More than 4000 schools across Australia are participating in today’s National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence (NDA), working on taking crucial steps to stop bullying.

But because new social media sites and apps are constantly coming in and out of popularity it seems that just when we start to tackle one form of online bullying another emerges.

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The latest tool being used by cyberbullies is Instagram, a spokesperson from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner told news.com.au, with kids making fake accounts, dubbed “finstas”, to harass their victims.

“A ‘finsta’ is a secret or fake Instagram account that people use to post content that’s different to their real Instagram account, that may be more spontaneous, intimate or revealing,” they said.

“A ‘finsta’ can also be used to cyberbully others.”

The bully will use a fake name with no identifying information so they can anonymously attack their peers over the Instagram app.

With the risk of being identified seemingly taken away, the perpetrator might be encouraged to say certain things that they normally wouldn’t out of the fear of being caught or punished.

Another way “finstas” are being used is to destroy the reputation of the bully’s chosen victim.

They make an account using the victims name and their pictures to make it seem like it is their real Instagram page.

They then use this account to say things or upload content in an attempt to intentionally harm their target’s reputation.

“In the cases we’ve seen reported through our cyber-bullying complaints scheme, fake Instagram accounts are set up primarily to cyber-bullying a young person,” the eSafety Office spokesperson said.

“They are created to cause disruption to a friendship group, damage the young person’s reputation and create angst and anxiety for the young person being targeted.”

Females are more likely to be cyberbullied through the use of a “finsta” and the average age of victims is 14.

The spokesperson said that bullying through fake social media accounts makes up around 20 per cent of reports received by the eSafety Office.

In a provided example of one of these reports, a 14-year-old girl was targeted by someone impersonating her account.

The fake Instagram had her full name in the bio section, along with a real photo as the profile picture and her friend’s initials written in the bio to make it more believable.

This account was used to post inappropriate comments and direct messages to friends of the girl, and schoolmates.

The eSafety Office encourages anyone who finds themselves as the target of this type of bullying to immediately report it to the social media site it is being used on.

“We encourage young people who are the target of a fake account, or any cyber-bullying, to report it to the social media service it’s occurred on. Instagram has a policy prohibiting impersonation accounts,” the spokesperson said.

Reports about fake Instagram accounts can be made here.

“If the service does not remove the account or the cyber-bullying material within 48 hours, a report can be made to the eSafety Office at www.esafety.gov.au, and we may advocate on your behalf to get the account or material removed.”

“We have a 100 per cent success rate in being able to get seriously harmful content removed from social media services.”

The serious effects that bullying can have on, not only the victims, but their families as well has been emphasised in recent months with the tragic death of bullied teen Amy ‘Dolly’ Everett.

The 14-year-old Northern Territory girl was bullied so badly that, in the words of her father, she felt the need to “escape the evil in this world”, taking her own life on January 3.

Dolly’s death shook the nation, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull sending letters to schools across the country asking them to participate in today’s anti-bullying day to prevent future tragedies.

“We believe all students have the right to be safe at school. Bullying and violence has no place in Australia,” the Prime Minister wrote.

“This is our chance to stand together. Together we can reduce the incidence of bullying, whether inside the school or online, and eliminate it wherever we can.”

Cyber-bullying is a major focus of the National Day of Action, with figures showing one in five young people have experienced cyber-bullying.

If you or anyone you know needs support call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or visit Lifeline.org.au