What are my options?

Remove the comment(s)

Comments on different social media sites or forums can be removed or deleted.

But, just remember this may not actually solve the problem. You may want to take screenshots before you do so as evidence in case you want to report the comments other people have made in response to what you posted (or if more are made).

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Take down your original post

If things have got out of hand and the hate you are getting makes your original post seem like more trouble than it is worth, you might want to take it down.

This is not a magic bullet.  You may still receive comments directly or be discussed on other platforms but it should remove the main motivation.

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Use the reporting tools

Social Media sites and Video Hosting sites take harassment, bullying and hate speech really seriously. They have reporting tools you can use to let them know what is happening.

Check out the icons below for how you can do this on the different platforms.

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Get in touch with Netsafe

If things have escalated and you are feeling  vulnerable or unsafe, you can report the comments to Netsafe.

They have a trained team that can assess the situation and work out what other options are available.

No one has the right to send hate that causes you ‘serious emotional distress’.

The Netsafe team will also let you know if you can take the matter further, to court or to the police.

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Was this on your own page or account?

Change your privacy settings.

You can change who sees your posts so that only your friends can see it to avoid random people you don’t know having strong opinions about what you share.

If it is on Youtube, you can turn off the comments option to avoid having to deal with hateful or nasty comments.

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Don’t panic!

It is easy in the heat of the moment to get angry or upset and want to say something back.

However, just pause for a minute before you respond, to make sure that you don’t say something you may later regret.

Doing this could complicate the situation even further or even make it worse.

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Give yourself some space

Try not to focus on what is being said by going back to check if there is new content, or how many people are liking or commenting, this will just keep you feeling really low.

Give yourself some space to spend time with people that care about you or doing things you enjoy.

This might mean spending some time offline so that you don’t get stuck in what is happening online.

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Share your feelings

Take some time to talk to someone about what is going on and how it is making you feel.  Their perspective or experience might help you decide on your next steps.

Even if it doesn’t, opening up to someone means you are not holding onto all of that hurt on your own.

If there is not someone in your life that you feel comfortable talking to, you could get in touch with a counsellor or with one of the helplines.

Check out the SERVICES section for more information.

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