Cyber harassment is one of the most emotionally distressing experiences someone can face online. This intrusive abuse often leaves victims feeling vulnerable and helpless. While internet anonymity may embolden harassers to carry out such illegal acts, it doesn’t make them untouchable. There are concrete steps you can take to fight cyber harassment, seek justice, and reclaim your peace of mind. Continue reading to learn how you can properly deal with and report cyber harassment.
Who Can You Report Cyber Harassment To?
Cyber harassment takes many forms — like cyberstalking, bullying, doxxing, and defamation. In many cases, the act will occur anonymously with the culprits hiding behind fake online profiles. Not only does this make it difficult to hold the perpetrator accountable, but it can also increase and prolong the psychological toll of the harassment. There are, however, different ways you can report cyber harassment based on your unique situation, the type of harassment, and its severity.
- Social Media Platforms: The majority of social media networks include tools that allow their users to report inappropriate behavior to the platform administrators. If any account is found guilty of violating the platform’s community standards, the account will likely be removed. However, you will need to document the online harassment if you want to conduct an investigation or take legal action.
- Law Enforcement: Depending on your location, your local police department may have special divisions equipped to handle cybercrimes. They may also direct you to national organizations like the FBI. If you need to report cyber harassment to the FBI, you can do so through their Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
- Cybersecurity Company: There are many private cybersecurity companies that assist victims of online harassment. If you report cyber harassment to a private firm, they will use digital forensics to locate the origins of the harassment and identify anonymous cybercriminals. This is a resource you should consider if you are unable to verify the real identity of your harasser or stalker.
Understanding the Different Forms of Cyber Harassment
Online harassment is the intentional use of communication technology to emotionally harm a victim. It is a broad term that can describe many different online actions. However, we mainly see five forms of cyber harassment.
Hostile Messages
While a single hostile message could be considered cyber harassment, it usually takes a series of messages to become a serious issue. There are many cases of online harassment beginning with a message promising emotional or physical harm.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is the use of communications technology to humiliate, harass, or intimidate another person. The crime is closely related to cyber harassment, but they are typically emphasized more in different contexts. Cyberbullying is often used in relation to minors, whereas cyber harassment is typically used in relation to adults.
Doxxing
Doxxing is the nonconsensual publishing of someone else’s private, identifiable information on the internet. This can include an address, phone number, email, employer location, and more. Many states do not have laws against doxxing specifically, but they may prosecute the act under other statutes like harassment.
Trolling
As social media continues to grow, so does the number of online trolls. Now, they are everywhere, and their goal is to always cause an uproar. Trolling is a specific form of harassment in which bad actors leave a comment to provoke an emotional reaction. It can range from harmless acts of fun to malicious attacks against other people.
There is a lot of debate in the U.S. about how much trolling should be protected under the First Amendment. In the UK, however, certain trolls can be imprisoned depending on the case. For example, one internet troll was jailed for eighteen weeks in the UK for publishing offensive messages about teenagers who had passed.
Revenge Porn
Revenge porn is a serious form of online harassment that can cause extreme emotional distress and real-life consequences. The term largely refers to people who publicly share the explicit images of their former partners. Revenge porn typically occurs after a breakup and with the intent to intimidate, embarrass, or harm the victim. It’s also known as nonconsensual intimate image (NCII) abuse in many legal contexts, but that term largely refers to the general sharing of explicit images without consent.
How To Deal with Cyber Harassment on Twitter: A Real-World Case
Caroline Criado-Perez is a feminist who campaigned for women to be featured on UK banknotes. When it was announced that Jane Austen would be featured on the £10 banknote, she began to receive aggressive tweets. She was sent fifty abusive tweets an hour for half a day before she went to the police. The messages ranged from intimidating content like “I will find you,” to more sinister messages.
Criado-Perez decided to report the cyber harassment to the police. Eventually, two of the harassers were charged with “improper use of a communications network”. In 2014, the two criminals were sentenced to eight to twelve weeks in prison.
