A Rotorua school counsellor says cyberbullies usually pick on those who are different.
"Kids can be very quick to pick up on differences in others' appearance, behaviour, abilities, ethnicity, gender identity and so on, and can target these differences as an opportunity for harassment.
"The flip side of this coin is the harm caused to individuals who are harassed for standing out in some way.
"Even for those who are not bullied, fear of being judged can be silencing and lead to anxiety. The 24/7 nature of social media has heightened this worry for many young people and we have noted a sharp increase in recent months of students attending counselling for anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation."
She said her school had launched an email address for the reporting of any bullying or objectionable on-line messaging.