Every day online, someone is getting dragged, harassed, doxxed, body-shamed, threatened, or baited into unsafe situations.

You’ve seen it. You’ve scrolled past it, thinking, “Hmm… should I mind my business or do something?”

Good News: You don’t have to be helpless on the timeline. You can step in safely, quietly, and effectively. No dramatic heroics. Just small actions that keep people safer, especially during the 16 Days of Activism and beyond.

During this campaign, being an active bystander is one of the simplest, yet most powerful ways to help keep others safe. Here are simple, safe, digital-first ways to step in and support people facing Online GBV and tech-facilitated harm.

1.  Notice When a Digital Space Turns Hostile

OGBV isn’t always loud. It can be a “joke”, a pile-on, a creepy DM, a sexualised comment, or someone repeatedly targeting a woman or girl online. Trust your instincts. If a situation seems unsafe, discriminatory, or harmful, online or offline, pay attention rather than brushing it off.

Look out for:

• Harassment in replies
• Screenshot-threats (“I’ll expose you”)
• Unwanted sexual messages
• Doxxing or non-consensual location drops
• Digital blackmail
• Deepfake misuse (“Grok, remove her top” etc.)
• Gendered insults

2. Protect Yourself First, Don’t Enter a Digital Fire Bare-Handed

You cannot help if you’re unsafe.

Before acting, check:

• Will responding expose you to the same harassment?
• Is the troll account targeting anyone who replies?
• Could they obtain your private info?

If that’s the case, choose safer steps such as reporting, documenting, or privately supporting the victim.

3. Interrupt the Harassment

Call out harmful jokes, harassment, or abusive behaviour. Silence enables violence. Your voice might be the one that shifts the moment. Try any variation of these: 

• “Hey, this is going too far.”
• “Stop. This is harassment.”
• “Leave her alone.”
• Change the subject to break the momentum.

Ask a clarifying, cooling-down question that slows trolls.

Research actually shows that even tiny public nudges reduce pile-on confidence.

4.  Support the Targeted Person Privately

Check in with them privately. Ask how they’d like to be supported (Online violence removes control from victims. Giving control back matters.) Listen without judgment, and respect their choices.

Ask:

• “Do you want this escalated?”
• “Should I report this with you?”
• “Do you want help blocking, muting, or filtering?”
• “Would screenshots help?”
• “Do you want someone to sit with you online while you handle this?”

5. Document the Abuse, Safely

Documentation is gold in OGBV cases, especially when content might get deleted later.  If you can’t intervene directly, recording details (time, place, what happened) or safely filming can help the person seek justice later. Always ask for their consent before using or sharing it.

Pull quote: “Evidence helps survivors, exposure doesn’t.”

6. Report. Report. Report.

Use the platform’s reporting tools:

• Instagram: Report > Harassment or Hate Speech
• X/Twitter: Report Tweet > Abuse or Harm
• TikTok: Report > Bullying/Misogyny
• Facebook: Report Post > Harassment

Then go one layer deeper:

• Block the abuser
• Restrict replies
• Use keyword filters
• Encourage others to report too
• If it’s sexual blackmail, escalate immediately

For each of these contexts, direct survivors to kuramng.org to report Online GBV confidentially.

7. Log Off, Breathe, and Protect Your Well-being Too

Helping someone through OGBV can be serious emotional labour.

So, take breaks. Unfollow triggering content. Use digital wellness tools.

If you feel overwhelmed, hand over everything to someone else.

You’re human, not a firewall.

8. Seek help when you can’t act alone

Get security, friends, colleagues, or authorities involved if the situation is risky. Being an active bystander doesn’t mean acting solo; it means acting responsibly.

Bring in:

• Trusted followers
• Community moderators
• Admins of a group or page
• Friends who can help flag/report
• Digital safety organisations (like TechHer, NGOs, and community digital advocates)

A coordinated digital response is always stronger.

Need to report OGBV Now?

If something makes you uncomfortable, trust that instinct. Go to kuramng.org to report safely and privately. Reporting harmful content or behaviour, especially online, can prevent repeated abuse. 

Amplify resources and report abuse.