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Dealing with harassment ✨ Community Dev Newsletter #30
Published 11 days ago • 5 min read
Community Dev Newsletter
Hello!!!
I'm recovering from PAX West as I send this, so please excuse a shorter newsletter this time around.
I'm also trying something new! Every newsletter we do a Community Activity, and I thought it might be helpful to have an anonymous submission form for your questions or activity ideas. :)
This month's newsletter dives into:
The brief list of resources/tips we use for dealing with harassment
A new community activity
18 relevant links and job posts
Harrassment
I always recommend studios have an internal harrassment process document. Hopefully you never have to use it, but even if it ends up collecting dust, it's always better to have a plan/process before anything happens.
Not listed as a resource, but lying on the floor facedown can help. Sort of.
Very helpful resources already exist (linked below), but I find having a personalized team document with specific steps is even better. When someone faces harrassment, it's overwhelming and difficult to wade through several resources from the get-go. Plus, this forces a studio to think of their own processes.
Community managers are often consulted when online attacks happen because we have more likely dealt with some form of it before. Of course, the first thing to say about helping a team member facing harrassment is that it is contextual. Everyone will have different needs and situations, so there is no blanket cure-all.
Anyways! All that to say - this is the exact preliminary harrasment resource doc I've written for my team over at Innersloth! (With some things redacted.) It isn't legal or HR advice. Feel free to copy and use whatever is helpful to you or as a guide to get you started. Just note buy-in from those at the very top of the studio is a requirement!
Harassment Resources
**IF YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE IN IMMINENT DANGER, CALL 911 OR YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY LINE**
General
This document is here as a resource in the event someone on the team is dealing with harassment. [Company] will do its best to prevent this type of thing from happening, and we certainly hope it will not happen.
While harassment can take many different forms, here is a quick step-by-step resource guide for what you need to do first if it has not yet escalated to something that requires law enforcement:
Inform your lead and [CEO] as soon as possible. This is not something you need to deal with alone or keep secret.
As per your onboarding, you should already be on DeleteMe. If you have not done this yet, do so immediately. Remember [company] will comp you for this!
Lock personal social media accounts and tighten up safety features. The Privacy Party browser extension is an easy way to do this.
Depending on the harassment type, check Online SOS. They have checklists for the kinds of harassment you're facing, scroll down to the section that says "Plan of Action".
Save screenshots/recordings of harrassment. Make sure it includes time & username. It can prove useful especially if you decide to pursue legal action and/or report to law enforcement. Dunk it in a place that's easy for you to store and never look at again. (Dropbox folder, email it to yourself and file it away, whatever.)
TakeThis has a gaming-related emergency crisis resource page to help you find a therapist or if you need a hotline.
Step away from social media. It can be tempting to check continually, but get out of that space immediately. Remove apps from your phone if needed.
If you're comfortable or able, give a trusted friend access to your social media accounts so that they can help you block/mute/record as needed while you spend time away.
Work with your studio to talk mitigation efforts, resources, and further help. There is no blanket solution or time limit to how long you should be offline - focus instead on your safety and security.
Crash Override: A crisis helpline, advocacy group and resource center for people who are experiencing online abuse.
Games Hotline Digital Safety Guide: This is for anyone who seeks to enhance their digital hygiene and security in light of anticipated or existing threats, but it is especially designed for women, Black, indigenous, and people of color, trans people, and everyone else whose existing oppressions are made worse by digital violence.
[Victoria note: I also will usually link to an internal PR crisis communications document here - so add your company's document if you have that!]
For Companies
Tall Poppy:Helps organizations protect their employees against online harassment and abuse. They offer an online digital safety management platform which helps people lock down their accounts and protect their privacy.
As I said, this is a very basic, shorter internal guide. Further support and help should be given by the studio afterwards, but at the very least this is to get the gears in action!
I hope you never have to use this. ❤
Community Activity 📝
Every month we do a skill testing exercise or discussion question together.
Best times to post on TikTok (all times recorded globally): Tuesdays: 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays: 9 to 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 to 6 p.m. Thursdays: 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 6 p.m. Fridays: 4 to 6 p.m.
Unity - Senior Social Media Manager (San Francisco, US)
Whewwwww. I have several blog topics I need to write about but my work keeps getting in the way! 😂 Hopefully can get you some cool tips and tricks soon...
Success through shenanigans with community management.
Hi, I'm Victoria! Join my Community Dev Newsletter for insight into games marketing, social, and community management. Get actionable tips, a skill testing question, and a roundup of resources straight to your inbox every month.