New research published on 24 August 2026 by the Australian Institute of Family Studies found that 72 percent of cyberbullying experienced by Australian children aged 12 to 17 occurs in direct messages and private group chats, not in public posts or comments. The study, which surveyed 3,400 students and parents across five states, identified Instagram direct messages, Snapchat and Discord as the platforms most frequently cited for sustained harassment, with researchers noting that the private nature of these channels means most incidents are never reported to schools or parents until after significant psychological harm has occurred. The findings are expected to inform the Federal Government's Anti-Bullying Rapid Review.
The research confirms what institutional safeguarding frameworks consistently miss: the harm is happening in private channels beyond the reach of content moderation and school visibility. Guardii addresses this operational blind spot directly, monitoring children's direct messages in real time across Instagram, Snapchat, Discord and Roblox and applying AI detection modules that identify cyberbullying, grooming and sextortion patterns as they develop. By flagging hostile contact and repeat-offender behaviour before it escalates, the platform surfaces a child in distress to parents and schools in the private spaces where 72 percent of the abuse now occurs, enabling intervention at the point of contact rather than after the damage is done.
