18 Jul Helping Teens Establish Healthy Digital Boundaries

by Troya Carr, Program Specialist at ECHO
This blog is part of our ECHO: Keeping Kids Safe blog series.

Bullying & Cyberbullying: When the Pressure Turns Harmful

Not all conflict is considered bullying. Sometimes kids experience drama, a disagreement, a one-time argument, or a misunderstanding between equals. This is different than the intentional act of bullying. Bullying involves repeated, intentional harm and often includes an imbalance of power, like one person having more social status, physical strength, or even digital influence over another.

Cyberbullying takes these behaviors online. It can include sending mean messages, sharing embarrassing photos, spreading rumors, or excluding someone through group chats or social media. And unlike in-person conflict, it doesn’t stay at school, it follows kids home and lives in their pockets.

According to the 2023 Kentucky Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 23% of high school and 41% of middle school students report being bullied on school property. Equally concerning, 18% of high schoolers and 29% of middle schoolers said they had been cyberbullied.

In the classroom, we encourage children and youth to be kind, to lead with empathy, and to speak up if they, or someone they know, are being targeted. Because the truth is: cyberbullying and bullying rarely stop until someone steps in.

When kids know, they can talk to a Safe Adult, it makes all the difference.

Sexting, Sextortion, and the Need for Healthy Digital Boundaries

Today’s teens, and even younger children, live much of their lives online, and with that comes new risks parents didn’t have to navigate at their age. Conversations about sexting and sextortion might feel uncomfortable but avoiding them doesn’t make these dangers go away, it just makes kids more vulnerable.

Sexting, the sharing of personal or intimate images and videos, has become normalized in some youth circles. In fact, 1 in 3 youth say they’ve received sexts, and 1 in 5 report sending explicit content of themselves. While it may start as a private exchange, those images can easily fall into the wrong hands, with 1 in 7 youth stating that they forward sexts, leading to embarrassment, bullying, or even blackmail.

That’s where sextortion comes in. This is when someone threatens to share a private image unless the teen complies with demands, whether for more images, money, or other harmful actions. And it’s happening younger than many realize. Children as young as 9 years old have been targeted by online predators. Between October 2021 and March 2023, over 13,000 cases of online financial sextortion targeting minors were recorded.

The emotional toll of sextortion and online exploitation can be devastating. Feelings of fear, shame, isolation, and hopelessness often follow, deeply affecting a child’s mental health. Many feel trapped in silence, afraid of judgment or punishment, which only compounds the emotional distress. Left unaddressed, this can lead to anxiety, depression, and in severe cases, thoughts of self-harm.

Parents should also be aware that online grooming often plays a significant role in sextortion cases. Predators build trust with young people over time, manipulating them into sharing personal information or images before turning that trust into threats and blackmail. If explicit content has been shared, parents and caregivers can visit Take It Down, a free service offered by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This resource helps remove or stop the online sharing of inappropriate images and provides support for families navigating these difficult situations.

Want to Learn More?

Join us for our next Face It Lunch & Learn on Wednesday, July 30th at 12PM ET Sextortion 101: Behind Every Screen Is a Risk—And a Chance to Protect presented by Sonja Grey, Executive Director at Exploited Children’s Help Organization (ECHO). This presentation aims to empower participants with the knowledge and tools needed to identify sextortion, respond effectively and keep kids safe online. Register Here.