12 Sep 2018
Online harassment is online behaviour that goes out of the way to cause trouble for someone by intimidating, threatening, or humiliating them, and can have serious social, psychological, or even physical consequences.
Given the degree to which all aspects of a person’s life have integrated digital media – for socialising, to work, and as a mode of relaxation – it is unsurprising that people have leveraged these same devices and networks to harm others. The ease with which information can be shared and spread online is often considered an advantage for businesses wishing to promote products or people wishing to promote their services, but also means that malicious or baseless comments can be shared with equal ease. It is also impossible for any individual or organisation to have complete access to all the information or content shared by users online, making it difficult to gauge how long such statements have been online – and how far they have spread – before the victim comes to know about it.
Thus, it is important to be aware of the issue of online harassment and the steps you may take to safeguard yourself in the event of being harassed online.
What are examples of online harassment?
I am being harassed online. What can I do?
There is a threat to my safety.
I think I need professional help. Where can I go?
There are several organisations that can help you in such a difficult situation. Here are some: