How to Report and Block Harassers on Social Media — A Complete Guide
Being harassed online? Learn exactly how to block harassers, gather evidence, report to social platforms, and escalate to authorities if needed. Step-by-step guide.
Cyber experts at CyberSafe
5/25/202612 min read
How to Report and Block Harassers on Social Media — A Complete Guide
Category: Social Media Safety | Reading Time: 12 minutes
IN THIS ARTICLE
1. What counts as online harassment
2. Why reporting matters — and why most people do not
3. The first thing to do when harassment starts
4. How to gather and preserve evidence properly
5. How to block a harasser on any platform
6. How to report harassment to the platform
7. When to escalate to the police or authorities
8. How to protect yourself after reporting
9. Frequently asked questions
Online harassment is far more common than most people realise. According to research by the Pew Research Center, 40 percent of adult internet users have personally experienced some form of online harassment, and 73 percent have witnessed it happening to someone else.
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2014/10/22/introduction-17/
For many people, the harassment happens on social media — in public comments, in private messages, or through sustained campaigns of abuse designed to silence, intimidate, or cause distress. It is not a minor inconvenience. It can affect mental health, professional reputation, and in serious cases, physical safety.
This guide explains exactly what to do if it happens to you — from the first moment you recognise harassment through to blocking, reporting, gathering evidence, and escalating to the authorities when necessary.
What Counts as Online Harassment
Online harassment takes many different forms, and not all of them are obvious at first. According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), online behaviour that crosses into criminal territory includes threatening messages sent via social media, repeated unwanted contact that constitutes a pattern of harassment, and communications that are grossly offensive or designed to cause distress.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/types-crime/cyber-online-crime
Forms of online harassment include:
Name-calling and targeted abuse — Repeated offensive messages or comments directed at a specific person, particularly when they target personal characteristics such as gender, race, religion, or sexuality.
Sustained harassment — A pattern of repeated unwanted contact over time, even when individual messages may seem minor. The CPS notes that it is the cumulative pattern of behaviour — not just individual incidents — that courts consider when assessing harassment.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/prosecution-guidance/stalking-or-harassment
Threats — Any message that creates a sense of fear or apprehension in the recipient, including threats of physical harm, threats to share private information, or threats to contact a person's employer or family.
Doxxing — Publishing a person's private personal information — home address, phone number, workplace — online without consent, with the intent of encouraging others to contact or harm them.
Impersonation — Creating fake accounts in someone's name to damage their reputation or harass people in their social circle.
Virtual mobbing — When multiple individuals coordinate to flood a person's social media with abusive messages. The CPS recognises this as a form of group harassment.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/types-crime/cyber-online-crime
Non-consensual image sharing — Sharing or threatening to share intimate images without consent. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) notes that platforms are now legally required to remove such content within 48 hours of a report under the TAKE IT DOWN Act.
IMPORTANT: There is no universally agreed legal definition of online harassment. However, the US government resource StopBullying.gov and the UK's Crown Prosecution Service both confirm that when online behaviour involves threats, sustained targeting, or criminal-level abuse, it is not just a platform matter — it is a matter for law enforcement.
https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/how-to-report
Why Reporting Matters — and Why Most People Do Not
Only a small fraction of online harassment is ever reported. The Pew Research Center found that among those who had experienced harassment, many chose to ignore it or disengage from the platform entirely rather than formally reporting it.
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2017/07/11/the-broader-context-of-online-harassment/
The most common reasons people do not report include:
Not believing it is serious enough to report.
Not knowing how or where to report it.
Fear that reporting will escalate the situation.
Feeling that platforms will not take action.
Shame or self-blame.
All of these reasons are understandable — but reporting matters even when the outcome is uncertain. Every report contributes to the platform's record of a harasser's behaviour. Multiple reports from different users are significantly more likely to result in action. Documented reports also provide evidence if the harassment escalates and law enforcement becomes involved.
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advises users to use built-in reporting tools on social media platforms and to keep records of any incidents that may need to be escalated to police or other authorities.
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/social-media-how-to-use-it-safely
The First Thing to Do When Harassment Starts
When you first encounter harassment, your instinct may be to respond, delete the messages, or close the app. Resist all of these impulses initially. The single most important first step is to preserve the evidence before taking any other action.
Do not respond to the harasser. Responding — even to tell them to stop — often escalates the situation. It also signals that the harassment is having an effect, which may encourage further contact.
Do not delete the messages yet. Deleted messages cannot be used as evidence. Keep everything until you have documented it thoroughly.
Take a mental note of the timeline. When did the harassment begin? Has there been a pattern over multiple days or weeks? Is it connected to a specific event?
Assess the severity immediately. Does this involve threats to your physical safety? Does it include threats to share intimate images? Is it connected to your home address or workplace being shared publicly? If yes to any of these, the situation may warrant contacting the police as an immediate priority rather than waiting to report to the platform first.
StopBullying.gov, the official US government resource on online harassment, specifically advises documenting every incident with dates, times, and descriptions as a first response step, before taking any other action.
https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/how-to-report
How to Gather and Preserve Evidence Properly
Evidence is the foundation of any successful report — whether to a platform, to an employer, or to law enforcement. Gathering it correctly from the start makes everything that follows significantly more effective.
