Regardless of the type of harassment you face online, you are likely to experience emotional distress. Online harassers, trolls, and bullies usually impersonate someone to target victims. If you don’t feel safe being online and you and your business are being continuously harassed, it’s high time to put a stop to it.
It’s crucial to take cyberbullying seriously and handle this situation assertively. We have put together some steps to prevent you and your business from being harassed.
Some Common Examples of Online Harassment
Before getting started with the tips, let’s discuss the common examples of online harassment:
- Spreading rumors about an individual’s personal or professional life
- Leaving abusive and defamatory comments under someone’s post
- Deliberately sending negative or pornographic content to the victim
- Sending threatening messages directly to the victim
Tips to Prevent Online Harassment
Now that you are aware of unacceptable online behavior, it’s time to take a look at tips to deal with online harassment.
Document Online Abuse
Fortunately, digital media lets you save trails of evidence. Since social media messages can be saved, posts are public, and you can screenshot any offensive content you come across, consider documenting every instance of internet harassment. If you see any platform violating a platform’s terms of service or community guidelines, make sure you get it taken down. To do exactly that, you need to keep a record of online abuse before you report it.
In case, an individual or a group has been harassing you online, try creating a log as this is one of the best ways to provide valuable evidence to the relevant authorities. If you choose to take legal action against the preparators, having organized documentation about the abuse is important. Building up useful evidence will come in handy especially if the preparator deletes their post or deactivates their account.
Try Not to Engage
You may feel the urge to defend yourself when you are being attacked or abused online. But in the digital world, responding to an online harasser is more like adding fuel to the fire.
This is the primary reason why it is not a good idea to engage with online abusers. If you do so, you’ll give them exactly what they want. Instead of escalating the situation, try your best to be silent. It is recommended to deal with online harassment in a nuanced way.
Deal with the Situation Positively
If a specific individual or group of people harass you to the point where you can no longer stay silent, make sure you engage with the preparatory(s) positively. Let’s say, you have an online store and a customer comments under your post that goes like “I had an awful experience with your brand,” then consider replying with “We are extremely sorry, please let us know how we can improve our services”
At times, you can neutralize the heated situation by expressing empathy. Rather than attacking someone back, keep a positive attitude to handle the situation.
Consider Sharing How You Feel About the Situation
Do you find yourself saying “It’s just social media and I’ll get bullied no matter how hard I try to be careful online”? Rather than negating the emotional impact of online harassment on your mental well-being, try to figure out how you have been feeling about the situation. What social media users fail to realize is that it’s absolutely fine to feel anxious or frustrated because of cyberbullying.
If you have been bottling up your feelings, it’s time to confide in a trustworthy friend. If talking to a friend doesn’t help, consider seeking professional assistance. If you want to take online therapy sessions, make sure you invest in reliable TV and internet packages from Spectrum. To get more information regarding the provider, reach out to customer support via Spectrum chat. Or visit buytvinternetphone for more internet service providers.
All in All…
It’s understandable that harassment in any form can be stressful and difficult to deal with. However, with ultimate resilience and the guidance of your peers, you will be powerful enough to put this terrible chapter of harassment behind you. If harassment becomes a common occurrence, you should consider reporting online abuse to the police. Choosing to take legal action against the harasser may seem intimidating at first but it will give you peace of mind in the long run.
