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Many human rights defenders around the world experience online harassment. This is largely due to the rise of social media and its growing use in activism. No one is immune to threats: in a 2018 statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, <\/span>rapporteurs<\/span><\/a> for the UN Human Rights Council are reported to have experienced online threats of increasing seriousness<\/span>. Human rights organizations such as <\/span>Amnesty International<\/span><\/a> have also raised the issue<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Current patterns of abuse show that female human rights defenders are more vulnerable to abuse, and that the main mode of attack is to damage the victim’s credibility and public image in an attempt to silence their voice. Due to the high degree of international online connectivity we are now subjected to, abuse and harassment can escalate extremely quickly. The damage can not only involve the victim’s credibility, but it can also have a significant psychological impact, causing stress, insomnia and depression.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Online harassment can also escalate into real-world threats to you or your family, such as via death threats, sexual assault, or other forms of physical harm. If you experience online harassment, it is important to take appropriate steps to address it and to protect yourself and those close to you.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n In some instances, it may be appropriate to contact the harasser and tell them to stop. Do not allow anyone else to contact them on your behalf. Do not respond with aggression or any action that might be considered abuse, but tell the harassers you are not to be contacted or harassed in this way. In other situations, it may be preferable not to contact the harasser, but to report their conduct immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do not delete the record of harassment, but keep as much of the evidence as possible, from email records to chat logs. For example, take a screenshot of any social media pages where harassment appears, showing the date, time, and the name of the social media account. Save it as a pdf file and keep it in a safe place. Immediately complain to the appropriate parties and ask service providers such as Facebook or Twitter to take abusive content down. Consult law enforcement in your country for additional guidance. However, keep in mind that making a case can take up time and the costs can be prohibitive.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n For more information on good digital security practices, <\/span>see <\/span>this video<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>article<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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What is online harassment?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
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How to respond<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n
How to report<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
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Protect yourself from future abuse<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
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