World Kindness Day is an important reminder that kindness is more than a sentiment. Online, it shows up in the choices we make when someone is mocked, excluded, or targeted: whether we add to the pile-on or interrupt it; whether we share a humiliating post or let it stop with us; whether we check in with the person affected or leave them to navigate it alone.

That matters because online bullying and harassment remain a persistent part of young people’s digital lives. The percentage of teen respondents (aged 13-17) self-reporting online bullying or harassment rose across the five years of Snap’s platform-agnostic Digital Well-Being Index (DWBI)—from 19.0% in 2022 to 24.1% in 2026. This 5.1-percentage-point increase in five years shows nearly one in four teens said they experience bullying in this year’s latest wave.

For young adults ages 18 to 24, the share was 22.0% in 2022, 24.6% in 2023, 25.5% in 2024, 27.2% in 2025, and 26.2% in 2026. The latest reading is one percentage point below the 2025 peak, but still 4.2 percentage points above 2022. That nuance matters: the five-year picture is elevated, even when one year’s result edges slightly down.

The DWBI asks about young people’s experiences across the broader digital ecosystem on all platforms, services, and devices, with no particular focus on Snapchat. Its findings cover teens ages 13 to 17 and young adults ages 18 to 24 in six countries: Australia, France, Germany, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We are making these select Wave 5 results available today in conjunction with World Kindness Day, and will release the full Year 5 findings on international Safer Internet Day February 9, 2027. A trend like this does not tell us why every incident happens, or make every conflict the same. It does tell us that bullying and harassment deserve attention, and that listening to young people is essential to understanding what might help. We'll share more about Snap's reporting tools and resources for Families further down in this post. 

In September, members of Snap’s U.S. teen Council for Digital Well-Being explored how bullying can look different in public feeds and private chats. They described public-feed harm as cruel comments, humiliating images, gossip, and groups piling on. A post can travel far beyond its original audience, and deleting it later may not undo the sharing, screenshots, or impact.  Council members pointed to how algorithmic feeds can reward outrage when the most attention-grabbing comments rise to the top, suggesting platforms explore comment moderation tools, chronological sorting, and ways to elevate positive interactions.

They were equally thoughtful about the gray areas. A joke, disagreement, or bit of “drama” may not feel the same to everyone involved. Teens pointed to repetition, the effect on the person targeted, and whether others join in as important signals that a line may have been crossed. An inside joke can stop feeling like a joke when it becomes a way to isolate someone or invite a group to laugh at them.

An October follow-up with the CDWB turned toward action. In private group chats, they said loyalty and fear of becoming the next target can make it difficult to speak up. Council members suggested small, human responses: check in privately with the person affected; change the subject or say simply that a comment is not funny; and avoid putting someone on the spot in the same chat where the harmful comments were made so they don’t have to perform in front of the group and act if they’re “okay.” They also emphasized that the person targeted should have a say in what happens next. 

For public content, they suggested allowing creators and users to turn off or remove comments, urging platforms to prioritize meaningful debate over hate when ranking posts, and introducing the ability to vote on top comments.

Our group was candid that reporting to parents, school officials, and platforms can feel complicated. Reporting to platforms in particular may draw more attention to the incident, or feel like sending a message into a void if they  receive no clear information about what happens next. They called for user-reporting that is easier, produces timely responses, has more transparency,  and incorporates educational interventions—such as brief video prompts for users who interact with harmful content. Crucially, as Council Member Katherine emphasized, digital safety cannot rest on platforms alone: young people, and most importantly, peer leaders must actively set and uphold positive norms, speak up, and take shared responsibility for their online culture. Schools, families, and creators were also mentioned as having a role in establishing and upholding norms. 

For adults, that means starting with curiosity rather than blame. Ask what happened, what the young person needs, and what support could help. A private conversation can be a better first step than a public confrontation; and when there is a serious safety concern, a trusted adult should be involved. Parents and educators can also talk about appropriate online behavior before an incident swells, including what to do when a group chat or public post starts to turn against someone.

If someone is experiencing or witnessing bullying or other violations of our policies, Snap encourages them to report it to us right away. Of course, threats of imminent harm should be directed to local authorities. We have in-app reporting tools where people can report specific Snaps and accounts. The best way to report content or behavior on Snapchat is to press and hold on the piece of content; a menu will appear. Then, tap “Report Snap” to let us know what’s going on. All reporting is confidential. We will never disclose who reported someone. Reports are reviewed and actioned by Snap’s Trust and Safety teams, which operate around the clock and around the globe, 24x7. Enforcement actions might include warning the offender, removing the content, suspending the account, terminating the account entirely, and/or contacting law enforcement. 

Users also have the ability to block or remove the offender by clicking on the person’s user profile and tapping the three-dot button in the upper right-hand corner. Then, select “Manage Friendship” to block or remove the person. Like reporting, blocking is also confidential; the offender will not be notified. We advise leaving any group chat where bullying or any unwelcome behavior is persistently taking place and, again, to report the behavior or the account to us. 

When it comes to public comments on Spotlight, Snap offers the option to turn off comments, to manually approve each comment or to remove individual comments. All comments go through our Abusive Language Detection system where we aim to catch foul or harassing language, preventing the comment from being distributed to others. 

For all of us, a few meaningful choices are within reach: 

• Pause before forwarding or reacting to humiliating content

• Don’t reward a pile-on with more attention

• Check in with someone who may be withdrawing, and u

• Use reporting and support tools when behavior crosses a line. 

For families who want a place to start, Snap’s The Keys offers online safety learning for teens and their parents or caregivers with a targeted module on online bullying.

Kindness does not mean ignoring harmful behavior or asking young people to solve it alone. It means treating the person behind the screen as real—and building the habits, tools, and community expectations that make care visible. This World Kindness Day, let’s make that more than a one-day message. Let’s make it what happens next.

— Cees van Koppen, Snap Inc. Head of Platform Safety, EMEA + U.S.