The EU’s action plan is stepping up actions to tackle cyberbullying and make the online world safer, better, and more positive for children and young people all across Europe. Currently, the available data suggests that addressing cyberbullying has become an increasingly recognised priority in EU Member States: 

• Cyberbullying is consistently the main reason for contacting Safer Internet Centres’ helplines, recently surpassing 15 per cent of all calls received.
• According to a study from the World Health Organisation (WHO), 1 in 6 adolescents have experienced cyberbullying, and 1 in 8 admit to having participated in it.
• According to a Eurobarometer survey, over 9 in 10 Europeans state that public authorities should take urgent action to protect children online regarding the negative impact of social media on their mental health (93 per cent), cyberbullying and online harassment (92 per cent), and assuring mechanisms to restrict age-inappropriate content (92 per cent). 

Read more about the current state of play of cyberbullying in the Member States.

Against this background, the Action plan against cyberbullying was developed based on several targeted consultations, including one with more than 6,000 children, as well as a broader public consultation with different stakeholders and target groups. It builds upon the tools and rules that are already in place and that help combat cyberbullying (such as the Digital Services Act and the guidelines for the protection of minors, the Artificial Intelligence Act, and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive). 

It also introduces a common understanding of cyberbullying based on the following definition: 

“A behaviour carried out through digital technologies, with the primary intention or the effect of recurrently or continuously humiliating, socially excluding, abusing, harassing or harming in particular children or young people.” 

The action plan is built around three pillars: 

1. a coordinated EU approach to protection,
2. the prevention of cyberbullying by encouraging better and safer digital practices,
3. reporting and support for everyone. 

A coordinated EU approach to protection 

A coordinated EU approach to protection, making full use of the existing policy and legal instruments, and identifying opportunities to combat cyberbullying as part of future initiatives is an important step towards a more united front against cyberbullying, so that every young person across the EU can be equally protected from cyberbullying. More specifically, the EC will:

• strengthen the focus on tackling cyberbullying in the review of the DSA guidelines on the protection of minors;
• implement AI Act provisions on prohibited practices and labelling AI content, which are related to cyberbullying;
• address cyberbullying on video-sharing platforms in the evaluation and review of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive.  

Cyberbullying prevention through awareness and empowerment 

Prevention through awareness and empowerment will be achieved by equipping children, young people, and adults with the skills and confidence to speak about and to recognise online risks, while addressing the underlying attitudes that can lead to harmful behaviour online. The EC will: 

• address cyberbullying in the update of guidelines for teachers and educators on tackling disinformation and promoting digital literacy;
• strengthen citizenship education in schools through an EU citizenship competence framework and guidelines.

Reporting and support  

An essential element of the action plan is to ensure that everyone, especially victims, bystanders, parents and carers, have clear, trusted, and accessible ways to report abuse and obtain comprehensive help. The Commission will support the implementation of an easy reporting and support app across all Member States, where victims of online bullying can easily get help, report cyberbullying to a national helpline, and be able to safely store and send evidence.  

What’s next? 

The European Commission will implement the Action plan against cyberbullying together with Member States, civil society, international organisations, and young people themselves.  

The action plan will boost the visibility and outreach of the resources available through the network of Safer Internet Centres, which provide support tools for children and young people, parents, caregivers, teachers, educators and professionals on the ground at national level, and via the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) platform.  

Additional resources 

View and download the action plan on the European Commission’s website. 

Read the press release on the launch of the Action plan against cyberbullying.

Discover the factsheet on the Action plan against cyberbullying.

Find more information about how Safer Internet Day 2026 is currently being celebrated worldwide.