How to Respond to Internet Harassment

Cyberbullying is one form of Internet harassment.

Increasingly, Internet harassment is a serious problem for both kids and adults. Though people will say and do things online that they wouldn't do in physical life, some forms of Internet harassment are quite serious. From cyberstalking to cyberbullying, threats to one's mental and physical well-being should not be taken lightly. Read on to learn more.

Things You'll Need

• Documentation
• Law enforcement contacts
• Screencast software (optional)

Instructions

Internet Harassment, Stalking and Cyberbullying

1. Assess the seriousness of the Internet harassment for your own decision-making and for authorities. There is a significant difference between hateful words or disagreement and outright threats. Yet, a substantial gray area exists with cyberbullying. A threat of any kind, or hate speech, should not be ignored, but unkind words may be little more than rudeness.

2. 

   Record all comments, e-mails and activities involving the suspected Internet harassment. Include other website comments if applicable. Learn how do create screencasts, if needed, and save these screen images with your other recordings. Print these files for hard copy evidence.

3. Create a Google Alert of your name--as well as nicknames--to track anything that may be said about you anywhere on the Internet. It will include anything divulging your personal information.

4. Change your passwords, including for e-mail and websites. Internet harassment sometimes involves hacking people's accounts. Use a combination of letters and numbers, using eight characters or more.

5. Report Internet harassment to the proper authorities, including the local FBI office for online crimes and the police for physical or off-line threats. Obtain advice before reporting the offender to their Internet Service Provider. Should the perpetrator lose their account but remain unaffected by law enforcement, their actions may worsen.

6. Avoid aggravating cases of Internet Harassment by ending all communication. Do not make idle or real threats of legal or other action, and keep your online and off-line activities private.

7. Treat cases of Internet harassment with measured caution and expect the unexpected. Try to remain calm. Most cases do not go beyond words, but note that Internet harassment escalates easily and can be as illogical as road rage. You usually do not know who the person is or what he or she is capable of.

Tips & Warnings

• Engage both schools and parents when Internet harassment or cyberbullying occurs among school age kids.

• The FBI typically handles Internet harassment; but local police should be notified.

• Visit victim and parent websites such as WiredSafely.org for advice and support.

• If physical danger is an issue, the police should be notified immediately.

• Take Internet harassment seriously among kids. Kids have been known to hurt themselves and others following cyberbullying instances.

• Defer to law enforcement professionals for advice.

Resources

• Local FBI Offices
• Wired Safety & Cyberstalking Support