Nation of the United Kingdom · UK & Ireland
Scotland: cyberbullying law for schools
Bottom line for counselors: The law sets some anti-bullying rules but leaves much of the detail to schools, and online bullying is covered. Check your school's own policy. A regulator can order harmful posts taken down. Serious online abuse can be a crime.
Last verified: checked against official sources on 11 November 2026.
Nation of the United Kingdom
Scotland
Respect for All guidance; every bullying report should be recorded.
Compare with anywhere elseProtection score
One point for each of the seven questions answered yes, half a point for partly. Where a rule is set nationally, the national answer counts. A quick guide, not a legal rating.
- Partly:
Do schools have to have anti-bullying rules?
National guidance, not a law. Every council and school is expected to have an anti-bullying policy based on Respect for All.
Legal detail and sources
Respect for All: The National Approach to Anti-Bullying (updated November 2024) replaces the 2017 guidance and the 2018 recording guidance.
- Yes:
Do those rules cover online bullying?
Yes. Online bullying should be treated as seriously as face-to-face bullying.
Legal detail and sources
Respect for All includes advice on online bullying.
- Set nationally:
Is there a regulator that can get harmful posts taken down?
Yes. Ofcom enforces the Online Safety Act, which requires platforms to protect children from harmful content.
Legal detail and sources
Online Safety Act 2023. Ofcom's Protection of Children Codes took effect 25 July 2025. Ofcom regulates platforms' systems; it does not take down individual posts on request, so families report to the platform first.
- Partly:
Is there a minimum age for social media?
No ban. Children can consent to data use by apps from age 13; platforms must keep children away from harmful content.
Legal detail and sources
UK data protection law (Data Protection Act 2018 s9) sets the digital age of consent at 13. Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must use effective age checks to stop children seeing the most harmful content.
- Partly:
What are the rules on phones at school?
Head teachers decide. National guidance from August 2024 supports restricting or banning phones.
Legal detail and sources
- Yes:
When is online abuse a crime?
Sending threats, knowingly false harmful messages, or grossly offensive messages can be a crime.
Legal detail and sources
Online Safety Act 2023 created new offences from 31 January 2024: false communications (s179) and threatening communications (s181, up to 5 years). Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 and the Malicious Communications Act 1988 still cover grossly offensive messages. Some offences apply differently in Scotland.
- Yes:
What guidance do staff and counselors get?
Yes. Respect for All sets one way to record and monitor every bullying report.
Legal detail and sources
Schools record incidents through SEEMiS or a similar system.
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