Day 14 — Cruelty Online

“For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure. It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend. We shared sweet fellowship together; we walked with the crowd into the house of God.”

— Psalm 55:12–14 (BSB)

It used to be that when the school day ended, you could get away from the people who were cruel to you. Not any more. Now it follows you home and into your room. A group chat you’ve been removed from that’s still going, and now it’s about you. A photo of you with comments underneath. A screenshot of something you said, twisted to mean something else. A fake account with your name on it. Messages at midnight.

If that’s happening to you, the first thing to know is this: it is not your fault. Nothing you said, wore, posted or are makes cruelty acceptable.

The second thing to know is that God isn’t distant from this kind of pain. David wrote Psalm 55 about being attacked, and the worst part wasn’t the attack itself. It was who was behind it: “it is you... my companion and close friend.” Online cruelty often comes from people you know, people you once laughed with. God put that kind of hurt into the Bible because He doesn’t think it’s small.

So what do you do?

Don’t hit back. Everything in you may want to reply with something even sharper. But revenge pulls you into the same pit, and it’s often your reply that ends up being shown to a teacher. Peter wrote of Jesus, “When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.” That isn’t weakness. It’s refusing to let them turn you into someone like them. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Save the evidence. Before you block or delete anything, take screenshots. Note dates, times and usernames.

Block and report. Use the tools the app gives you. You don’t have to keep reading it.

Tell a trusted adult. A parent, a teacher, a school counsellor, a youth leader. Many teenagers don’t tell, because they’re afraid of losing their phone or making things worse. Tell anyway. Carrying this alone makes it heavier. If anyone threatens you, or shares or threatens to share pictures of you, tell an adult right away. It is not your fault, and you are not in trouble for telling.

Hand the weight to God. In the same psalm David wrote, “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you.” Tell Him exactly what was said and how it felt.

And if the cruelty is making you feel hopeless, or you ever think about hurting yourself or not wanting to be alive, tell a parent or trusted adult right away.

Most online cruelty has an audience. The person who adds a laughing reaction. The one who forwards it “just to show you.” The many who see it and say nothing. If you’re watching it happen to someone else, you have more power than you think. “Open your mouth for those with no voice.” Refuse to share it. Report it. Send the person a private message: I saw that. It’s not OK, and I’m sorry. That one message can mean more than you’ll ever know.

And if you’ve been the one doing it, stop today. Delete it, own it, and put it right.

Think about it: Have you ever watched cruelty happen online and stayed silent? What stopped you from speaking up?

Try this: If something is happening to you, tell one trusted adult today. If you know someone who’s being targeted, send them a kind message now.

Go deeper: The Key Teachings of Julia A. J. Foote — Foote, a Black evangelist in nineteenth-century America, was treated with contempt in churches, on coaches and on boats; she didn’t strike back, but she didn’t pretend it was fine either: she told what happened plainly, named it as sin before God, and cried out against prejudice as a cruel monster. Start with chapter 10, “O Prejudice”.

Lord, You see every message and every comment, and You know how much they hurt. Thank You that it isn’t my fault and that I don’t have to carry it alone. Give me courage to tell someone, strength not to hit back, and a voice to stand up for others. Sustain me, and heal what has been broken. In Jesus’ name, Amen.