Coordinated Online Harassment and Mobbing

The Pattern

← Safety Recovered Archive / Safety Coordinated harassment is not one person sending threats. It is a group — sometimes dozens, sometimes thousands — mobilized to attack a single target simultaneously. The campaign may be organized on a forum, a chat group, or a social media thread, then directed at one person. The goal is to overwhelm, isolate, and force the target into silence or withdrawal from public life. What it is Coordinated harassment (also called brigading, mobbing, or a pile-on) typically combines multiple tactics: doxxing, threats, mass reporting of the target’s accounts to get them suspended, fake accounts impersonating the target, review bombing if the target has a business, and contacting the target’s employer or family. The campaign often starts with a single post that frames the target as deserving attack, then spreads through shares and screenshots. It can last days, weeks, or recur for years. How it is used against survivors ▌ Silencing. survivors who speak out about abuse are targeted to punish them for speaking and to warn others against doing the same ▌ Reputation destruction. fake accounts, false accusations, and manufactured screenshots damage the survivor’s credibility ▌ Isolation. the volume of abuse makes friends and supporters distance themselves to avoid becoming targets ▌ Re-traumatization. the campaign replays the original abuse at scale, with an audience ▌ Escalation to physical danger. doxxing within a harassment campaign can lead to swatting or in-person stalking Warning signs ▌ A sudden, sharp increase in messages, mentions, or notifications from accounts you do not know ▌ A specific post or thread about you is being shared rapidly, often with commentary framing you as a target ▌ Your accounts are being mass-reported — you receive suspension or warning notices from the platform ▌ Fake accounts using your name and photo appear and post damaging content ▌ People you do not know contact your employer, school, or family with accusations ▌ Threats escalate in volume and specificity over hours or days ▌ Screenshots of your posts are being shared out of context with added commentary What you can do now ▌ Do not engage. responding to the mob feeds it. Each reply is evidence to the attackers that they are getting to you. ▌ Document before deleting. screenshot threats, save URLs, record usernames and timestamps. Use a tool like the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to archive public posts. This is your evidence. ▌ Turn off notifications. the volume is designed to overwhelm. Mute mentions, turn off push notifications, and ask a trusted friend to monitor for credible threats. ▌ Lock down your accounts. set profiles to private, disable tagging, restrict who can message you. See the account takeover guide for securing your logins. ▌ Report to the platform. use the platform’s harassment and threat reporting tools. Mass-reporting by attackers can sometimes get your account suspended — appeal immediately if this happens. ▌ Report doxxing and threats to law enforcement. if your address is posted, if there are credible threats, or if swatting is attempted, file a police report. See the doxxing guide. ▌ Tell your employer and family first. if the campaign is contacting them, warn them before they receive the messages. Give them a brief, factual explanation so they do not act on false information. ▌ Preserve a record off-platform. download your data from each platform (most offer this in settings). Keep copies of evidence in cloud storage the attackers cannot access. ▌ Reach out to specialized support. PEN America’s Online Harassment Field Manual provides step-by-step guidance for writers, journalists, and public-facing targets. They maintain a list of organizations that help. When to get outside help Coordinated harassment can cause severe psychological harm and can escalate to physical danger. If you are the target of a sustained campaign, you do not have to absorb it alone. PEN America, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and local advocates can help you build a response plan. If the campaign includes doxxing, swatting, or direct threats, treat it as an active safety threat and contact law enforcement. Browse crisis and legal resources → If you know a resource, law, or tool that should be added here, use contact .