The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered the landscape of education and, with it, the nature of school bullying. As students were forced into remote learning environments and later returned to dramatically different school settings, the patterns, methods, and impacts of bullying evolved in ways that mental health professionals are still working to understand and address.
The Initial Shift: From Hallways to Home Screens
When schools closed their doors in March 2020, many hoped that the physical separation would provide relief for students experiencing traditional bullying. However, the reality proved more complex. Cyberbullying, which had already been on the rise, became the primary vehicle for peer aggression during remote learning periods.
The transition to virtual classrooms created new vulnerabilities. Students who were previously safe in their home environments suddenly found their personal spaces invaded through screens. Bullies discovered they could screenshot embarrassing moments during video calls, mock students’ home environments, or exclude peers from virtual study groups and social interactions.
For example, Sarah, a 14-year-old, became the target of sustained harassment after her younger brother accidentally walked through her room during a math class. Classmates began calling her “babysitter” and created group chats specifically to mock her “unprofessional” home setup. Another student, Marcus, faced ridicule when his family’s financial struggles became apparent through his older laptop’s frequent technical difficulties during online presentations.
New Forms of Digital Aggression
The pandemic gave rise to several novel forms of bullying behavior. “Zoom bombing” incidents, where uninvited participants would disrupt online classes with inappropriate content, often targeted specific students. Social media platforms saw increased harassment related to students’ appearance on camera, their family situations revealed through virtual backgrounds, or their access to technology.
One particularly cruel trend involved students creating fake social media accounts to impersonate classmates, posting embarrassing content that would appear during Google searches of the victim’s name. In another case, a group of students systematically muted and unmuted a peer with a speech impediment during virtual presentations, recording the audio to share later on TikTok. Some students reported being deliberately excluded from private Discord servers where classmates discussed assignments, leaving them academically disadvantaged and socially isolated.
Perhaps most concerning was the way online bullying followed students home in an unprecedented manner. Previously, home had served as a refuge from school-based aggression. During remote learning, the boundaries between school and home dissolved, leaving some students with no escape from harassment.
The Isolation Factor
The social isolation inherent in pandemic restrictions amplified the impact of bullying behaviors. Students who might have found support from friends, teachers, or other adults in the school environment were left to cope with harassment in isolation. The absence of immediate intervention opportunities meant that incidents could escalate more quickly and have more severe psychological impacts.
Consider the case of Emma, a high school junior who became the target of a coordinated harassment campaign after expressing different political views during a virtual civics class. What began as disagreement quickly escalated into daily harassment across multiple platforms – Instagram comments, Snapchat messages, and even harassment of her parents’ social media accounts. With no physical school environment where teachers could intervene or friends could offer immediate support, Emma endured weeks of abuse before her parents discovered the extent of the harassment.
Research conducted during the pandemic revealed that students experiencing cyberbullying during remote learning showed higher rates of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances compared to pre-pandemic bullying victims. The combination of social isolation and digital harassment created a particularly toxic environment for vulnerable students.
The Return to In-Person Learning
As schools began reopening, mental health professionals observed new patterns in traditional bullying behavior. Students who had spent months in isolation showed decreased social skills and increased anxiety around peer interactions. Some had difficulty reading social cues after extended periods of primarily digital communication.
Teachers reported incidents like students struggling to understand when joking crossed the line into cruelty, having spent months communicating primarily through text and emojis. One middle school counselor described how a student who had been popular before the pandemic found himself suddenly excluded because he had gained weight during lockdown and struggled with social anxiety upon returning to school.
The pandemic also created new hierarchies and divisions among students. Those who had maintained strong social connections during lockdowns often found themselves in positions of increased social power, while students who had been more isolated sometimes became targets. Disparities in access to technology and stable internet during remote learning created additional grounds for exclusion and harassment.
A particularly troubling pattern emerged around “COVID shaming” – students who had been more cautious about health protocols were labeled as “paranoid” or “weird,” while those whose families had contracted COVID-19 faced stigma and exclusion. In one documented case, a seventh-grader was nicknamed “Patient Zero” after his family’s COVID diagnosis, leading to months of social isolation even after his recovery.
Long-Term Psychological Impacts
The psychological effects of pandemic-era bullying appear to be more persistent than traditional forms. Students report feeling unsafe both online and offline, describing a sense that harassment can follow them anywhere. This pervasive feeling of vulnerability has led to increased rates of school avoidance, even as in-person learning has resumed.
Additionally, the uncertainty and trauma of the pandemic itself made students more susceptible to the effects of bullying. Many young people were already struggling with anxiety, depression, and grief related to COVID-19’s impact on their families and communities. Bullying during this vulnerable period often had amplified psychological consequences.
Therapeutic Considerations and Interventions
Mental health professionals working with young people affected by pandemic-era bullying face unique challenges. Traditional approaches to bullying intervention often focused on the school environment and face-to-face social dynamics. The hybrid nature of current student interactions requires more comprehensive therapeutic strategies.
For instance, therapists now encounter cases like Jamie’s, a 16-year-old who developed severe anxiety about both online and offline interactions after experiencing coordinated harassment that seamlessly moved between Zoom classes, Instagram, and eventually back to in-person school. Traditional cognitive-behavioral approaches had to be adapted to address digital triggers alongside physical ones – helping Jamie develop coping strategies for everything from notification sounds to walking past certain classrooms.
