Guide Backing up a colleague or an active member of your organization

This is what you should do to respond to and support colleagues, staff, or other active members in your organization in a situation of cyber hate. The tips are based on Make Equal’s own guidelines.

Gather digital evidence.
Facebook: Hide comments instead of deleting them. This way, the person commenting and their friends still see their own comment, but it is hidden for everyone else. In case you are going to file a police report, it is important that the comments remain.
Twitter: If you are spammed or subjected to an unmanageable amount of hate or threats, block the person/people.
To find hate/threats online:
- Twitter: To find subtweets that you are not tagged in: search for the URL for the shared article for example.
- Google the name (+ possible title) of the person/people who participated or were subjected to the cyber hate. NOTE: go to Tools on the right side of the page under the search bar in Google and choose past week/day/hour.
If hate storms come from for example incorrect clickbait titles: write an email to the editor and the person who you have been in contact with regarding the article.
If you are in a newspaper or media’s various channels, check their Facebook and the comments and shares on the article they posted.
Contact the media channel if their moderation is inadequate.
If a specific person or organization is subjected to cyber hate, take over their social media accounts so that person does not have to read all the cyber hate.
- Follow up and ask the person how they are feeling.
- Listen, do not try to put into words the feelings of the exposed person or negate the person's experiences.
- Listen to how the person wants to be supported. Even if you have good intentions, it is disrespectful to start with different efforts without the one who has been exposed wanting or desiring it.
If the responsible person is not taking their responsibility seriously, call them out and stand up for the person who has been subjected.