Cyberbullying, cybervictimization, and cyber hate

On this page

• What are cyberbullying, cyber hate, and related behaviours
• Researching cyberbullying, cybervictimization, and cyber hate
• Human-centered research dissemination
• Recent research
• Other research
• Open.Canada.ca
• Areas for future research
• Contact us
• Featured

What are cyberbullying, cyber hate, and related behaviours

Cyberbullying refers to the use of computers, smartphones or other connected devices to embarrass, hurt, mock, threaten or be mean to someone online.

Cyber hate is a digital expression of hate speech where online forms of expression (text, images, videos, pictures, graphic representations) are used to spread or amplify bigoted messages or information, and to incite others to be active agents of hate too.

Cyberbullying and cyber hate can be thought of as related behaviors. Because of this, the two must be examined together:

• Both cyber hate and cyberbullying try to harm or harass an individual or a group using technology^{Footnote 1}
• Cyberbullies aim to directly hurt individuals, or small groups of people. Those who perpetrate cyber hate target communities more than individuals and try to attract new members for their cause^{Footnote 2}
• Cyberbullying perpetrators often know their victims, while perpetrators of cyber hate often do not know their victims personally^{Footnote 3}
• Cyberbullies are more likely to become involved in cyber hate, even if they have been the victim of cyber hate in the past^{Footnote 4}

Researching cyberbullying, cybervictimization, and cyber hate

Cyberbullying and cyber hate have become serious problems with the rapid advancement of technology. That is why Public Safety Canada set out to learn more about how cyberbullying and cyber hate affect Canadians, especially youth (aged 12 to 17) and young adults (aged 18 to 29).

The federal Gender-based Violence Strategy (the federal GBV Strategy) is a whole-of-government approach to ending GBV, led by Women and Gender Equality Canada. It encompasses all federal initiatives to prevent and address GBV, including Public Safety Canda's research on how to prevent and address bullying and cyberbullying among youth and young adults.

Public Safety Canada first received financial support for its cyberbullying research through Budget 2018 and the expansion of the federal GBV Strategy. This funding is ongoing.

Human-centered research dissemination

Public Safety Canada is piloting a new approach to sharing data and evidence that prioritizes the needs and experiences of the people who will use the research. This approach focuses on making the information accessible, understandable, and relevant to diverse audiences with varied access needs.

Research products are often presented in one or more multi-modal formats that remove different barriers to accessibility. These formats include:

1. HTML webpages with select alt-texted visuals and tabular data. This format is most compatible with assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers, Braille displays, screen magnifiers, alternative keyboard navigation)
2. Visually dynamic PDFs with alt-texted visuals. This printable format combines data, images, words, and ideas to convey information visually. It may be best suited for visual spatial learners who use colour blocking to support focus and/or who make notes in the margins as memory prompts

To receive a research product in another format, please contact Public Safety Canada at HorizontalPolicy-PolitiquesHorizontales@ps-sp.gc.ca.

Recent research

Online safety and cyberbullying

This booklet examines how youth and parents in Canada understand and experience cyberbullying, drawing on public opinion research survey data collected between 2019 and 2024.

Assistive technology-accessible HTML

• Online safety and cyberbullying: Youth and parent perspectives in Canada (2019 to 2024) (HTML)

Visual PDF

• Online safety and cyberbullying: Youth and parent perspectives in Canada (2019 to 2024) (PDF)

Cyberbullying, cybervictimization, and young canadians

These resources address different aspects of cybervictimization, from its prevalence to where it happens, from how young adults protect themselves to who perpetrates it.

Assistive technology-accessible HTML

• How common is cybervictimization (HTML)
• Where is cyberbullying happening (HTML)
• How do young adults protect themselves from cybervictimization (HTML)
• Who is cyberbullying (HTML)

Visual PDF

• How common is cybervictimization (PDF)
• Where is cyberbullying happening (PDF)
• How do young adults protect themselves from cybervictimization (PDF)
• Who is cyberbullying (PDF)

Other research

• Online activities of Canadian youth, cybervictimization and exposure to harmful content (with Statistics Canada; HTML and PDF)
• Online harms faced by youth and young adults: The prevalence and nature of cybervictimization (with Statistics Canada; HTML and PDF)
• Cybervictimization among young adults in Canada (with Statistics Canada; Infographic – HTML and PDF)
• Young people and exposure to harmful online content in 2022 (with Statistics Canada; Infographic – HTML and PDF)
• Research Summary: Examining Key Populations in the Context of Implementing Cyberbullying Prevention and Intervention Initiatives (HTML)
• Examining Key Populations in the Context of Implementing Cyberbullying Prevention and Intervention Initiatives – Literature Review on the Role of the Family (HTML)
• Research Summary: Examining Key Populations in the Context of Implementing Cyberbullying Prevention and Intervention Initiatives – Literature Review on 2SLGBTQ+, Girls, and Ethno-racially Diverse Youth (HTML)
• Examining Key Populations in the Context of Implementing Cyberbullying Prevention and Intervention Initiatives – Literature Review on 2SLGBTQ+, Girls, and Ethno-racially Diverse Youth (HTML)
• Research Summary – Cyberbullying Programs – An Environmental Scan (HTML and PDF)
• Research Summary – Cyberbullying Research in Canada: A Systematic Review (HTML and PDF)

Open.Canada.ca

Public Safety Canada datasets related to cyberbullying, cybervictimization, and cyber hate and other research information are available on Open.Canada.ca.

Areas for future research

Further research is needed to fully understand cyberbullying and cyber hate in Canada, particularly its impacts on youth and young adults from diverse backgrounds. For example, research could explore:

• The factors that may increase or decrease the incidence of cyberbullying for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth
• The nature of cyberbullying and cyber hate experiences of ethno-racial diverse girls, young women, and gender-diverse individuals from different communities in Canada
• The factors that may increase or decrease the incidence of cyberbullying among Indigenous girls, young women, and Two-Spirit youth
• How cyberbullying outcomes differ depending upon a girl, young woman, or gender diverse individual's experience of cybervictimization and involvement in cyberperpetration

Contact us

Do you have questions or comments about this research or how it is presented? Please contact Public Safety at: HorizontalPolicy-PolitiquesHorizontales@ps-sp.gc.ca.

Featured

Learn about how young people feel about online safety

Survey findings show that many young people feel less safe online than they do in other environments. Parents report even greater concerns about their children's safety online than young people themselves.

Date modified:

2026-08-17