Cornell's Victim Advocacy Program

Experts at the Victim Advocacy Program, based at the Ithaca campus, can help you think through available options and decide on a course of action. The advocates can offer resources around reviewing your social media accounts and documenting evidence, removing your information from Cornell’s websites, and assessing your concerns about physical threats.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm ET. To schedule an appointment (in person, by phone, or by Zoom), email victimadvocate@cornell.edu (note: email is not a secure form of communication for private or confidential information), or leave a voicemail message at 607-255-1212. Though this is not a crisis service, the Victim Advocacy Program strives to return messages promptly and schedule appointments as soon as possible.

Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX

Digital harassment that violates University Policy 6.4, Prohibited Bias, Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual and Related Misconduct, should be reported to the appropriate Institutional Equity and Title IX Office for the individual’s campus. Cornell provides a variety of options for reporting and assistance so that each person may choose a path best suited to their particular situation. The university procedures are intended to protect the rights of the complaining party (“the complainant”), the accused (“the respondent”), and the community.

Counseling Programs

Harassment can lead to intense and painful emotions, abrupt changes in relationships, and a distressing sense of uncertainty. Harassment can also negatively affect job satisfaction or performance. Campus assistance programs and professional staff can provide guidance and support. Services include brief counseling as well as referrals to campus and community resources. These confidential services are offered to all benefits-eligible employees and their partners. Student resources include Counseling & Professional Services (CAPS) and Student Support and Advocacy Services.

Other Ways to Protect Yourself After Experiencing Online Harassment

Online harassment can be extremely stressful, confusing, and frightening. Cornell encourages individuals affected by online harassment to explore the options outlined above. In addition, consider taking these steps if you are being harassed.

• Create a Microsoft Outlook rule to filter harassing messages into a new folder. Although deleting the offensive content is a gut reaction, preserving the evidence can be useful for law enforcement officials. 
• Explore third-party services or subscriptions that can delete online personal information and help prevent doxxing, such as DeleteMe, or book a consultation with the Library’s Privacy Services team.
• Do not respond to any person who is unwilling to have respectful dialogue. Responding oftentimes further incites them and shows that you are paying attention.
• Learn to hide, delete, mute, and/or block. If the harasser comments on your posts or accounts, you may choose to hide or delete the comments, depending on the platform capabilities. Mute or block the harasser to avoid further agitation. On most platforms, this action will not be shared with the harasser; however, this is not always the case. Check platform guidelines closely. On some platforms, if you block the harasser, you may not see future content that they post.
• Report abuse. If the harasser uses threatening language or images, report their profile, following the platform’s guidelines for reporting. This provides a helpful trail to the platform administrators to show actions taken against the individual for hateful or harassing language. Consider asking others to report the harasser to garner more attention from the social media platform’s security team.
• Make all of your social media profiles private – even on platforms where the harasser has not commented – to avoid attempts to engage you on another social media platform.
• Use an unidentifiable profile picture to prevent further targeting. Examples include a photo of nature, or your pet.