Securing your safety while you are in the middle of an abusive situation can be very overwhelming, so these actions are listed in order of urgency. Work through each section as you are able. Some of the strategies (e.g., contacting law enforcement) may not be feasible or appropriate for your situation. Ultimately, you will be the best judge of what steps you can or should take.
Immediately
Secure your physical safety
If you feel there is an imminent threat to your safety:
- Contact the police / call 911. This may not be a viable option for every person. If you are concerned about swatting, let the police know so that they can take extra caution with calls made about your location.
- Turn off location sharing and tracking on your apps or devices. Here's a quick overview of how to do it.
- Move your location.
Don’t engage with the abuser(s)
Make sure that your primary focus is on yourself, and staying safe.
As soon as possible
Document the harassment
Collecting and saving evidence of online abuse is crucial for escalating reports to social media platforms and law enforcement, informing friends, family, and employers about your situation, and building a legal case.
- Save the evidence. This can include harassing screenshots, emails, voicemails, etc. Be sure to log the date and time of each incident.
- Enlist a trusted friend to help. Friends may not have perfect context on what to document, but can help reduce some of the burden on you.
- Create a narrative and timeline. Solidifying your narrative will help you keep your story consistent and make it easier to re-tell your story in the future.
Secure online accounts
Prioritize the accounts that you use most often or contain sensitive information (e.g. email, banking, or social media accounts).
- Ensure your accounts have strong, unique passwords.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
- Use a password manager.
- Adjust your privacy settings on social media to remove historical location information. Also consider removing references to your job and loved ones.
Next
Inform your community
Unfortunately, abusers may target people close to you, like family, friends, or colleagues.
- Warn them about online harassment.
- Educate them about online security. Tell your friends and family to not accidentally reveal information about you (e.g., posting photos or location information), and encourage them to use best security practices.
- Lean on your community for emotional and practical support.
Report to platforms
Even if it doesn’t always lead to an immediately helpful outcome, reporting creates a paper trail that can be useful for further interactions with the company or future legal action.
- Ensure you’ve documented the abusive content first. In the event that a platform takes the abusive content down or deactivates an abuser’s account, you should have your own records proving the abuse happened.
Limit your exposure
- Block or mute abusive accounts.
- Turn off notifications for social media platforms.
- Take a break from social media. You can enlist a trusted friend to help monitor or manage your accounts.
Consider
Communicate with your employer
Harassers may directly target your workplace or jeopardize your employment. You may want to inform your supervisor, reports, or co-workers that you are being subjected to online abuse.
Remove your data from brokers
Online data brokers will post sensitive information that can be weaponized against you, such as your contact information or address, on publicly available websites.
- Request data removals yourself.
- Pay for a data removal service. If you have the resources and are willing to do so, you can pay for a service like DeleteMe to remove your information from data brokers’ websites.
Get legal assistance
Laws relating to online harassment and abuse can differ greatly from place to place, and a lawyer for your region will be best equipped to inform you of your options.
Self-care and support
Online abuse can make you feel like your life is out of your control. One thing that you can control is how you treat yourself.
- Take a break from being online. Try getting a change of scenery by going on a walk outside: changing your environment can make it easier to break out of anxious thought patterns.
- Take care of yourself physically. Make sure that you are getting adequate sleep, eating well, and drinking enough water. If you’re up to it, engage in physical activities like yoga, hiking, biking, or dance.
- Do what you love. Cultivate a hobby, or engage in a creative pursuit that brings you joy.
- Consider counseling. If online harassment is interfering with your physical health, your personal relationships, or your work, you may want to seek professional mental health care.
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