The document provides 10 steps to take when you have been cyberbullied or cyberlibeled. The steps include not engaging with the cyberbully, doing a forensic search of your name online and documenting anything found, keeping organized files of evidence, reporting any applicable pages or posts to the site host, filing a police report, researching applicable laws, and developing a positive online presence to counter the negative attacks. The overall advice is to gather evidence, not engage the bully, file reports where possible, and drown out the negativity with positive contributions online.

1. 10Things to Do WhenYou
DiscoverYou’ve Been
Cyber-libeled or Cyerbullied
By Debbie Elicksen

2. When you discover you’ve been
cyberbullied, DO NOT RESPOND,
COMMUNICATE, ENGAGE, OR
GET ANY OFYOUR FRIENDSTO
ENGAGETHE CYBERBULLY.

3. Do a forensic Google audit —
search your name — every
page, including the ones that
have been archived by Google.

4. When you come across something, take a
screenshot. Capture everything and
document everything you can find,
including the comments to the post.The
people who participate in the cyber post
may have also shared the said post on
social media, et. al., so Google them, too,
and screenshot anything you find.

5. Keep an organized file of your screenshots
and anything else you’ve found. Back it up
on your device and on the web (i.e. Google
Drive). Put this file in a place where you
can’t view it and call it something like
Excrement. Don’t name your troll and
don’t let this folder hit your eyesight when
you go into your device. Hide the folder in
another folder (such as Personal). Keep it
out of your view and your subconscious.

6. You will have an emotional reaction,
much like being punched in the gut.The
adrenalin will rise to the top of your head
and you’ll feel heat overtake your body.
Sit down, hold onto your chair or desk.
Breathe. Mourn. Cry. Beat up a pillow. Be
wary of the depression that will set in. It’s
inevitable.You’re human. Someone just
attacked you for everyone to see.

7. If your cyberbully has taken the time
and energy to dedicate a web page
to you, go through it line by line. For
each line you can debunk, do that in
a document. Save the document
and put in that Excrement file.

8. Start taking your power back.
Research your
country/state/province as to the
cyberbullying and cyber-libel
laws. Copy and past the highlights
that apply to your situation, along
with the source, in another
document and save to that
Excrement file.

9. Go to whois.net to find out the owner
of the website, if it is not a social
media site. See if the host (if it is not
your cyberbully — do not engage
him/her) will remove the post (it’s
unlikely, but ask anyway).

10. Now you are ready to file a police report.
YES, a police report. Regardless if your
district police even know what
cyberbullying is, get it on record that this
is NOT okay. Keep your police report and
file number in a file you can’t see. Also
scan it and put in the Excrement file.
Whether you can pursue the police case or
not, having that file number will help with
your recovery.

11. Develop a cyber plan to counter the attacks
online by setting up an editorial plan and being
EVERYWHERE. Post good stuff. Post positive
stuff. Post stuff that helps other people. Be a
pillar of the community, especially the cyber
community. Be a good cyber citizen. Even if that
post remains at the top of Google, your other
work on the web will drown its effectiveness.
There will be those who choose to believe the
cyberbully rather than look further down the
feed to actually see what you do every day.
So be it.

12. Debbie Elicksen
Email: debbie.elicksen@gmail.com
Website: http://www.freelancepublishing.net/wp/
Books: http://www.freelancepublishing.net/wp/books/
About Me: http://about.me/debbie.elicksen
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bookpublish101
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.elicksen
Virtual
Newsmakers: https://www.youtube.com/user/VirtualNewsmakers/about
Cyber Crimefighter: http://debbieelicksen.wix.com/cyber-crimefighter