What Is Online Harassment And What We Can Do To Prevent It
Meta title tag – Instagram harassment – What is it and how to report it
Meta description – Learn all there is to know about Instagram bullying. From how it is defined, what types of IG harassment are there, and how to report it.
Ever since the first forums and websites came to be on the internet – the term ‘online harassment’ or bullying has existed along with them. As social media made its way to mainstream culture, online bullying seemed to be on the rise too. The term “Cyberbullying” was introduced to us in the second half of the 2000s. It started a huge conversation about how online abuse can affect users in real life.
In this blog, we want to show you how to report harassment on Instagram. We would also like to spread awareness about the topic that should never be taken lightly!
Social Media Utopia or Nightmare?
What’s precisely deemed as ‘Instagram harassment’? Well, it’s pretty much any form of hate speech – even if it started off as “just jokes” or memes. It can range from mean comments to even hateful DMs daily. Cyberbullying on Instagram can also be targeted. Where an individual is purposefully abusing another user as they would in real life.
In most cases, these bullies hide behind fake profiles, with the majority of profiles following them being fake followers.
The freedom online communities provide, helps users express themselves through content, writing, and connecting with others. However, that exact freedom is what enables bullying to occur as well.
Kevin Systrom, founder and former CEO of Instagram, wanted to make the platform into “a kind of social media utopia: the nicest darn place online.” In 2016, Systrom announced new anti-harassment measures that included auto-banning inappropriate comments.
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Instagram is now using machine learning technology to detect Instagram bullying proactively. In both visual and written content such as pictures, videos, and captions. If harmful content is found, it will be sent to the Community Operations team to review.
“It will also help us protect our youngest community members since teens experience higher rates of bullying online than others.”
In an interview with The Atlantic, the head of Instagram’s public policy, Karina Newton, said: “Our goal is to be the safest platform online.” That’s when Instagram introduced the new ‘Bullying prevention tools.’ Their goal is to “spread kindness,” which also includes comment filters on live videos.
Here’s what you can do if someone is harassing you and your profile. Instagram has written tips on avoiding these users:
- If someone is sharing photos or videos that make you uncomfortable, you can unfollow or block them.
- Make sure you know whether your account is public or private.
- If someone is bullying you, reach out to a trusted family member or teacher for help. You can also remove a comment from a photo you’ve shared and report Instagram bullying and harassment through the Help Center.
- Make sure you’re comfortable letting the photos and videos you share represent who you are to your Instagram followers, including your parents, teachers, or employers.
- Never agree to do something or share anything that makes you uncomfortable.
And if the tips don’t work, reporting is the next step!
How To Report Someone for Bullying On Instagram
It’s important to know you can report a specific post or profile, a comment, and a DM. We will be showing you how to report bullying on Instagram as an active user. If you don’t have a personal Instagram account and want to report foul play, fill out this form.
Whether it is happening to you or someone you know – Instagram bullying is a serious topic that should never be taken lightly. With that in mind, here’s our step-by-step guide on how to make Instagram a bit safer!
To report a specific post, click the three dots in the upper right corner. Press “Report,” then proceed with one of two choices: “It’s spam” or “It’s inappropriate.” Simply follow the instructions from that point on.
On the other hand, to report a profile, you need to do the following. Go to that user’s profile and tap the three dots in the upper right corner. Tap “Report” and proceed to follow the on-screen instructions.
To report an Instagram comment, do the following:
- Tap the comment icon below the post.
- Swipe left over the comment (iPhone) or tap and hold the comment (Android) you’d like to report.
- Tap the exclamation sign (!).
- Tap Spam or Scam or Abusive Content.
- Select an option for why the comment is abusive.
You can also report a Direct Message for both written or visual content that has been sent. This is how you can do it:
- Open the conversation in the Instagram app.
- Tap and hold the individual message you’d like to report.
- Tap Report.
- Select a reason for why you’re reporting the message and then tap Report.
Your report will then be sent to Instagram’s team for evaluation. The profile or post in question will be thoroughly reviewed. Regardless of the outcome, you will be notified if Instagram takes action towards the reported account. It’s important to know that the suspect will not be notified if you reported them.
Instagram’s repose to a user who has reported another user
Never ignore or turn the other cheek if you notice bullying or Instagram harassment. Instagram can’t prevent all harmful interactions – that’s precisely why it’s important to take action immediately!
We hope this blog sheds more light on the topic of Instagram, and online bullying in general. We all must do our best to spread awareness about this issue and support the people affected by this dangerous behavior.
Unfortunately, this harmful behavior is ever-present in one form or another. However, if we all do our due diligence and report any form of online bullying, we would be one step further to eradicating it altogether.