Can You Report Cyber Harassment? Here’s What You Can Do
Each form of cyber harassment requires a different process for reporting the crime. Consequently, it’s essential to review your local laws to ensure you have accurate and up-to-date information regarding online harassment.
- Email Harassment: This refers to violent, persistent, or dangerous unsolicited messages meant to cause fear or panic. You should inform your email provider and local authorities about the harassment.
- Cyberbullying: This can consist of mockups, violent messages, persistent slurs, or offensive interactions. Cyberbullying needs to cross a boundary into defamation or serious emotional harm in order to be actionable in many jurisdictions.
- Sexual Harassment: Online abusers may send unwelcomed sexual content, messages, or comments. You should report cyber harassment of this nature to law enforcement. Sharing intimate images of you without your consent can also be classified as either revenge porn or sextortion and requires a different approach.
- Cyberstalking: This can consist of relentless and aggressive online conduct. Examples include sending too many messages, monitoring your actions, or trespassing into your digital accounts.
Will My Harasser Know I Reported Them?
Perpetrators are not automatically notified that a law enforcement investigation has been initiated. If a crime has been committed, officials typically contact the reported individual to ask about pertinent information. Investigations are not conducted on every report received, and the frequency of investigations is subject to various factors.
It’s understandable to feel frightened when deciding to report cyber harassment. But it is important to recognize that speaking up is the best way to ensure your safety. If you want to guarantee reporting in a discreet way, you can also work with a private cybersecurity company.
What Can the Police Do About Cyber Harassment?
While the state laws on harassment vary, the crime is still illegal across the country. It’s best to fight cyber harassment by going to your local law enforcement. While this is a great first step, there are still several complications that may arise.
- The perpetrator must fall within the jurisdiction of local police. With the internet giving criminals the ability to reach victims from anywhere, there are many cases of harassers living in other states or even countries.
- Not all police departments take cases of online harassment as seriously as other crimes. Depending on your case and evidence, the local authorities may not prioritize your needs.
What If Your Abuser Is Harassing You Anonymously?
As long as they can stay anonymous, abusers can easily harass anyone without fear of repercussions. Tools like VPNs, disposable emails, and fake profiles are widely used by cybercriminals. However, there are ways to unmask the identity and geolocation of the perpetrator.
Private cybersecurity firms house the latest technology and can follow the data trail left by cybercriminals. Some local police departments also have cybercrime units to assist victims as well. By employing innovative digital forensic tools, these experts can fight cyber harassment at the source of malicious conduct.
Can You Get a Restraining Order to Fight Cyber Harassment?
Yes, you can get a restraining order for online harassment. This could be for behavior that involves repeated messages, someone stalking you, or if the criminal has violated a state or federal law. To get one, it’s necessary to present evidence to the court, like messages, emails, or social media updates. Then, the court will decide if the scenario qualifies and determine the parameters of the individual restraining order.
How Can You Protect Yourself from Cyber Harassment?
Almost anyone can be a victim of cyber harassment, even users who barely have an online presence. It’s important for all internet users to understand the best practices regarding online safety to minimize their chances of falling victim to cyber harassment and other crimes. Here are a few tips about how to deal with online harassment and what to do to prevent it.
- Change your privacy settings. Online platforms allow users to switch their profile to private. Users can also prevent strangers from messaging them.
- Be cautious about social media updates. Images can reveal a lot about you. They can reveal where you are, who you’re friends with, or what’s important to you. Criminals can use this information against you to access accounts or catfish you.
- Avoid talking to strangers. Many harassers begin as online outsiders. They typically come into contact with the victim and will continue to interact with their online profiles. The harassers may even use fake or anonymous accounts to contact the victim directly.
- Remove personal details online. The less that criminals know about you, the better. Make sure to keep things like birthdays, location, and more off your profile bio.
Ask for Help
Many victims of online harassment hesitate to ask for help out of shame or embarrassment. However, reaching out for support can be the key to stopping the harassment for good. Don’t let shame or embarrassment keep you from seeking help. Reach out to law enforcement, legal professionals, or private cybersecurity firms for assistance. And if you need emotional support, talk to a trusted friend or family member about what you’ve been going through.
