Which strategy is recommended when encountering online harassment?

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When you encounter online harassment, the priority is to protect yourself and set clear boundaries. Blocking or muting the person responsible is the most direct way to do that, because it immediately stops the unwanted contact from appearing in your feed and reduces the emotional impact without requiring you to engage or escalate. It’s a practical, quick action you can apply across platforms, and you can adjust it as needed or reverse it later if circumstances change. While other strategies—like not engaging, documenting and reporting, or offering support to targets—are valuable in broader ways, they address different goals (reducing escalation, providing accountability, or helping others) rather than giving you immediate control over your own online space. Blocking or muting directly reduces exposure to harm, which is why it’s the recommended first step when harassment occurs.