top of page

steps to reporting cyber abuse

Save the Evidence

                                  The first step to take if you ever experience                                   cyber abuse or suspect someone is stalking,                                  harassing or targeting you is to screenshot the                            evidence immediately, recording the date and time in a document or by writing it down on paper.

 

You should record:

  • A screenshot (photo) of the abusive message or post

  • When it happened

  • Who posted it or sent the abusive post/message

  • How it made you feel

​

Tell Someone

                             Cyber abuse is a direct and isolating form of                                  abuse, and often it can feel as if you’re fighting                           the abuse alone as no one is around to support                       you or intervene, which is why you should tell a family member/carer, a teacher at your school or someone you trust if you are experiencing online abuse. You can then discuss with them what has happened, show them the posts and decide the best way to address the bully, abuser or stalker.

Change Your Account Settings

                              Wherever possible after making sure you have                            followed Step 1, consider how you can change your privacy settings on the platform, email account, website or other service. On some Social Media sites and messaging services there are settings that allow you to control who can view your profile and who can contact you through that site. See how to report posts, block users and check if your social media account has these setting options here, and ensure that they are set to ‘Private’ as this allows your details to be kept safe and secure.

Report & Block

                              Blocking a user/account prevents them from                                 contacting you on that particular site or app,                                 and reporting a post will notify the moderators                            that the user has acted against the site’s code of conduct. If you allow the abuse to go unreported the abuser may continue targeting others, even if they stop harassing you directly. Speaking up and reporting cyber abuse that you experience or see has an impact on many other people so it’s important to take action against all abuse.

Take Further Action; Don't Wait for it to Stop

                               Even though All Rise is working towards                                     redefining and legislating Cyber abuse as an official crime, it's not yet given the same attention or concern as offline abuse. It's important to continue the conversation about cyber abuse regardless and remember that it’s never something you have to deal with on your own; you have an invaluable voice and at no time should you feel the need to bottle up your feelings, thoughts and experiences and keep them in the dark.

See how YOU can make a difference and share your story with ALL RISE.
bottom of page