What to Do if You Are a Victim of Harassment on Social Media

Harassment on social networks consists of making repeated comments or behaviors on the internet that degrade the living conditions of the victim. It can be comments, montages of images or videos, or private messages. You can file a complaint about harassment on social networks, whether it is public harassment or private harassment.

Discrimination against specific sex or gender on the platforms also counts as harassment. You can contact a gender discrimination lawyer in New Jersey if you face this kind of discrimination in the state. Harassment on social networks is a particular form of harassment that has appeared with the emergence of new technologies. We also talk about cyberbullying. Other types of harassment exist, for example, telephone harassment. It is possible to file a complaint of harassment on social networks. We look at what you should do in case of harassment on social media.

Gather evidence of harassment on social media

The first step is to gather evidence of harassment on social media. Do not contact the harasser first. He could delete his publications, and you will no longer be able to file a complaint about harassment.

• You must save the URL and posts and take screenshots of all posts, whether public (on your wall) or private (on your instant messenger).
• Then, call on a lawyer to make a report on the internet. They should follow the correct procedure so that you can use this evidence in court. 
• In addition, make an appointment with your attending physician or the occupational physician. It will provide you with a certificate to demonstrate the harmful conditions of social media harassment on your health. He may possibly prescribe an ITT (Total Incapacity for Work) for you. These elements will also be used to support your complaint.

Filing a complaint about social media harassment

You can file a complaint for harassment on social media according to different procedures:

• File a complaint when you know the perpetrator‘s identity: If you know the identity and contact details of the perpetrator of the harassment, you can use a direct quote. The court is seized directly. The procedure is fast because there is no investigation. However, your case must be strong enough.
• File a complaint when you do not know the author’s identity: In this case, you can file a complaint “against X.” You can either file a simple complaint with the prosecutor or a complaint with civil action with the investigating judge. It is possible to lodge a complaint by correspondence.

You can be assisted by a lawyer to identify the most appropriate procedure for your situation.

How to react

Harassment on social media calls for a quick response. It often leads to harmful consequences on the victim’s health and social life, like all types of harassment. Harassment on social networks can also very quickly degenerate and become disproportionate due to the speed of dissemination of Internet content.

Here are steps you can take to respond to social media harassment effectively:

• You must configure your social network’s privacy settings if this is not done. Your account is public by default, which means anyone can see your information and send you messages. You need to adjust the settings so that only your friends can access it.
• Block the harasser from contacting you. After that, do not accept any friend requests if you are unsure of the identity of the requester.
• Once you have gathered evidence of social media harassment, you can directly contact the specific platform to request the removal of the posts. They can be held liable if they became aware of the posts and did not act quickly to remove them.
• Finally, you can complain about harassment on social networks.