Facebook is a popular way to stay in contact with and up-to-date on all
of your friends, but in the wrong hands it can also be a powerful tool
for bullies. Harassment on the site isn’t limited to hateful messages;
it can manifest as cruel comments, abusive photos, repeated friend
requests and even fake profiles that impersonate you or a friend. If
you’re being bullied on Facebook, you have several options for
protecting yourself.
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Although harassment often takes place in private messages,
it can also take the form of derogatory status updates, photos and
comments. Messages are preserved in your inbox and cannot be edited or
deleted later if the other person changes her mind, but those other
posts can easily be deleted by the person who created them. Take
screenshots to preserve evidence of harassing posts in case you need to
seek outside
assistance. Make sure to record the date, either in the
filename or in a concurrent log.
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Facebook provides a way to report posts that violate its
community standards. In your news feed, access the report option by
clicking on the arrow that appears when you hover over a post. On an
individual’s Timeline, click the “X” in the corner of the post. Report
harassing photos by selecting “Report” from the Options menu, and find
the report option for abusive messages in the Actions menu. When you
report someone’s message or action, you’re guided through the process by
answering prompts about who the post is directed toward and why you’re
reporting it. If someone is impersonating you on Facebook, use the
report function on the profile and select the option that says “This
profile (timeline) is pretending to be someone or is fake.”
Facebook’s reporting feature also allows you to report abusive
behavior to someone you trust, like a teacher, parent or friend. This
option allows you to select a recipient and send a message asking for
advice on how to handle the situation along with a link to the post.
This function also notifies Facebook that the post has been reported.
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The most immediate way to deal with someone being abusive
toward you on Facebook is to remove the user from your friends list and
block her from being able to contact you. Visit the profile of the
person you want to unfriend and block and select the “Unfriend/Block”
option from the drop-down menu next to the Message button. When you
block someone, you’re automatically unfriended and neither of you will
be able to see the other’s profiles, make contact through Facebook or
find one another through Facebook’s search function.
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Facebook deletes posts and profiles that violate their
community standards, but sometimes that may not be enough to stop the
bullying. If you’re being harassed or threatened in other ways, consider
seeking help from an authority. Many states have passed laws that make
harassment through electronic methods – such as email, text messaging
and instant messaging – illegal. When it takes place among students,
this type of abuse is called cyberbullying and your school district may
have a specific policy against it.
