Resources for Responding to Online Harassment

The University of Minnesota is committed to defending and upholding academic freedom and the rights of its faculty, staff, and students. Doing so is more important now than ever before. There has been a dramatic increase in personal, online harassment that targets scholars and researchers across the country. Typically spawning from social media, message boards, or other online forums, harassment can take a variety of forms. It can range from online posts that misrepresent your work; to vague, threatening comments on third-party websites; to targeted, direct messages sent to faculty and staff by individuals “trolling” for a reaction or wanting to intimidate recipients.

Though this harassing activity has affected a few University of Minnesota community members already—in other words, you are not alone if it happens to you—it can be professionally disruptive and personally challenging when “trolling” attacks occur. These incidents often escalate quickly and can be intense, even if they are brief. Yet experience has shown that a prompt, organized, and calm response can support members of our community who experience this harassment, and can also minimize the public effects on all of us.

In addition to the reminders and key contact directory below, review the online harassment action checklist to support those experiencing online harassment.

Mobilize Your Resources If You Experience Online Harassment

• Call 9-1-1 immediately if you or others close to you are in imminent physical danger.
• Contact your leader (e.g., dean, chair, head, director) as soon as possible.
• In partnership with your leadership, contact system University Relations.
  • They can provide counsel and help coordinate response resources such as law enforcement, Provost’s Office, Information Technology, Human Resources, Student Affairs, or General Counsel.

What To Know If You Are The Target Of Online Harassment

• This harassment can be intense, but is often fleeting.
  • The effects of harassment often linger well beyond the immediate episode, which is why it is important to seek support from colleagues even after the harassment ends.
• Your email, social media accounts, and contact information likely will be publicized.
  • To remove your photo and/or contact information from your college or unit's webpage, contact your department's web content administration group. Learn more about suppressing information at the University at Accounts: Understand User Information Suppression Settings and Impact.
• Responding to harassing messages tends to prolong and inflame incidents.
  • Responding to a harasser isn’t as satisfying as it may seem in the moment. “Don’t feed the trolls” summarizes this best practice.
  • Consider suspending all social media activity for a few days, even messages that have no relation to the focus of the harassment.
• Preserve all evidence—messages, emails, comments, postings, etc.
  • If you would rather not continue to see these messages, consider allowing University Police, Office of Information Technology, or a trusted colleague to handle this task.
• Media outlets may contact you; you do not need to respond.
  • If you receive media requests or have questions about interacting with the media, please work with your local communicator (unit, college, campus) or University Relations, which will work with other campus resources to guide you.
• These attacks may affect your classroom environment, as well as peers or others associated with your program.
  • If you believe the incident will disrupt your classroom environment, please discuss that with your local leader.
• The harassment could involve someone who attends your class.
  • This person may be recording in the classroom or lab. You have the right to prohibit audio or video recording in these settings.

This resource was developed by University Relations at the University of Minnesota. Thank you to our colleagues at the University of Illinois who allowed us to adopt much of this content for our use.