Take Screenshots
Screenshot every harassing message, comment, post, or profile before doing anything else. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance on stalking and harassment confirms that screenshots are a primary form of evidence in online harassment cases and should be preserved carefully from the earliest stage.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/prosecution-guidance/stalking-or-harassment
When screenshotting, make sure to capture:
The full message or comment including any images attached.
The sender's username and profile photo.
The date and time stamp of each message.
The URL or link to the specific post or profile where possible.
Record a Log
Keep a written log of every incident. For each entry, note the date, the time, the platform, a description of what happened, and the username or account name of the person responsible. The CPS recommends this approach specifically in harassment cases, as it demonstrates a pattern of sustained behaviour rather than isolated incidents.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/prosecution-guidance/stalking-or-harassment
Save Profile Information
Before blocking the harasser, screenshot their full profile — username, display name, bio, profile photo, and any other identifying information. After you block them, you will no longer be able to view their profile.
Do Not Edit or Alter Evidence
Never add annotations, crop screenshots to remove context, or alter the evidence in any way. Unmodified screenshots carry far more weight as evidence than edited versions.
Back Up Your Evidence
Store your screenshots and log in more than one place — on a computer, in a cloud storage account, and ideally printed as a hard copy. Evidence stored only on a phone is vulnerable to loss if the phone is damaged or stolen.
How to Block a Harasser on Any Platform
Blocking a harasser stops them from being able to contact you, view your content, or see your profile on that platform. It is an important protective step — but it should be done after you have gathered your evidence, not before.
General Blocking Steps on Any Platform
On most social media platforms, blocking follows the same basic process:
Step 1: Go to the harasser's profile.
Step 2: Look for the three-dot menu, the settings icon, or similar options menu — usually in the top corner of their profile or beside a message.
Step 3: Select Block or Block User.
Step 4: Confirm the action when prompted.
Blocking typically prevents the person from viewing your profile, sending you messages, seeing your posts, and finding your account in search. However, a determined harasser can create new accounts. If this happens, block each new account as it appears and report the behaviour as targeted harassment and ban evasion.
Muting vs Blocking
Most platforms offer both muting and blocking. Muting hides a person's content from your view but does not prevent them from seeing or interacting with yours. Blocking is a stronger and more appropriate response to harassment.
Restricting Your Account
In addition to blocking the harasser, review your account privacy settings. Set your profile to private or visible to contacts only. This limits the harasser's ability to monitor your activity through secondary accounts.
The NCSC recommends reviewing your social media privacy settings as a standard protective measure and provides platform-specific guidance for major social media services.
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/social-media-how-to-use-it-safely
How to Report Harassment to the Platform
Every major social media platform has a reporting mechanism built into the interface. Reporting does not require you to have already blocked the person — you can report before, during, or after blocking.
What to Include in Your Report
When completing a platform report, be as specific as possible:
Select the most accurate category for the harassment — threats, targeted abuse, impersonation, or non-consensual images, for example.
Reference specific posts or messages rather than making general claims. Most platforms allow you to report individual pieces of content directly from the post.
If the platform provides a text field for additional detail, use it. Explain the pattern of behaviour briefly and note how long it has been occurring.
What Happens After You Report
Platform responses vary considerably. Some platforms act quickly on serious reports — particularly those involving threats or non-consensual images. Others may be slower. The FTC notes that under the TAKE IT DOWN Act, platforms must now remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours of a report — and the FTC has enforcement powers when platforms fail to comply.
If a platform fails to act on a well-documented report of serious harassment, escalating to authorities becomes more important.
Follow Up on Your Report
After submitting a report, keep a record of the confirmation or reference number the platform provides. If you need to escalate to law enforcement later, this reference confirms that you attempted to resolve the matter through the platform first.
When to Escalate to the Police or Authorities
Not all online harassment stays at the level of a platform matter. Some situations require law enforcement involvement, and recognising when to escalate is important.
Contact the police immediately — do not wait for the platform to act — if:
The harassment includes explicit threats to your physical safety or the safety of your family.
The harasser has published your home address, workplace, or daily routine online.
You are receiving threats related to intimate images being shared or threatened.
The harassment appears to be coordinated by a group targeting you.
You are being stalked online and believe it could extend to physical stalking.
The Crown Prosecution Service confirms that threatening messages sent via social media, stalking behaviour conducted online, and sustained targeted harassment are all criminal offences under UK law, including the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. The CPS encourages victims to report such behaviour to the police on 101, or 999 in cases of immediate danger.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/types-crime/cyber-online-crime
For victims of stalking and harassment in the UK, the National Stalking Helpline provides specialist support and guidance on 0808 802 0300. Further information is available through the CPS support page for victims of stalking and harassment.
In the US, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) accepts reports of online harassment, threats, and cyberstalking at ic3.gov.
