What to do in case of threats: where to turn, how to behave

What does criminal law say?

When someone threatens you, the Criminal Code classifies their actions as an independent crime.
Moreover, in order for such an action to be considered a violation of the law, the person who made the threat does not necessarily have to intend to move from words to action - if he tries to justify himself by saying that he simply threatened and did not intend to do anything, this will not save him from responsibility. Article 119 of the Russian Criminal Code provides punishment for those who threaten to kill another person or cause serious harm to health. Responsibility for such actions:

• performing mandatory work up to 480 hours;
• performing forced labor for up to two years;
• restriction of freedom for up to two years;
• being placed under arrest for up to six months;
• imprisonment for up to 2 years.

If a person is threatened on the basis of hatred on racial or national grounds, for political, ideological or religious reasons, then his offender may face a sentence of up to five years in prison.

Assigned penalties

There are two articles in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation that provide for the assignment of liability for uttering threats against a person. Article No. 163 regulates this type of crime as extortion. This illegal act involves demanding money or other material assets with the threat of releasing information that could discredit a person’s honor. The extortionist may threaten to cause significant damage to the victim’s property or harm the health of close relatives or himself.

There is another article No. 119, which provides punishment for voicing threats of murder or harm to health. Such threats include:

• SMS with relevant content;
• messages on social networks;
• demonstration of gestures;
• use of weapons and more.

To assign liability, the attacker must pose a credible threat and have the ability to carry it out. The most difficult thing for the victim to prove during the court hearing is the fact that he really feared for his life and health. The following sanctions may be applied as punishment for the illegal actions in question:

1. the actual term of imprisonment is no more than 4 years;
2. detention for 6 months;
3. forced labor for up to 4 years;
4. suspended sentence for a period similar to the previous paragraph.

If there are aggravating circumstances listed below, the punishment may be increased:

• the criminal act was organized and carried out by a group of criminals;
• violent methods were used against the victim;
• the attackers demanded an especially large amount of money from the victim;
• actions entirely for ideological, political, racial reasons.

In the presence of aggravating circumstances, the maximum penalty will be 15 years in custody. If the attacker threatened to kill the victim, in case of failure to comply with his demands, one of the following sanctions will be applied as punishment:

• involvement in mandatory work for a period of no more than 480 hours;
• assigning a suspended sentence of two years;
• six-month arrest;
• performing mandatory work for two years;
• imprisonment for two years.

If the attacker acted out of motives of hatred towards the victim based on his nationality or race, then the prison term can reach 5 years.

The following sanctions may be applied as punishment under Article No. 119 of the Criminal Code:

What is the threat?

When making threats of physical violence, a sober assessment of the nature of the threat, its reality, how the demands are expressed, and motives hidden at first glance will be required. There is no need to think that if you have known a person well for a long time, then he is completely safe. The attacker may well not only intimidate, but also move from verbal threats to real actions.

Terms of liability for threats

You will have to answer for personal or anonymous threats in the following cases. According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, a citizen is held accountable if the threat is characterized by the following signs:

• you are shown weapons or other equally dangerous objects;
• danger to life or health in reality in verbal form or in the form of actions;
• real threats to disseminate defamatory information.

If there are threats to your property and material assets in writing, it will not be possible to bring the offender to criminal liability, since he will be held accountable for material damage in fact.

In addition to threats, there are often demands to perform certain actions or calls to refrain from them. Let's give an example. For example, this could be coercion to commit robbery if they promise to commit physical violence. Recently, requests via the Internet or telephone calls from collectors have become more frequent because you did not pay off the debt on time. This is not all, and the list goes on.

What to pay attention to

Even with all the legality of the offender’s demands from you to perform some actions, you cannot threaten to use force, etc. If the fact of the threat is confirmed, then punishment in accordance with the Criminal Code will be required.

Threat as a type of criminal offense

According to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, a threat is an independent crime. For his qualification, it is absolutely irrelevant whether the criminal really intended to carry out his threats or only intimidated the victim.

The threat of murder or infliction of grievous bodily harm is regulated by Art. 119 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

This is a crime of minor gravity, it is being considered by the magistrate. It is almost impossible to get a real prison term for such a crime.

In order for the act to be recognized as a criminal offense, it is necessary that the victim takes the threats seriously and experiences fear and anxiety against the background of their manifestation.

