Facebook family harassment case

Family harassment on social media

When you are the victim of online harassment by a family member, it can be difficult to know what to do. You may feel like you have to put up with it, or that you can't do anything to stop it. However, sometimes it may be necessary to take action to protect yourself and your family.

What should you do if you have been the victim of Facebook harassment by a family member

Common causes for online harassment between family members

How to deal with harassment by a family member on Facebook

Legal action to take to stop harassment campaign by a family member

What should you do if you have been the victim of harassment by a family member

When you are the victim of online harassment by a family member, it can be difficult to know what to do. You may feel like you have to put up with it, or that you can't do anything to stop it. However, sometimes it may be necessary to take action to protect yourself and your family.

• If you have been the victim of online harassment by a family member, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. You should consider taking the following steps: Document the harassment
• Keep a record of all of the messages, posts, or comments that are directed at you. This will help you to show what is happening and to identify patterns.
• Avoid engagement with the family member who is harassing you on social media.
• Avoid posting replies to their harassing comments on social media
• Ask another, trusted, family member to try and mediate between you and the harassing member of the family but if this is being resisted, do not persist so that you do not end up being accused of harassment
• Seek legal advice from a lawyer who specialises in harassment on social media.  When our clients experience online harassment from family members, we take action to protect them from future harm. We believe that our clients deserve to be safe from such unfortunate and potentially damaging events. We will always act in our client's best interests to make sure that they are protected from future harm.

Common causes for online harassment between family members

Online harassment by family members is a serious problem that can have a number of negative consequences.

Common causes of online harassment between family members include jealousy, financial disputes, and other unresolved issues that might have been going on for many years. This type of harassment can lead to feelings of isolation, anxiety, and fear.

If you are being harassed by a family member online, it is important to take action to protect yourself. This may include blocking the individual from your social media accounts, changing your privacy settings, and reporting the behaviour to the appropriate authorities. There are many common reasons why family members may engage in online harassment.

Some of the most common causes of online harassment by family members include jealousy, financial disputes, and disagreements over child custody or visitation. 

There could also be a situation between step-siblings who resent each other or who out of jealously strive to cause reputational damage to their sibling and harass them online, often unintentionally. This type of online harassment can have a serious impact on the victim, causing them emotional distress and impacting their ability to function in their everyday life.

In some cases, family members may engage in online harassment simply because they do not know how to communicate with each other in a constructive way.

Whatever the reason, online harassment by family members can be extremely distressing and should be taken seriously.

If you are being harassed by a family member online, there are a few things you can do. First, try to stay calm and avoid responding to the harassment in any way. This can be difficult, but it is important to remember that anything you say or do can be used against you. Second, document everything. Keep copies of every email, online post and SMS message.

How to deal with harassment by a family member on Facebook

Our client Scarlett (not her real name) was being harassed online by her stepsister Harley. Harley followed Scarlett's every step on social media, constantly making negative comments about her on Facebook.

As part of her harassment campaign against Scarlett, Harley had even uploaded family videos and private images of her victim. This not only invaded Scarlett's privacy but also caused great distress to her family and friends. Harley's actions were inexcusable and demonstrated a complete lack of respect for boundaries.

This invasion of Scarlett's privacy was a new low for Harley, and she showed no signs of stopping. Scarlett was feeling more trapped and helpless than ever. Scarlett reached out to us for help. Scarlett did not know what to do after her private images and videos were leaked online.

All day and night she was receiving malicious texts and online messages from strangers. She was scared and didn't know who to turn to. But for the sake of Scarlett's welfare and mental health, she needed someone to stop Harley's harassment campaign and persuade her to remove the private videos and images from the internet

Legal action to take to stop harassment campaign by a family member

After seeking legal advice from one of our specialist social media solicitors, we were able to write a cease and desist letter to Harley, demanding that she put an end to her harassment campaign. This campaign included regular posts on social media platforms that targeted our client, made false claims about them, and included personal information that could be used to harm or harass them.

We were pleased to see that, after receiving our cease and desist letter, Harley stopped her campaign of harassment against our client. This was a great outcome for our client, who can now move on with their life without having to worry about this type of harassment.

We took a look at the situation and determined that the best course of action would be to get in touch with Harley and explain to her that her behaviour was inappropriate and needed to stop. We contacted Harley and had a conversation with her about the situation.

We explained to her that what she was doing was hurtful and that she needed to stop. Harley apologised and provided a legally binding undertaking to stop harassing Scarlett online.

When our clients experience online harassment by family members, we always act in their best interests to protect them from future harm. We take these situations very seriously and will work diligently to ensure that our clients are safe and protected.

If you or someone you know is experiencing online harassment, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help.