Over 200 'Malicious Communications' Offences Reported Daily

Figures obtained by the BBC show reports of malicious communication have almost doubled to more than 200 a day.

There were 79,372 offences recorded in 2016, up from 42,910 the year before.

Police forces in England and Wales were asked to provide the data, with 38 out of 43 responding.

Malicious communication is defined as sending a letter, or electronic communication, with intent to cause distress or anxiety.

Felix Alexander

Last year, 17-year-old Felix Alexander took his own life after years of cruel online bullying.

Now Felix's mum, Lucy, shares her family's heartbreaking experience and offers some advice. Watch below:

Top Tips

• Save Evidence – If things escalate, you might need to demonstrate ‘persistent harassment’ for legal action
• Don’t Retaliate – Cyberbullies and harassers want a reaction. By ignoring them you aren’t giving them what they want
• Report and Block – If the abuse is on a social media platform, block and report the user/ content to the platform administrators. Information on how you can report online hate speech can be found here.
• Speak to Someone – Regardless of your age, telling someone about your abusive experience can help you maintain a healthy perspective about the situation

If you believe that you are the victim of an offence, always keep a record of the content, by taking a screenshot, for example. If you are worried that your child or a loved one might be the victim, signs to look out for include:

• Low self-esteem
• Withdrawal from family and spending a lot of time alone
• Reluctance to let parents or other family members anywhere near their mobiles, laptops etc
• Finding excuses to stay away from school or work including school refusal

More information about bullying, abuse and harassment online can be found here.