Social Media Harassment: 5 Ways To Deal With It

Social media harassment is used as an umbrella term to describe the use of the internet to harass, threaten or maliciously embarrass another party. It can be in the form of verbal, sexual, emotional, or social abuse aimed at a person, a group of persons, or even an organization.

Businesses are particularly vulnerable to forms of social media harassment because companies must be on platforms to interact with customers and partners. Removing oneself from social media may lead to a loss of business because most businesses use social media to promote products and services. Therefore, business owners must learn the proper tactics for handling social media harassment.

Types of Social Media Harassment

Incidents of harassment often take one of the following forms:

• Hate Speech

While there is no legal definition of hate speech, it is generally accepted to include damaging or threatening remarks motivated by hatred toward aspects of identity such as race, religion, gender identity, etc.

• Sexual Harassment or Revenge Porn

Online sexual harassment involves unwelcome or unauthorized behavior that is sexual, including publishing personal images. Revenge porn is the colloquial name for posting explicit or nude photos of a former partner online without their consent.

• Cyberstalking

Closely related to harassment, cyberstalking refers to repeated online behavior intended to cause emotional stress and fear of physical harm.

• Doxxing

This term refers to revealing private or personal information on the internet for public consumption, usually with malicious intent.

• Impersonation or Identity Theft

Posting, messaging or interacting on the internet as a person other than yourself.

Examples of Social Media harassment

Social media harassment or cyberbullying is the term used to describe the use of the internet to bully, harass, threaten, or maliciously embarrass. It can involve behaviors such as:

• Sending unsolicited and threatening email
• Encouraging others to send the victim unsolicited and threatening emails or to overwhelm the victim with email messages
• Sending viruses by email (electronic sabotage)
• Spreading rumors
• Making defamatory comments about the victim online
• Sending negative messages directly to the victim
• Impersonating the victim online by sending an inflammatory, controversial, or enticing message which causes others to respond negatively to the victim
• Harassing the victim during a live chat
• Leaving abusive messages online, including social media sites
• Sending the victim pornography or other graphic material that is knowingly offensive
• Creating online content that depicts the victim in negative ways

How Can You Stop Someone From Harassing You?

Every social media and online messaging platform has avenues for reporting and removing offensive content, and it is possible to take legal action against perpetrators of online harassment as well. Working within the forum where the harassment occurred is the first option available to respond to online abuse.

• Block

You can silence perpetrators on most social media sites by blocking their account(s), which will prevent them from viewing your profile or communicating with you in any way. That can stop harassment on one site, but pervasive attackers may seek out other platforms or use fake accounts to continue targeting you. Keep in mind if you are gathering information to take to law enforcement or a lawyer, blocking will prevent you from recording new harassment.

• Mute

You can “mute” certain information or accounts on some social media platforms, meaning it will no longer show up in your feed, search, or inbox. It differs from blocking in one vital way: you are only preventing yourself from seeing content, and others on the site may still view defamatory or threatening posts. That does not affect the perpetrator’s ability to continue to harass you or others.

• Report

You may report an account as violating the community guidelines of a social media platform in an attempt to get their posting privileges revoked or at least have offending posts removed. 

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act prevents social media companies from being held liable for any comments or images posted using their service, so your best hope is to appeal to their internal policies for what may appear on their site. In the end, it is up to their team to decide whether to respond. Each site has its reporting process, and you can click these links to get started on Facebook, Instagram, Google, or Twitter.

• Helplines

If you are concerned for your mental health or need advice on what to do next, reach out to one of these helplines that provide free assistance for victims of cyber harassment.

How Should You Deal With Social Media Harassment?

Online harassment is a form of bullying that is difficult to manage because you are not dealing with the perpetrator directly. Therefore, you must handle it more subtly than an in-person confrontation. Here are a few tips to help your business avoid the pitfalls of social media.

• Do Not Engage in Similar Behavior

It is a natural human instinct to defend oneself when being attacked. But in the realm of the internet, firing back at an abuser is like adding oxygen to a wildfire. By engaging with their insults or threats, you give them exactly what they want. Therefore, it is best to stay silent and not escalate a situation.

• Neutralize the Situation with Positivity

If you are subject to harassment to the point where silence is not an option, try engaging with the aggressor positively. For example, rather than getting defensive, offer something constructive. Expressing empathy may defuse the situation because it is more difficult to attack someone trying to put their best foot forward.

• Share How You Feel

It may be easy to say that it is "just Facebook" or "it is only a troll," but that does not negate any emotional impact social media harassment has on you. Know that it is perfectly okay to feel frustrated, isolated, or anxious about the harassment you are facing. If you feel stressed, talk to a friend or a professional to help work through your feelings.

• Double-check Your Passwords

Your private information may be published online if you are subject to harassment on social media. That can include information like passwords, both the passwords to your social media accounts and your passwords. Check the health of your online accounts. If you have not changed your password in a long time or have very easy-to-guess credentials, now is the time to make up a password that is impossible to guess. You may also want to consider turning on two-factor authentication, which requires you to verify your identity via phone before you can gain access to your account.

• Report the Situation

If the harassment gets too much, block the account and file a report through the proper channels. Every social media platform has a procedure for reporting users who violate the code of conduct. It may take a few days for the company to do its due diligence. However, if the situation is quickly escalating, contact support may offer a helpful solution in many cases.

Bottom Line

Financial, emotional, and possible social costs for interpersonal harassment and abuse cases exist. If you consider taking legal action, prepare to be questioned about your experience and for details surrounding the harassment to be made public in court. Initial court fees for filing a civil suit can be between $400-$1,000. Investigative teams and attorneys can often start between $5,000-$10,000 in online harassment cases.