Online harms: How to protect yourself from social media abuse

The Space has been helping cultural organisations develop digital projects and skills since 2012. While opportunities to create and promote content and engage with audiences online have exploded, so too has pernicious online harassment of artists, creative practitioners and the staff of cultural organisations.

In recent months, it feels as if the tide of social media aggression has risen even further. The organisations we advise are reporting an uptick in online public hostility since the start of 2025 – particularly when engaging new audiences who are not yet supporters of their brands.

Planning the presentation of cultural topics online must increasingly consider the wellbeing and security of cultural sector workers, who often find themselves on the frontline of tackling any resulting abuse.

Types of online harm

Considering this, we advise our clients to think about three broad areas:

• Harm to audiences, who may inadvertently come across abusive comments on your social media channels, sometimes targeted at their demographic.

• Reputational risk of abuse associated with your brand, followed by potentially critical public scrutiny of your response to it.

• Risk to wellbeing, and sometimes personal safety, of those at the frontline of receiving or trying to moderate this abuse.

The UK’s Online Safety Act, which comes into effect this month, is an opportunity for reflection on our online practices. Whether or not it applies to your organisation directly – and you can read more about its implications on our website – it prompts us to think strategically about how to create safer spaces online.

Doing so can reduce risks to audiences, artists, curators and those managing your communications.

Tips for creating safe online spaces

There are practical steps you can take – whether you’re just starting to tackle this or building on existing policy. Here are our five recommendations, drawn from advising a range of cultural organisations:

• Have a clear and documented process for responding to online abuse, with guidelines on when to moderate content and when to block users.

• Train the team responsible for moderation so they can confidently and consistently apply the guidelines, rather than having to rely on subjective judgement.

• Know what behaviour online is illegal. Provide guidance on when to escalate a matter to senior staff, social media companies or the police.

• Place a public statement on your website and/or social channels explaining how you respond to online abuse – very useful to link to if online comments deteriorate.

• Consider the potential impact of abuse on those targeted and those responsible for moderating it. What can you put in place to protect people’s wellbeing and safety?

For more detail on what to consider, our website has a range of resources for tackling online abuse. We also encourage open conversations with your team and relevant collaborators about the risks of online harms and preventative measures.

These conversations enable you to consider a range of perspectives and ensure new processes and training address your team’s needs. Also remember this is not a static situation: digital media and culture constantly evolve. Whatever processes you devise should be reviewed periodically.

Is your protective bubble an echo-chamber?

Beyond these practical measures, there are larger strategic and ethical considerations. At the heart of any effective communications strategy is authenticity, which means your safe management of digital spaces should be rooted in your values and mission. Handled well, an authentic approach allows more meaningful connections with your audiences and the fostering of open discussion.

However, behind this aspiration is often a tension. You might have an ambition to reach new and more diverse audiences but, with the increase in online abuse, this can mean tough decisions about how to engage with audiences who might not agree with your values and views.  

A conservative approach would be to stay in a safe communications bubble of people who are already supportive of your work. This can protect artists, curators and communications staff from abuse and harassment. But it risks an echo chamber effect where differences are never engaged with or openly debated.

One of the contributors to our online guidance, Catherine Allen, CEO of Limina Immersive, thinks the way to navigate this tension is to reflect on what your organisation’s core purpose: “If getting out of your bubble serves your mission, then do it,” she says. “But you must go out there fully trained, and with support in place for your team.”

Another, Dr Rianna Walcott, assistant professor of communication at the University of Maryland agrees the core question is about value: “Ask yourself what is the value of leaving the bubble? Are you finding an audience who are engaging with you, or are you just speaking louder to more followers?”

This also extends to ethical choices about which social media platforms to use. Take time to decide where to place your efforts, rather than feeling compelled to be visible on every major platform: “It’s ok to choose a platform that aligns with your organisation’s values,” Walcott says.

Finally, it’s important to remember that online abuse is just one aspect of social media. With appropriate safeguarding measures in place, it can be a place to tell incredible stories, encourage conversation and grow diverse communities.

We want to hear your experience

We ran our first survey about online abuse in the cultural sector back in 2019. At that time, 42% of respondents said they had experienced online attacks, yet only 17% felt they knew how to deal with them.

Much has changed since then. We’re keen to understand your experience and what you have done to reduce the risks. Please take five minutes to complete our anonymous survey – we’ll report the findings in a future article.