How to Report Harassment on Instagram

Being harassed or cyberbullied on Instagram can be a distressing experience. If you find yourself in this situation, know that you are not alone and there are steps you can take to make it stop. In this blog post, we will provide steps on how to report harassment on Instagram, and what comes from reporting harassment on the platform so you can take back control of your social media experience.

What Qualifies as Instagram Harassment

Any form of  Blackmail, Extortion, Sextortion on Instagram qualifies as Instagram harassment. The harassment could be a form of consistent name-calling, verbal and physical threats, unwanted images or videos, rumors, online blackmail, and much more. Harassment on social media platforms is especially popular nowadays due to the countless ways a person can harass another without being identified or stopped because of the ability to create new profiles and continue with the harassment.

Does Reporting on Instagram Work?

Once you notice you are being harassed, it is helpful to report the harassment to Instagram. This will help the platform take notice of the online abuse happening on their app. If Instagram has enough proof that the user is going against their community guidelines, they will delete the abuser’s account or even ban them. Although this helps the platform realize what’s happening, reporting harassment on Instagram typically isn’t as beneficial to the victim. Once an account is reported, it will take days or even weeks for something to happen, if it even does. Instagram is known for its lack of responses to abuse on its platform and active abusive accounts, which only gives these abusers more power. Another reason why reporting harassing accounts on Instagram doesn’t help is that these harassers usually always have backup Instagram accounts they can use to continue the harassment and abuse. This means the harassment will never end and makes it even harder for Instagram to deactivate and ban all accounts. This is why we recommend victims of online harassment reach out to authorities and cybercrime experts if the harassment continues or escalates to the point where safety is a concern!

How to Report Someone for Harassment on Instagram

It is very simple for users to report an account or messages and posts. Follow these simple steps below. Report on a desktop 1. Go to the harasser’s account and/or harassing comments on your or their profiles 2. Click on the three dots “…” in the upper right corner of their profile or comment 3. Click report 4. Click “it’s posting content that shouldn’t be on Instagram” 5. Choose a reason for reporting. Select all that apply to your situation. 6. Click submit To report your harasser’s account on your device, follow the same steps we have given above. Reporting your attacker’s harassing comments through your device is a little different but just as simple. 1. Go to the harassing comment 2. Slide the comment to the left 3. Click on the exclamation point 4. Click “report this comment” 5. Choose a reason for reporting. Select all that apply to your situation. 6. Click submit When reporting the harassing chat between you and your harasser follow these steps. Reporting on a desktop 1. Go to the chat you share with the harasser 2. Click on the encircled ‘I’ at the top right of the page 3. Click report 4. Choose a reason for reporting the chat. Select all that apply to your situation. 5. Click submit Reporting on your device 1. Go to the chat you share with the harasser 2. Click on their name at the top of the screen 3. Scroll down to where you see “report” 4. Click report 5. Choose a reason for reporting. Select all that apply to your situation. 6. Click submit   Reporting harassment on Instagram does not have to be a daunting task. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can take back control of your social media experience and make sure that those who seek to harm or bully others are held accountable for their actions. If you need help – contact our sextortion helpline