Cyber Harassment: Stop the silence, save lives

Laura Johnson opens by arguing that online harassment does as much harm as in-person harassment, and that targets often feel powerless. She examines where the line falls between hurtful words and actionable harassment, noting that free speech does not shield messages that predictably injure someone, and that outcomes in court depend heavily on the judge and the evidence.

The middle of the talk draws on her own protective order case and several cases she has helped with. She describes harassers spoofing phone numbers and creating look-alike accounts, a flood of long emails that ran up legal fees, and a small-town case where devices were repeatedly blocked on a network and the pattern was hard to prove. She explains why evidence must be forensically sound, why a protective order should cover children in general rather than minors only, and how temporary orders differ from permanent ones.

She closes with support and self-care. Her practical advice includes hiring a lawyer with cyber training, using job-protected leave for mental health, relying on a therapist rather than friends who may be triggered, and avoiding replies that could later be used against the target. She urges the audience to speak up when they see harassment, citing cases of young people who died by suicide after online abuse.