ESafety Commissioner warns of five-fold increase in cyberbullying as social media ban looms

Australia’s online safety regulator has revealed reports of cyberbullying have increased five-fold in the last five years, with two ages most at risk.

More than a third of cyber-bullying victims are children aged just 12 and 13, new figures from Australia’s online safety regulator reveal, amid a five-fold increase in reports over the last five years and a “disturbing” trend towards self-harm.

Meanwhile families affected by youth suicide say the federal government’s legislated social media ban can’t come soon enough, with one father declaring the current December deadline is “too far away”.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner responded to almost 3000 verified complaints of cyber-bullying last year, a 25 per cent increase since 2023 and 455 per cent increase since 2019.

Of the 2,978 valid reports, 12-year-olds and 13-year-olds were targets in 35 per cent of cases.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the forms of cyber-bullying are becoming increasingly “harrowing and pernicious”, with tweens currently transitioning into high school at particularly high risk.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant at a parliamentary hearing in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

An alarming number of cases now involve threats of self-harm and suicide.

“A newer and quite disturbing peer-bullying tactic we’ve recently seen has been for a group of kids to fake the death or suicide of a person close to the target, like a best friend, which can cause acute panic and trauma,” she revealed.

The emerging tactic raises concerns for suicide contagion or ‘copycat suicides’, in which a young person’s geographical, psychological and social proximity to someone who has taken their own life increases their risk of imitation.

“We’ve seen groups of girls inciting others to engage in more grievous forms of self-harm, i.e. ‘you’re not cutting deep enough’,” Ms Inman Grant said.

“We’ve also seen cases of digital self-harm – a cry for help – where a child will set up a fake account in another name and target themselves in an online public space so others can see it.”

Legislation banning children under the age of 16 from accessing certain social media platforms is due to come into effect by December 10 at the latest, however the Albanese government is yet to decide which apps and websites will be impacted and consultation with parent groups, experts and the industry is yet to begin.

Cyberbullying is taking on ever-more “pernicious” forms, the eSafety Commissioner says.

Trials of age verification and estimation technology, to be used by social media companies to enforce the age restrictions, are currently underway and are expected to report back by mid-2025.

Melbourne father and founder of suicide prevention organisation SmackTalk Wayne Holdsworth, whose 17-year-old son Mac took his own life after falling victim to a predator’s sextortion plot, said the “powerful” legislation will “provide parents with some leverage to say ‘no’” and should be put into effect as soon as possible.

“We need to get on top of this sooner rather than later,” he said.

Wayne Holdsworth and his daughter Daisy. Photographed on the right is his son, Mac, who lost his life to suicide in 2023. Picture: Jason Edwards

“December is too far away. We’ve got kids dying every day.”

Emma Mason, whose 15-year-old daughter Tilly Rosewarne died by suicide after being tormented by peers over Snapchat, expressed concerns about the implementation “racing any faster”, and wants to see the government get it right the first time, rather than setting the legislation up to fail.

“I’m really concerned about companies being allowed to opt out of this, and I’m very focused on ensuring that it’s almost an all-in,” she said.

Emma Mason holds a photograph of her daughter Tilly Rosewarne. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

A spokesman for Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the government “continue(s) to take very seriously the harms facing young people on platforms” and will spend the next 10 months “working closely with industry, child development and youth mental health experts”.

“There’s a wealth of resources freely available at eSafety.gov.au and we encourage all parents and teenagers to avail themselves of these resources,” the spokesman said.

Ms Inman Grant said parents, teachers and school leaders need to “be engaged” in the online lives of the children in their care, with 25 per cent of cyber-bullying taking place on messaging apps rather than public platforms.

“We’ve seen a lot of success when we take a whole of school community approach,” she said.

“As parents, we all have the responsibility to be teaching our kids the four Rs of the digital age – to use these technologies with respect, to take responsibility, to build their digital resilience and their critical reasoning skills.”

If you or someone you know needs help, Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), and 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) are available to talk 24/7.

Originally published as ESafety Commissioner warns of five-fold increase in cyberbullying as social media ban looms