Online confrontation can be stressful and challenging. However, in an ever-increasingly connected world, experiencing internet harassment is a distinct possibility. With billions of people on numerous social media channels, online harassment can happen to anyone and could even, ultimately, impact your offline safety. If you or your business are the target of social media harassment, this guide can help you take the appropriate steps to put this chapter behind you.
Additional tips on dealing with social media harassment
Managing online harassment is challenging because you’re not dealing with the perpetrator directly. Therefore, handling social media harassment must be more nuanced than managing in-person confrontations.
Here are a few tips for businesses forced to handle social media harassment.
1. Don’t engage with social media harassment perpetrators.
It’s a natural human instinct to defend yourself 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 are giving them what they want. Therefore, whenever possible, it’s best to stay silent and not risk escalating a situation.
2. Neutralize the situation with positivity.
If you’re being harassed to the point where silence is not an option, try engaging with the aggressor positively. For example, instead of getting defensive, offer something constructive. There are smart ways to respond to online reviews, even negative ones.
For example, if the harasser says something like, “Your brand is awful,” reply with, ‘I’m sorry you had a negative experience. Let us know how we can improve in the future.'”
Expressing empathy may defuse the situation because it’s harder to attack someone trying to put their best foot forward.
3. Share how you feel about the social media harassment.
It may be easy to say that it’s “just Facebook” or “it’s only a troll,” but that doesn’t negate the emotional impact of social media harassment. Know that it’s perfectly OK to feel frustrated, isolated or anxious about the harassment you’re facing. Online life is very much real life as well. So, if you’re feeling stressed, talk to a friend or a professional to help work through your feelings.
4. Shore up your passwords and cybersecurity measures.
Your private information may be published online if you’re being harassed on social media. This can include information like the passwords to your social media accounts and your home address. You can take several steps to combat this issue.
First, check the health of your online accounts: If you haven’t changed your password in a long time or have very easy-to-guess credentials, now is the time to create a strong password ― one that’s impossible to guess. Additionally, consider turning on two-factor authentication, which requires you to verify your identity via a texted code or authenticator application before gaining access to your account.
5. Report the social media harassment situation.
If all else fails and the harassment gets to be too much, don’t hesitate to block the account and file a report through the proper channels. Every social media platform has a procedure for reporting users who violate the company’s code of conduct.
The company may take a few days to do its due diligence. However, if the situation is quickly escalating, contact support ― they may offer a helpful solution in many cases.
If anyone online threatens your property or safety, consider reporting it to the police in addition to the social media platform. Although they may not be able to take action on the report, this creates a paper trail so that you have formal documentation if the social media harassment escalates.
File a report with the police district where your business and home are located and include all documentation of the cyberharassment or cyberstalking. If you have evidence of the perpetrator’s identity, file a restraining order because you don’t know when that person might take the harassment offline.