposed, or completely alone.
Cyber violence is not just about words. It can include:
Cyber violence can feel overwhelming because everything moves quickly online. A single post or message can be shared, screenshotted, and spread before you even have time to respond. Even after it’s deleted, the harm often lingers.
Public shaming or humiliation online can feel permanent. It can be hard to move on when others continue to comment, react, or bring it up long after the moment has passed. For youth in rural or close-knit communities, online harm rarely stays online. Word spreads fast, and there may be no way to avoid the people involved or anywhere that feels safe. There is often nowhere to retreat or recover in private.
Cyber violence can be especially painful when it targets who you are. If you are 2SLGBTQIA+, Indigenous, racialized, or in or from government care, the harm can go deeper than just the words or images being shared. It can reinforce messages that you do not belong, that you are not safe, or that your experiences do not matter.
This kind of abuse can echo past trauma, feed into stereotypes, and make it even more difficult to trust others or ask for support. It can feel like the violence is not just about what you did or said online but about who you are. That is what makes it especially painful.
Social media (Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat)
Harmful content can spread fast. This might include posting private photos, spreading rumours, tagging people in shaming posts, or using comments and DMs to bully or threaten.
Messaging apps (WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord, Messenger)
Group chats can be used to gang up on someone, spread harmful screenshots, or pressure someone to share images. You might also get constant messages or threats that make you feel unsafe.
Online games, forums, and group chats
Gender-based slurs, threats, and harassment can be common in gaming chats and online communities. These spaces can feel unsafe or toxic, especially for girls, queer youth, and gender-diverse players.
School-related apps or email chains
Even spaces meant for learning can be misused. This might include sending inappropriate messages, spreading private information, or using school platforms to target or isolate someone.
There is no one-size-fits-all response to cyber violence. Blocking, muting, or reporting might seem like simple fixes, but it is not always that easy. Sometimes the harm keeps spreading even after you take action.
There are small steps that can help you feel safer or more supported:
You get to choose what feels right for you. No step is too small, and you do not have to handle it alone.
Yes, some forms of cyber violence are against the law in Canada. If someone uses technology to threaten, harass, or harm you, they may be breaking criminal or civil laws. This applies even when it happens through private messages or social media.
Cyber violence may be illegal if it includes:
Sharing intimate images without consent
It is illegal to post or send private sexual images of someone without their permission, even if you were once in a relationship.
Making threats of violence
Threatening to hurt you, someone you care about, or even a pet is a criminal offence. This includes threats sent by message, posted online, or shared in a video.
Criminal harassment
This means repeated unwanted contact that makes you feel unsafe. It can include stalking online, sending non-stop messages, or watching everything you post after being asked to stop.
Hate speech or discrimination
Targeting someone because of their race, gender identity, sexuality, religion, or disability may be considered hate speech. This kind of harm can break human rights or criminal laws.
Impersonating someone online
Creating fake accounts or pretending to be someone else to scam, harass, or hurt others can be against the law.
You have the right to report cyber violence to the police. However, that does not mean it always feels safe or possible. For many youth, especially those who have been harmed by systems in the past, going to the police can feel dangerous, triggering, or unsafe.
You do not have to go through this alone. Talking to a youth worker, peer support line, Elder, or someone you trust can be a powerful first step. They can help you process what happened, explore your options, and create a safety or healing plan that works for you. They can also support you in documenting the harm or navigating next steps, whether or not you ever decide to make a formal report.
If you are not ready to talk to someone in person, there are anonymous and confidential ways to get support. These include:
Text or chat-based crisis lines
You can connect with someone without sharing your name or location.
Online reporting tools
Websites like cybertip.ca let you report harmful online behaviour anonymously.
Youth-focused services
Places like Foundry BC offer chat options, peer support, and help with finding resources.
If you have posted, shared, or supported something that hurt someone else, you have the power to make it right.
Taking accountability does not make you a bad person. It means you are choosing to grow and do better.
You can:
Learn more about how online actions can cause real harm, especially for people who already face discrimination or marginalization
Cyber violence can leave real wounds, but you are not alone. In Canada, nearly one in four youth and young adults has experienced cyberbullying. The numbers are even higher for those who are 2SLGBTQIA+, Indigenous, racialized, or in or from government care.
Whether you choose to speak out, seek support, or simply protect your space, your choices are valid. Take the steps that feel right for you. There are people who care, who will believe you, and who want to help you feel safe again
Cyber violence is a form of targeted harm that happens online. It can include harassment, bullying, discrimination, impersonation, public shaming, or threats. These actions are often intended to control, isolate, or humiliate someone. Like other forms of gender-based violence, cyber violence is about power and harm.
