Thursday, April 29, 2010

What can I do to prevent or address cyberbullying?

We want Facebook to remain an environment where people can connect and share comfortably. Cyberbullying is defined as the use of any new technology to harass or intimidate someone, and there are steps you can take to prevent this kind of behavior if it occurs.
  • Accept Friend Requests Safely

In order to prevent harassment from strangers, be careful to accept friend requests only from people you know in real life. Also, remember to report any messages or profiles that look suspicious. Facebook is based on a real-name culture, and fake profiles are regularly disabled when they're reported to us. Please also keep in mind that only confirmed friends can post to your Wall or contact you via Facebook Chat, so if you're worried that someone will make inappropriate posts or send offensive messages, just ignore that person's friend request.
  • Use the "Block" Feature to Stop Abusive Behavior

A block prevents specific people from viewing your profile. When you block people, any ties you currently have with them will be broken, and these people won't be able to contact you through Facebook. If you receive inappropriate or abusive communication, you can block the person by listing his or her name, or email address in the "Block People" fields at the bottom of the Block List page. You can visit this page at any time by navigating to the "Privacy Settings" option in the Account drop-down menu available from the top of every page.
  • Report Abusive Behavior Directly to Facebook

The most efficient way to report abuse is to do it in the same place it occurs on Facebook. For example, if you receive a harassing message in your Inbox, you can report the message by clicking on the "Report" link next to the sender's name as you are reading the message. If you receive a harassing message from a person who is a Facebook friend of yours, you should remove the person as a friend and report the message. Reporting the message as harassing will automatically add this person to your Block list. You can also use the "Report/Block person" link that appears at the bottom of the abusive user's profile. If you learn that someone is continuing to make abusive comments about you even after you've blocked them, you can ask a friend to report that person on your behalf. Reports are confidential and the user being reported does not know that they have been reported. After a report is submitted, we will investigate the issue and make a determination as to whether or not the content should remain on the site based on our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. A Facebook administrator looks into each report thoroughly before taking action. Please note that our team makes it a priority to respond to reports of harassing messages on the site.
  • Restrict Privacy Settings

  • To restrict the amount of information that potential bullies may have access to, customize your privacy settings so that certain people can't access information like your Wall, photos, or profile. You can also change your privacy settings if you are uncomfortable being found in searches or having your profile viewed publicly. Privacy on Facebook is controlled primarily from the Privacy Settings page. This page is always available by navigating to the "Privacy Settings" option in the Account drop-down menu available from the top of every page. Please note that minors do not have public search listings created for them, so they do not appear in outside search engines until they have turned 18.

  • Respond to Abusers in the Right Way

Cyberbullies often seek a reaction from the people they harass. When they fail to get one, they often give up gradually. Rather than responding to a bully via Inbox, a Wall post, or Facebook Chat, you can use the "Block" or "Report" functions to resolve the issue safely. Remember, only confirmed friends can post to your Wall or send you a message through Chat. If you are receiving posts and Chat messages you don't like, you should consider removing the sender from your friends list. Please note that you should also contact the authorities if you ever feel threatened by something you see on the site.

Facebook is a founding member of the StopCyberbullying Coalition affiliated with stopcyberbullying.org.

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