A study has found that many people send harmful digital communications because they think it's a joke.
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Netsafe surveyed more than 1100 people to see if, and why, they sent such communications.
Of those surveyed, 11 percent admitted to sending or sharing at least one type of potentially harmful digital communication - 80 percent of whom had done this more than once.
Nearly 30 percent of those said they did it for a joke, but 8 percent said they did it to scare someone.
Six percent of respondents admitted to saying offensive things about someone else, 3 percent tried to embarrass another person, attempted to exclude someone from a friendship group or made a sexual advance they were not sure was welcome.
Of those who sent harmful digital communications, 29 percent were friends of the recipient and 20 percent were family members.
Women made 52.4 percent of the reports to Netsafe.
Netsafe's chief executive Martin Cocker said it's important deliberate offenders were prosecuted.
"Netsafe can help people who have been the recipient of deliberate abuse and also assist people who didn't intend to hurt others," he said.
Netsafe received nearly 3,400 reports under the Harmful Digital Communications Act last financial year. Females comprised 52.4 percent of Netsafe's incoming reports.
Today is Safer Internet Day, a global awareness campaign involving more than 170 countries aimed at promoting a more positive time online.
