Ensure you set clear boundaries as to when social media followers and users can expect a response from you. You may want to put this in your bio. 

You cannot and should not monitor social media for extended periods of time or outside of your specified social media monitoring hours, unless, of course, an emergency arises. Ensure that you take regular breaks and if you have experienced online abuse, then you are entitled to come away from your social media accounts for the sake of your own health.

However tempting it may be to post photos of you and your team out and about canvassing, it is best to do so after the event. Don’t post a picture of where you will be canvassing saying, for example, “we’ll be out until 3 in THIS AREA”. This has been known to attract threats and even in-person incidents. This can also be done for other events you speak at. 

Posting in this way has the twin-advantage of avoiding issues of seeming like you haven’t been active, which can draw criticism and abuse, but keeping you and everyone in your group safe.

Familiarise yourself with what kinds of abuse you can report and the reporting features of each platform. Be mindful that most platforms have no function to link multiple replies into one report. They often only let you add posts on the user’s feed - not replies to you. So, if there are repeated responses from one account, there may need to be separate reports which can be upsetting. If this happens, it can be helpful to get assistance from a trusted friend or colleague to gather the relevant material for reporting. 

If you think it may become a police matter then screenshots are always best as deletions / bans are common. You should also screenshot the user’s bio to get proof of settings, ie that what they posted is or was in the public domain. If you suspect someone has set up new accounts after a ban then do your best to document, for example, similar language / emojis.

As before, you should enlist help with documenting, if need be, so as to protect yourself from the messages.

Always ensure you proofread - or ask a colleague to cast their eyes over what you have written - before publishing. This should help avoid errors such as the unfortunate hashtag used to launch singer Susan Boyle’s new album - #susanalbumparty - intended to be read as Susan Album Party.

More recently, one member of Congress used the hashtag #whoremembers. Though deleted quickly, this led to a mis-reading of the hashtag and misogynist speculation about other members of the House. 

You should ensure that your personal and professional social media profiles are kept separate. Ensure your personal profiles have appropriate protection, with private settings, for example.

You should think about using a different name or version of your name when it comes to your personal accounts, to protect your privacy and to help keep you safe online.

People may post or respond to your posts criticising or questioning your political views or your record as a councillor. If several people do this in quick succession it can feel like a pile on. Remember that people can sometimes be frustrated or emotional about issues that affect them and therefore they may not always be polite. While this can be unpleasant to experience, it is important to see this as separate from harassment and abuse, and think carefully before you respond as it may not be productive for you or the original poster, and may invite increasingly negative messages as a result.

Think before you post / respond to something on social media. It is easy to get caught up in the emotion of the moment. Social media are designed to do just that - to pull on people’s emotions, provoking a response. 

Remember that your social media profiles are often perceived by the public as an extension of your political role so it is best to keep this in mind when posting.

There are all sorts of implications here, not least of which is the legal fallout that can result from people making unfounded accusations or repeating such accusations on social media. Such content could be libellous if it seriously harms an individual’s reputation or causes serious financial loss to a business. 

While sharing political views is part and parcel of your role, it is important to do so in the full knowledge that some emotive topics are more likely to attract increased attention which can sometimes result in abusive replies. It is therefore recommended that you think carefully about the language or imagery you use to engage with the topic. You may also want to consider whether you will engage with responses to your message or just make a statement. 

You cannot simply take a photo or video found online and share it via a post from your own social media account without getting the permission of the photographer / videographer and crediting them accordingly. Simply crediting the photographer or videographer is no defence in the eyes of the law. You must have their permission. If not, do not use their content. Such posts, if found to infringe copyright, could prove costly.

Consider setting up an informal support network online. This can be in the form of a private messaging group to send support and advice to friends and colleagues or consider posting a message to show support for one another during specific incidents.

Some politicians spoken to during research conducted by the University of Liverpool reported they had joined forces with their own personal contacts and networks to offer each other support should someone experience online abuse.