It can come from anyone in your life. Sometimes it is anonymous. Sometimes it is public. Either way, it can make you feel unsafe, exposed, or completely alone.
Cyber violence is not just about words. It can include:
Cyber violence can feel overwhelming because everything moves quickly online. A single post or message can be shared, screenshotted, and spread before you even have time to respond. Even after it’s deleted, the harm often lingers.
Public shaming or humiliation online can feel permanent. It can be hard to move on when others continue to comment, react, or bring it up long after the moment has passed. For youth in rural or close-knit communities, online harm rarely stays online. Word spreads fast, and there may be no way to avoid the people involved or anywhere that feels safe. There is often nowhere to retreat or recover in private.
Cyber violence can be especially painful when it targets who you are. If you are 2SLGBTQIA+, Indigenous, racialized, or in or from government care, the harm can go deeper than just the words or images being shared. It can reinforce messages that you do not belong, that you are not safe, or that your experiences do not matter.
This kind of abuse can echo past trauma, feed into stereotypes, and make it even more difficult to trust others or ask for support. It can feel like the violence is not just about what you did or said online but about who you are. That is what makes it especially painful.
Social media (Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat)
Harmful content can spread fast. This might include posting private photos, spreading rumours, tagging people in shaming posts, or using comments and DMs to bully or threaten.
Messaging apps (WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord, Messenger)
Group chats can be used to gang up on someone, spread harmful screenshots, or pressure someone to share images. You might also get constant messages or threats that make you feel unsafe.
Online games, forums, and group chats
Gender-based slurs, threats, and harassment can be common in gaming chats and online communities. These spaces can feel unsafe or toxic, especially for girls, queer youth, and gender-diverse players.
School-related apps or email chains
Even spaces meant for learning can be misused. This might include sending inappropriate messages, spreading private information, or using school platforms to target or isolate someone.
There is no one-size-fits-all response to cyber violence. Blocking, muting, or reporting might seem like simple fixes, but it is not always that easy. Sometimes the harm keeps spreading even after you take action.
There are small steps that can help you feel safer or more supported:
You get to choose what feels right for you. No step is too small, and you do not have to handle it alone.
Yes, some forms of cyber violence are against the law in Canada. If someone uses technology to threaten, harass, or harm you, they may be breaking criminal or civil laws. This applies even when it happens through private messages or social media.
Cyber violence may be illegal if it includes:
Sharing intimate images without consent
It is illegal to post or send private sexual images of someone without their permission, even if you were once in a relationship.
Making threats of violence
Threatening to hurt you, someone you care about, or even a pet is a criminal offence. This includes threats sent by message, posted online, or shared in a video.
Criminal harassment
This means repeated unwanted contact that makes you feel unsafe. It can include stalking online, sending non-stop messages, or watching everything you post after being asked to stop.
Hate speech or discrimination
Targeting someone because of their race, gender identity, sexuality, religion, or disability may be considered hate speech. This kind of harm can break human rights or criminal laws.
Impersonating someone online
Creating fake accounts or pretending to be someone else to scam, harass, or hurt others can be against the law.
You have the right to report cyber violence to the police. However, that does not mean it always feels safe or possible. For many youth, especially those who have been harmed by systems in the past, going to the police can feel dangerous, triggering, or unsafe.
You do not have to go through this alone. Talking to a youth worker, peer support line, Elder, or someone you trust can be a powerful first step. They can help you process what happened, explore your options, and create a safety or healing plan that works for you. They can also support you in documenting the harm or navigating next steps, whether or not you ever decide to make a formal report.
If you are not ready to talk to someone in person, there are anonymous and confidential ways to get support. These include:
Text or chat-based crisis lines
You can connect with someone without sharing your name or location.
Online reporting tools
Websites like cybertip.ca let you report harmful online behaviour anonymously.
Youth-focused services
Places like Foundry BC offer chat options, peer support, and help with finding resources.
If you have posted, shared, or supported something that hurt someone else, you have the power to make it right.
Taking accountability does not make you a bad person. It means you are choosing to grow and do better.
You can:
Learn more about how online actions can cause real harm, especially for people who already face discrimination or marginalization
Cyber violence can leave real wounds, but you are not alone. In Canada, nearly one in four youth and young adults has experienced cyberbullying. The numbers are even higher for those who are 2SLGBTQIA+, Indigenous, racialized, or in or from government care.
Whether you choose to speak out, seek support, or simply protect your space, your choices are valid. Take the steps that feel right for you. There are people who care, who will believe you, and who want to help you feel safe again
