Cyberbullying of PFRs on Social Media (2022)

CYBERBULLYING OF PERSONS FORCED TO REGISTER THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

APRIL 2022

DEREK W. LOGUE OF ONCEFALLEN.COM

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Cyberbullying, targeted harassment, threats, and physical violence is often aimed at Persons Forced to Register (PFRs, i.e., those listed on the public “sex offense registry”), their loved ones, and others engaged in efforts to reform or abolish the public sex offense registry is a common occurrence. Some social media websites exclude PFRs from their websites and/or allow hate speech and violent threats against PFRs. In 2020, a Facebook vigilante group played a role in the murder of Matteio Condoluci in Omaha.

In a March 2022 survey of 403 PFRs, loved ones of PFRs, and other anti-registry activists, 62.8% reported some form of harassment on social media. The social media platform most often reported as abusive to PFRs and anti-registry activists is Facebook, which currently excludes “those who are considered non-protected groups described as having carried out violent crimes or sexual offenses” from protections against cyber-harassment and hate speech.

The OnceFallen.com “Cyberbullying of PFRson Social Media” Survey found the following:

Respondents most commonly used Facebook (81.4%), YouTube (75%), and LinkedIn (55.1%); however, Facebook (69.1%), Twitter (21.2%) and YouTube (19.3%) were reported as having the highest levels of online harassment, with Facebook having more than three times the reported rate of any social media platform. But when dividing the number of users on each platform by the numbers reporting harassment on the same platform, Facebook (54.9%) still outpaced Twitter (28.5%) and Instagram (20.9%). LinkedIn users (5.8%) reported the least amount of harassment on the same platform.
The most common form of cyberbullying was the posting of hateful memes and messages, reported by nearly half (48.4%) of respondents. About one out of four respondents had witnessed or experienced “doxing” (i.e., online posting of someone’s personal information) or direct threats. Roughly one in five Respondents were encouraged to commit suicide or targeted by organized online vigilante groups, and one in nine saw statements encouraging offline or “real world” harassment.
Over one in four (28.7%) respondents reported harassment away from social media. The number is lower for loved ones of PFRs (14.7%). About a third of respondents chose to do nothing (36.3%) or use the social media site’s “block” or “flag” feature. Roughly one in five respondents tried to debate or reason with the trolls (20.6%) or gathered intel on the trolls, while one in nine (11.8%) notified law enforcement.
About 43% of respondents traced the source of the harassment from a single online post made by an individual, 27% came from news media reports, 23.2% from non-organized groups, 20.6% from Law Enforcement posts, and 17.5% came from organized vigilante groups such as “Anonymous” groups or established “anti-pedo” groups.
Overall, 27.1% of respondents had a social media accounts deactivated or permanently suspended as the result of being personally listed or having a loved on the sex offense registry (40.5% among those currently listed publicly), with another 1.7% due to anti-registry activism.
When asked if social media helps, harms, or has no impact on anti-registry activism, the results were evenly split with “helps” having a small edge (35.5%), though those who experienced “real world” harassment (41.5%) and loved ones of PFRs (37.6%) are more likely to say social media harms anti-registry efforts.
Facebook is singled out as the largest purveyor of online hatred directed at PFRs; Facebook was reported as a source for hatred (80.4%) more than twice as often as Twitter (37%) and YouTube (30.3%). While Respondents felt all social media outlets could improve measures against cyberbullying (57.75%), Facebook was singled out as most in need in improvement (48.75%), over twice as much as Twitter (24%) or YouTube (20.75%).
About one out of eight respondents (13.2%) Respondents were aware that a law enforcement agency posted information about them or a loved one on social media, and seven out of ten among those who were posted (69.9%) experienced harassment as the result of the posting by social media.

Facebook (which owns Instagram) and NextDoor have policies that exclude PFRs, but Facebook has policies that allow for hate speech and violent threats against PFRs. Many of these Facebook policies have existed in some form since 2008. Furthermore, because these platforms exclude PFRs from participation, the harassment reported in this survey may be underreported.

A majority of respondents to this survey, a 2020 Anti-Defamation League/YouGov survey, and a 2021 Pew Research survey have concluded that most people find social media allows too much hate speech and cyberbullying. However, PFRs and their loved ones often find little to no relief from social media websites as they are not considered protected classes.

Based on the responses to this survey, OnceFallen.com’s position on the use of social media are as follows:

Social media websites should completely eliminate any prohibitions on use of their website by PFRs.
Social Media should treat PFRs as a protected class. PFRs and their loved ones are harassed at higher levels than any other class of individuals.
Everyone and every organization, Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), vigilante or so-called “anti-pedo” groups, and private individuals, should be completely barred from using social media outlets to disseminate information about PFRs.
All social media websites, particularly Facebook, should remove groups that promote violence against PFRs, including self-professed “anti-pedo” groups and groups that conduct online entrapment or “sting” operations.
Social media websites should ban memes and slogans that promote harassment and violence against PFRs and their loved ones.
Businesses should be required to prohibit the sale of items promoting harassment and violence of PFRs (such as “Shoot your local sex offender” shirts).