Being harassed online is a scary and overwhelming experience. It’s important to know that you’re not alone and that there are people and resources available to help you. One way to fight back against online harassment is to report the person or people responsible for the harassment to the platform they’re using. But what happens when you do that? Today, we’re going to take a look at what happens when you report someone for bullying on Instagram.
How Many Reports Does It Take to Delete an Instagram Account?
Unfortunately, there is no specific number of reports and complaints that can guarantee an account removal. The decision of removing an account is ultimately up to Instagram and what they deem is breaking their community guidelines. That being said, there is no telling if the number of times you report an account or content will do anything. Instagram could take the account after one report or it might take longer to see results due to the numerous reporting done by users.
This is why we recommend victims of bullying and harassment take it a step further and make a report to authorities. The most Instagram can do is take down an account, but the platform cannot stop a bully from making another account using a different name and continuing with the harassment. If the harassment is getting severe, we recommend reporting the crime to authorities as soon as possible and providing them with proof such as texts, calls, etc.
How to Report Someone for Bullying on Instagram
Instagram has made reporting accounts and content super simple for Instagram users that are being harassed or see content that upsets them and breaks the platform’s community guidelines. Below are fast and simple steps to report an account, a comment, and a post.
Report an Instagram Account
To report an Instagram account, do the following:
- Go to the person’s profile that you want to report. You will see three dots “…” at the top right corner of their account.
- A list of options will be provided for you, click report.
- Click “it’s posting content that shouldn’t be on Instagram”
- Click “bullying or harassment”
- Choose who is being bullied, it could be you, someone you know, or someone else you witnessed being harassed by the same user.
- Click submit report
Report a Post
To report a post do the following:
- Go to the post you want to report
- Click on the three dots “…”
- Click report
- Follow the same steps as reporting an account and state the post is bullying and harassing you.
- Click submit report
Report a Comment
To report a comment, do the following:
- Go to the comment you wish to report
- Click on the three dots “…”
- Click report
- Click bullying and harassment
- Choose who is being bullied
- Click submit report
What Happens When You Report Someone on Instagram for Bullying
When you report someone for bullying on Instagram, a team of specialists will review the content you reported and decide whether or not it violates their Community Guidelines. If it does, they will take action – which could include removing the content, restricting the account, or even disabling the account entirely. Depending on the severity of the harassment, Instagram may also contact law enforcement. The platform does not tolerate bullying on Instagram and wants everyone to feel safe and respected when using the app.
Conclusion
If you’re being bullied on Instagram, know that you can report it and that action will be taken. While it might not be possible to completely remove all traces of the bullying, reporting it can help get rid of some of it and make Instagram a safer place for everyone. If the harassment escalates, do not be afraid to reach out to your local law enforcement so real consequences can be brought to your harasser.