When reporting to the police, bring your full evidence log — screenshots, dates, times, platform reference numbers, and any details that identify the harasser. The CPS guidance on stalking and harassment confirms that the pattern of behaviour over time, documented clearly by the victim, is central to building a case.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/prosecution-guidance/stalking-or-harassment
In India, online harassment and cyberstalking can be reported to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, which is the official government platform for filing cybercrime complaints online. Victims can submit a report at cybercrime.gov.in or call the National Cyber Crime Helpline on 1930, which is available around the clock. The portal accepts complaints related to online harassment, stalking, threatening messages, and non-consensual image sharing. For immediate physical danger, contact the local police on 100 or visit the nearest police station with your documented evidence.
How to Protect Yourself After Reporting
Reporting and blocking do not always end the harassment immediately. These steps reduce your exposure and protect your wellbeing while you wait for action from the platform or authorities.
Review and tighten your privacy settings across all platforms. Remove your phone number and email address from public profiles. Set posts to visible to contacts only. Review your tagged photos and remove any that reveal your location or routine.
Enable two-step verification on all social media accounts. If a harasser attempts to take over your accounts as an escalation tactic, this makes it significantly harder. The NCSC strongly recommends two-step verification as a core protection measure.
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/social-media-how-to-use-it-safely
Tell someone you trust. Isolation is one of the effects harassers rely on. Telling a trusted friend, family member, or colleague about the situation provides practical and emotional support, and creates an independent witness to what you are experiencing.
Keep updating your evidence log even after reporting. If the harassment continues or escalates after your report, every new incident strengthens your case.
Do not publicise the harassment on social media yourself. While it may be tempting to call out the harasser publicly, doing so can escalate the situation, attract more attention to the incident, and in some jurisdictions may complicate legal proceedings.
Look after your mental health. Online harassment has documented effects on mental wellbeing. StopBullying.gov recommends seeking support from a trusted adult, a mental health professional, or a support organisation if the experience is affecting you significantly.
https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/prevention
Frequently Asked Questions
Will reporting to the platform reveal my identity to the harasser?
In most cases, no. The major social media platforms state in their policies that reports are confidential and that the person being reported is not told who filed the report. However, if the content of your report is highly specific, a determined harasser may be able to deduce who reported them. If you are concerned about this, report anonymously through a trusted third party where the platform allows it.
What if the platform does not act on my report?
If a platform fails to act on a well-documented report of serious harassment, escalate directly to law enforcement. The CPS confirms that online harassment is a criminal matter that can be pursued independently of platform action.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/types-crime/cyber-online-crime
In the UK, you can also report the platform's failure to act to Ofcom, the communications regulator, particularly if the platform falls under the scope of the Online Safety Act.
Can a harasser find me if I block them?
Blocking prevents a harasser from viewing your profile or contacting you directly on that platform. It does not prevent them from viewing your content through other accounts, from searching for you on other platforms, or from finding your information that is publicly available elsewhere. Reviewing your privacy settings and reducing your publicly available personal information are important complementary steps.
Should I confront the harasser directly?
No. The Pew Research Center's findings on online harassment suggest that direct confrontation rarely resolves the situation and frequently escalates it.
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2014/10/22/introduction-17
Document, block, and report — do not engage.
What if the harasser is someone I know in real life?
If the online harassment involves someone you know personally — particularly an ex-partner or family member — the situation may overlap with domestic abuse or stalking. The CPS provides specific guidance for victims in these circumstances and recommends seeking support from an Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworker (ISAC) or Independent Domestic Violence Adviser (IDVA) in addition to reporting to the police.
What if I am being harassed by an anonymous account?
Anonymous or fake accounts are commonly used by harassers. Screenshot and document the account's content and username before it is deleted or deactivated. Report it to the platform as both harassment and as an inauthentic account. When reporting to law enforcement, provide the platform with a formal request for account information — law enforcement can compel platforms to disclose the identity behind an account as part of a criminal investigation.
Is online harassment a crime?
Yes, in many jurisdictions. In the UK, online harassment can be prosecuted under the Malicious Communications Act 1988, the Communications Act 2003, and the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. In the US, laws vary by state but the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center accepts reports of cyberstalking and online threats as federal matters. The CPS provides a detailed overview of the relevant offences.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/types-crime/cyber-online-crime
Related Articles
- What Is "Social Engineering" and How Scammers Use It on You | CyberSafe
- How to Identify a Phishing Email | CyberSafe
- I Clicked a Phishing Link. What Now? | CyberSafe
The Bottom Line
Online harassment is not something you have to simply endure or walk away from. It is documented, it is reportable, and in serious cases it is criminal.
As the Pew Research Center, the Crown Prosecution Service, and StopBullying.gov all confirm — the most effective response is to document everything, report through official channels, and escalate to law enforcement when the situation warrants it.
Document before you block. Block after you have your evidence. Report to the platform with as much detail as possible. And do not hesitate to involve the police if threats, sustained targeting, or your personal safety are involved.
You have the right to use social media without being harassed. Use the tools available to protect that right.
Share this article with someone who may need it. Online harassment thrives in silence — and knowledge is the most powerful tool against it.