Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Cyber Bullying

At Dolly’s Dream, we’re working to change the culture of bullying and create a world where everyone feels safe, valued and supported, both offline and online.

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) grows quickly, it’s starting to be used in harmful ways, including to intimidate and bully. It’s understandable that many families are feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to keep up.

That’s why we’ve shared some simple info and practical tips to help families feel more informed, confident and prepared when navigating AI and the online world.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that traditionally needed human brainpower. Generative AI ‘learns’ from the instructions it receives and from analysing large amounts of existing content. Then it produces new material in response to prompts.  

People use generative AI to create all sorts of things: essays, cartoons, videos, emails, song lyrics, voices, artworks, even realistic ‘conversations’ with chatbots. 

Despite the many positives of generative AI, it raises risks for school communities. There have been some distressing reports of students using generative AI technologies to create degrading images of their classmates and teachers.  

As the technology spreads and becomes more sophisticated, there are risks that generative AI may be used to bully children in various ways, such as:  

• Creating fake social media profiles, fake audio or videos, offensive memes, or ‘deepfake’ pornography; 
• Bombarding the victim with nasty automated messages or comments; 
• Using ‘bot’ accounts to mass-report the victim to a digital platform for fake wrongdoing;
• ‘Sextortion’, where a perpetrator threatens to release AI-generated ‘nudes’ unless the victim hands over money or real intimate photos. 

There’s nothing new about cyber bullying. But there is a risk that generative AI could make it easier for people to bully others in ways that are fast, realistic, targeted and humiliating. This intensifies the risk of children and young people being seriously harmed. 

• Stay calm, listen, and get the full picture of what’s happened.
• Let your child know you’re glad they told you — and that what’s happening isn’t their fault.
• Save evidence (dates, platforms, messages, usernames). Take screenshots of chats or posts (but never of intimate images of anyone under 18).
• Report the content to the platform and request removal.
• Block, mute or hide the person involved and review privacy settings.
• If there’s blackmail or threats, stop contact and don’t send anything further.
• Look after your child’s wellbeing and reassure them they’re not alone.

• School – let them know what’s happened so they can support your child.
• eSafety Commissioner – for help reporting harmful online content and getting it taken down.
• Police – if there’s abuse, threats or illegal content involved.
• Scamwatch – for online scams.
• CyberReport – for online offences against adults.
• Take It Down – a service that helps remove intimate images of children under 18.
• Dolly’s Dream Bullying Support Line 13 DOLLY – free counselling support for parents and carers.

Keeping the conversation open and ongoing helps kids feel safer coming to you when something doesn’t feel right. You don’t need to be a tech expert, what matters most is listening, staying curious, and keeping it judgement-free.

• Talk about privacy and staying in control of personal information (like using private accounts, blocking or muting people, and only connecting with people they know and trust).
• Remind them that not everything online is true — and to come to a trusted adult if they see something confusing or upsetting.
• Reinforce that it’s always okay to say no, and that their “no” should be respected — even by people they like or trust.
• Let them know people aren’t always honest online, and to speak up if someone they don’t know asks for pics, tries to move the chat elsewhere, pressures them, or asks them to keep secrets.
• Be clear that sharing humiliating or intimate images of anyone — even AI-generated ones — is never okay without consent.
• Encourage empathy: what might seem like “just a joke” can seriously hurt someone else.
• Keep reminding them they can come to you anytime — even if they’re worried, embarrassed, or think they’ll get in trouble.

These gentle prompts can help open up meaningful chats without it feeling like a lecture:

• “Have you seen anything online lately that made you feel uncomfortable or unsure?”
• “What do you think is okay to share online, and what feels private to you?”
• “If someone asked you for a photo or tried to move a chat to another app, what would you do?”
• “How would you feel if someone used AI to make a fake image of you or your friends?”
• “Who would you talk to if something online didn’t feel right?”
• “What would you want me to do if something like that happened to you?”

These conversations don’t need to be one-off. Small, regular check-ins go a long way in helping kids feel supported and confident navigating the online world.