But scrolling past also leaves harm unchallenged. When we intervene thoughtfully, we can interrupt harm. When we show solidarity, we can reduce isolation. When we challenge abuse, we can shift norms. Ending digital abuse isn’t just about stopping perpetrators; it’s also about empowering allies.
That’s why, this International Women’s Day, CIR is launching The Six R’s of Digital Bystander Intervention – a practical, accessible guide designed to turn digital bystanders into digital allies. Part of our forthcoming Cyber Allies Toolkit, in collaboration with Media Smart Youth Ethiopia, this how-to guide offers clear, proportionate, and safety-centred actions anyone can take when witnessing online abuse – whether it targets women and girls or people of any gender.
The Six R’s adapt established bystander intervention models (for example, see: Right to be) for the realities of digital life – where risks are different, visibility is amplified, and intervention must be both strategic and self-protective. The guide offers simple ways to respond when we witness online harm – without escalating risk to ourselves or others.
The guide recognises an essential truth: there is no obligation to intervene. Allyship should be intentional, informed, and optional. You also don’t have to do everything. You choose what feels safe.
Before intervening, it is important to recognise potential risks:
- Could you become a target of harassment yourself?
- Could the abuse escalate or intensify?
- Will you be exposed to harmful content that could cause trauma?
This International Women’s Day, we’re inviting you not just to witness – but to become an ally; to act, support, and help build online communities rooted in dignity, accountability, and solidarity.
The six R’s of digital bystander intervention
1. REDIRECT
Shift the focus without engaging the harasser
Redirecting subtly disrupts harassment by changing the tone or focus of a conversation – without engaging with the abusive person. How to do this online:
- Do not respond directly to the harasser.
- Avoid engaging with their language or arguments.
- Post positive, affirming comments under the original content.
- Shift attention to neutral or positive elements (e.g. the setting, the message, the achievement).
- Like and amplify supportive or respectful comments.
- Create pathways to alternative, constructive content.
Tips:
- Keep language calm and non-provocative
- Avoid sarcasm or wording that could inflame the situation.
- Remember: abusers often feed off attention and their intention is usually to trigger responses.
2. RECORD
Document harm responsibly and ethically
Documentation can support accountability, research, or survivor-led reporting – when done carefully. Unfortunately, methods that work today may not work tomorrow, and platforms may restrict access, downloads, or archiving. With this in mind, effective documentation of TFGBV requires flexibility and caution. How to do this online:
- Archive content URLs (e.g. social media posts) using trusted tools (e.g. the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine).
- When capturing screenshots, try to: (1) take multiple screenshots and (2) capture the full screen, including the URL bars, timestamps, and any account information or usernames (if on social media).
- Good documentation requires more than a screenshot or archive link. – Careful record-keeping provides a more robust and credible documentation process. You should build a database containing the following information about each archived link, screenshot, or download:
- Where to find the abusive content itself (e.g. an archive link, a folder containing screenshots, a folder containing direct downloads, a table containing textual data)
- Date and time captured
- Platform
- URL
- Timestamps
- Information about the account/username or source (where safe and appropriate)
- Notes on context, such as related posts or patterns of behaviour
- Store files in secure, access-controlled databases. Be mindful of who has access. If data is shared within a team or with partners, ensure clear protocols are in place for handling, storage, and deletion.
- Avoid unnecessary duplication, the sharing of raw abusive content, or the amplification of harmful content.
- Do not publish sensitive materials without consent.
Critical principles:
- If safe and appropriate, check whether the survivor wants documentation to exist.
- Never post documentation publicly without explicit permission.
- Use trauma-informed and consent-based approaches.
- Follow quantitative and ethical data-collection standards.
