Instagram Partners With Schools To Tackle Cyberbullying

Instagram is trying to combat teen safety issues, particularly cyberbullying, in schools through its new School Partnership Program, announced on September 25, 2025.

Developed with support from the International Society for Technology in Education and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the pilot program is open to all middle and high schools in the U.S. It’s enabling educators to report cyberbullying and other teen safety issues directly to Instagram.

“We’re trying to work with schools because often schools will have context that we don’t,” Adam Mosseri, the CEO and president of Instagram and dad of three, tells Parents. “They’ll know that a specific post or specific account is actually harassing a kid when we can’t.”

The program has already been tested in 60 schools around the country and has seen positive results, according to Instagram. It’s still too soon to tell whether or not this program will make a difference, but it’s highlighting the very real issue of cyberbullying.

What the School Partnership Program Offers

Middle and high schools can sign up by heading to Instagram settings and selecting “Account type and tools” or “Business tools and controls” for instructions. Schools that ultimately sign up and become partners will receive:

• A profile banner. The banner showing they are an official Instagram partner will appear on their profile. Tapping the banner in the app also offers more info on the program.
• Prioritized reporting. If a school partner sends a report, Instagram will prioritize it. Schools will be notified with updates on the report, and once action has been taken.
• Educational resources. School partners will receive resources on how to safely navigate Instagram. 

Trying To Combat Cyberbullying

The school initiative comes about a year after Instagram launched its Teen Accounts, which provide built-in protections to give young users a safer experience on the platform. Following that, Instagram says parents wanted even more support for cyberbullying, especially in schools. 

Cyberbullying is a significant problem among kids and teens, with most cases happening in middle school, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A 2022 Pew Research Center study found nearly half of U.S. teens, ages 13 to 17, experienced cyberbullying. That includes name-calling, false rumor spreading, and receiving explicit photos. Other teens reported being physically threatened and having explicit photos of themselves sent without consent.

In Instagram’s announcement, Sameer Hinduja, PhD, co-director at the Cyberbullying Research Center, says only 13% of targeted youth report being cyberbullied to their school. A frequent reason is they feel educators aren’t able to do anything about it. Previous research from the organization shows boys are much less likely to report their experience to an adult.

Some students do want schools to step in. The Pew Research Center study found that 3 in 10 teens believe it would help if school districts monitored the social media activity of students for bullying or harassment. Instagram’s School Partnership Program “will now fast-track solutions that students and educators want to see,” adds Dr. Hinduja.

Working closely with schools, says Mosseri, can help the platform handle issues that may fly under the radar, such as a user who isn’t overtly harassing another.

“You’re not calling someone a bad name or being overtly aggressive, but you’re doing something much more subtle—something that just looks totally benign to us, but is actually very targeted,” he says. “One of the important opportunities in terms of working with schools, particularly teachers, guidance counselors, and parents, is they’ll often have that context, and they can report some of that.”

Creating a Safe Space at Home

Learning your kid is being cyberbullied is difficult for any parent. Creating a safe space at home can help alleviate some of the stress from it.

Emily Oster, PhD, a mom of two, economist, author, and founder of ParentData, suggests setting boundaries for when phones can be used at home. That can include a screen-free family dinner or making sure phones are not in use before bedtime.

“Make some of the time at home a time where other people cannot be in it with you,” explains Dr. Oster, who appeared at Meta’s Screen Smart event in September 2025.

It’s also critical to show kids they are loved. Even something as simple as being excited to see your child after school can go a long way. “Just thinking about you as the antidote to some of these negative dopamine hits,” shares Dr. Oster.

A safe space at home can also make children feel more comfortable opening up to parents about any experience with bullying they may have. While a parent will likely need to call administrators if a child is bullied in elementary school, exploring resilience can help teens.

“Rather than [focusing on] how you can make this stop happening, which unfortunately is probably out of your control and maybe out of theirs as well, it’s thinking about, ‘What can we do to make this bother you less?'” suggests Dr. Oster.

Work together as a family to think about what changes to make around screen time and/or routine to help build resilience against cyberbullying. And always check in with your child. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help either—StopBullying.gov provides resources for families on how to handle cyberbullying.