How to Deal with Online Harassment
At Social Misfits Media we work closely with a wide variety of charities, non-profits and social enterprises, particularly the digital teams within these organisations, to help you get the most out of social media, and reach those important to your cause. We therefore pride ourselves on really understanding the everyday challenges and nuances that organisations in this sector may face.
One challenge we see several organisations face is dealing with harassment online. Many organisations struggle with, and are unclear on how to deal with, negativity online. If an organisation deals with online harassment in the wrong way, either by ignoring it or simply deleting it, it could be detrimental.
Online harassment is more prevalent online than ever before, especially towards organisations working with vulnerable people. We want all charities to feel safe and confident when dealing with online harassment, and hope this flowchart that we have developed helps. It’s intended to be used in the moment, to help you deal with specific situations when they arise. Feel free to share it with your team, and print it off and put it up in your office, to make sure all of your staff feel safe and in control when dealing with any form of online harassment, and that your organisation as a whole deals with harassment efficiently and consistently.
To put this guide together we teamed up with our friends at Hollaback!. Hollaback! are a global movement, powered by a network of grassroots activists, developing innovative strategies to ensure equal access to public spaces, including the Internet. Hollaback! have a wealth of knowledge around dealing with harassment both online and offline, so it was only natural for us to harness their expertise to give you the best advice possible.
Emily May, Co-founder and Executive Director of Hollaback! says: “Online harassment is on the rise globally, and organisations doing great work are increasingly targeted. We’re proud to partner with Social Misfits Media on this infographic to help teams distinguish between what is and isn’t online harassment, and figure out what to do when online harassment occurs.” May highlights the importance of this guide by adding, “Too often we see organisations eager to ignore online harassment, only to discover later that the harassment poses a security risk, or that it’s silencing staff from speaking out online. This guide is a first step to deciding what is or isn’t online harassment, and then responding to it. We’re in the process of issuing further guidance on what organisations can do to further improve their security and meet the needs of staff directly impacted by online harassment, so stay tuned!”
Our hope is that you find this guide gives your staff and organisation the knowledge and confidence to deal efficiently with online abuse, so that you can continue to focus on the great work you’re doing, and reaching those who need your help the most.
If online harassment is an ongoing concern, you’ll want to develop policies and procedures to protect your organisation and support your team. To learn how, Hollaback! has developed a series of online resources. For further advice, including how to report to a platform, visit Hollaback!’s online resources.
For more free guides to help you get the most out of social media visit our website. Or if you have any questions or feedback about our guide, please reach out to us on Twitter @misfitsmedia, or drop us an email, we’d love to hear from you!