Therapy must now address both online and offline safety, helping students develop digital literacy skills alongside traditional social skills. Students need support in creating boundaries between their home and school lives, even when both occur in the same physical space. Additionally, therapists must help young people process the compound trauma of pandemic isolation and peer victimization.
Family involvement has become increasingly crucial. Parents and caregivers, who may have witnessed online bullying incidents firsthand during remote learning, often need support in knowing how to respond appropriately and advocate for their children. One parent described the helplessness of overhearing her daughter being mocked during a virtual group project, unsure whether to intervene immediately or allow her child to handle it independently.
Practical Advice for Mental Health Professionals
Assessment Strategies
When working with students who may have experienced pandemic-era bullying, mental health professionals should conduct comprehensive assessments that address both traditional and digital harassment. Key questions to explore include:
- What platforms and digital spaces does the student use for school and social interaction?
- Have they experienced harassment that moved between online and offline environments?
- Do they have safe spaces at home, or has digital harassment invaded their personal sanctuary?
- How has their social support network changed since the pandemic began?
Create a timeline of the student’s pandemic experience, noting periods of remote learning, hybrid schedules, and return to in-person instruction. This helps identify when bullying incidents occurred and how they may have been influenced by changing educational formats.
Therapeutic Interventions
Digital Safety Planning: Work with students to develop comprehensive safety plans that address both online and offline environments. This includes setting privacy settings, blocking procedures, screenshot documentation, and identifying trusted adults who can help in digital harassment situations.
Boundary Setting Skills: Help students establish healthy boundaries between home and school life, even when both occur in the same physical space. This might include creating physical barriers during virtual learning or developing rituals that signal transitions between “school mode” and “home mode.”
Social Skills Rebuilding: Many students need support relearning face-to-face social interactions after extended periods of digital communication. Practice reading non-verbal cues, understanding social contexts, and navigating group dynamics through role-playing and graduated exposure.
Trauma-Informed Approaches: Recognize that pandemic-era bullying often occurred during a period of heightened vulnerability. Use trauma-informed care principles, acknowledging the compound effects of social isolation, family stress, and educational disruption alongside peer harassment.
Family and Caregiver Guidance
Educate families about the signs of digital harassment and provide concrete strategies for intervention. This includes:
- Teaching parents how to document cyberbullying incidents with screenshots and saved messages
- Helping families understand privacy settings and monitoring tools for various platforms
- Providing scripts for parents to use when contacting schools about online harassment
- Supporting parents in creating tech-free zones and times in the home
School Collaboration
Work closely with educational staff to develop coordinated response plans. This includes:
- Sharing information about how online harassment affects in-person behavior and academic performance
- Providing training to teachers about recognizing signs of cyberbullying
- Advocating for comprehensive digital citizenship curricula
- Supporting schools in developing policies that address harassment across all platforms students use
Advice for Students and Families
For Students Experiencing Harassment
Document Everything: Take screenshots, save messages, and keep records of all harassment. This documentation is crucial for both therapeutic work and any formal complaints.
Tell a Trusted Adult: Don’t suffer in silence. Whether it’s a parent, teacher, counselor, or other trusted adult, sharing your experience is the first step toward getting help.
Use Platform Tools: Learn how to block, report, and restrict users on all platforms you use. Most social media and communication apps have robust tools for managing harassment.
Create Safe Spaces: Identify both physical and digital spaces where you feel safe. This might mean logging off during certain hours or having a specific room in your house that’s tech-free.
Practice Self-Care: Engage in activities that boost your mood and self-esteem outside of digital spaces. Physical exercise, creative pursuits, and face-to-face time with supportive friends can help counteract the negative effects of online harassment.
For Parents and Caregivers
Stay Informed: Learn about the platforms and apps your child uses. Understanding the technology helps you better support them and recognize potential problems.
Maintain Open Communication: Create an environment where your child feels safe discussing online experiences without fear of losing technology privileges.
Monitor Without Invading: Strike a balance between keeping your child safe and respecting their developing autonomy. Consider using monitoring tools transparently rather than secretly.
Advocate Effectively: Know your rights and your child’s rights regarding harassment in educational settings. This includes understanding how schools should respond to cyberbullying that affects the educational environment.
Seek Professional Help: Don’t hesitate to involve mental health professionals if your child shows signs of depression, anxiety, or other emotional difficulties related to peer harassment.
Moving Forward: Prevention and Healing
The pandemic has taught us that effective bullying prevention must encompass both digital and physical environments. Schools are implementing new policies around online behavior and digital citizenship, but the therapeutic community must also adapt its approaches.
Recovery from pandemic-era bullying often requires addressing multiple layers of trauma. Students may need support processing not only the harassment they experienced but also the broader losses of the pandemic period – missed milestones, social development delays, and family stresses.
As we continue to understand the long-term impacts of this unique period in educational history, one thing remains clear: the intersection of a global pandemic and the already complex dynamics of youth social interaction has created challenges that require sustained attention from mental health professionals, educators, and families working together.
The resilience shown by many young people throughout this period provides hope, but it also underscores the importance of providing appropriate support for those who continue to struggle with the lasting effects of pandemic-era bullying. By acknowledging how dramatically bullying evolved during COVID-19, we can better prepare to address its ongoing impacts and prevent similar issues in future crises.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic created a perfect storm for new forms of peer aggression while simultaneously removing many traditional protective factors. As we move forward, the therapeutic community must remain vigilant about the unique needs of students who experienced bullying during this unprecedented time, ensuring that our interventions are as adaptive and resilient as the young people we serve.