In practice, it is enough that the victim gives evidence in which he indicates that the defendant said to him: “I will kill you!”

The threat can be expressed in several actions:

• Orally;
• In writing (letters with threats);
• Gestures;
• Demonstration of weapons.

If suddenly, for unknown reasons, the threat does not reach the consciousness of the victim, the actions of the perpetrator will be classified as an attempted crime.

Third parties may be involved to carry out the act, through whom threats are transmitted to the addressee.

Corpus delicti

If they tried to intimidate a person, but he turned out to be immune to this, the actions of the threat can be qualified as an attempted crime. Often, third parties are involved to carry out such an act - for example, to transmit threatening letters to the person to whom they are addressed. Such people can be prosecuted as accomplices.

The act of one person threatening another is not considered a serious crime, and cases involving threats are dealt with by magistrates. Almost never do defendants in such proceedings receive actual sentences.

The role of the victim in such cases is also very important. For such actions to be considered a criminal offense, the victim must take the intimidation attempts seriously. However, even if you are not very scared, but someone threatened to kill or maim you (which there is evidence and witnesses to), this will be enough to contact law enforcement.

To assess how real the intimidation was, law enforcement officers consider the relationship between the parties to the situation, the nature of what was said and its form, the circumstances under which the conflict occurred, and study the identity of the threat.

Like any other offence, intimidation has elements of a crime. Firstly, the object of this crime is human health. Despite the fact that intimidation does not cause physical harm to the victim, the mental and psychological peace of the person suffers from it.

Secondly, when you are threatened, the threats must contain promises of serious harm or death. As a rule, threats to damage property or some vague words do not give rise to offenses. However, the person who was attempted to be intimidated may not agree with this. And in general, even the most significant threat can be carried out.

Another important aspect is the age of the threat. Only those who are over 16 years old can be held accountable.

What are the most dangerous threats?

The most dangerous among all other threats are those associated with the use of physical force, demonstration of weapons, damage to property, etc. The most unpleasant thing is that you can encounter this phenomenon in unexpected places: on the street, on a bus or in the subway, or one-on-one. Threats that are made not only towards you, but also your family, friends, colleagues, etc. are punishable. You should not take violent action in response. Otherwise, you will receive liability for causing bodily harm in a mild form; from the category of victims, you will automatically become offenders.

How and where to apply. How to compose it correctly

If you are being persecuted and threatened with death and real danger. You should not delay the matter until unpleasant events develop. You need to immediately write a statement to the police or report the crime verbally. If you apply orally, then it is necessary to record a protocol form, which is personally checked and signed by you. The written statement must contain items such as:

• place, time and methods of incoming threats through personal contact using mail, phone calls, the Internet, etc.;
• the nature of the threat in the form of murder, infliction of bodily harm directly to you or your loved ones, dissemination of information discrediting your dignity and business reputation, etc.;
• contact information from persons who are witnesses and capable of confirming that you have received a verbal threat;
• links to written evidence, recording audio and video in the format of screenshots of pages on Internet resources;
• information about offenders, if you know the person’s identity or information about his location;
• the motives for the threat can be expressed in racial and religious hostility, political beliefs, etc.;
• other information to identify the person who is threatening you.

If the threat does not involve danger to life or serious harm to health, the person will not be punished. If you contact law enforcement agencies, this will happen only if the offender clearly indicates criminal intentions to cause grievous bodily harm or murder. In this case, a criminal case will be initiated and punishment will follow for threats to kill or serious harm to health, which under this article amounts to up to 5 years.

If you contact the police, you will need to justify the reasons and conduct an investigation. If the threat is confirmed during the pre-investigation period, the responsibility for proving guilt will be assigned to the prosecution and the police.

Submitting a report of a crime orally or in writing can occur to the territorial department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This is possible even when you are away from home, on vacation, on a business trip, etc. If you are threatened, you can contact the nearby police station. If you find yourself in danger on the streets or in other public places, simply call a police officer for help.

Threat to teenagers

A minor teenager needs to be explained in advance what to do if you are threatened, where to turn in such a situation. Teens may be reluctant to talk about receiving threats. To avoid negative consequences, it is necessary to explain to the child how to act in such a situation:

1. do not take actions that could provoke an attacker;
2. avoid situations where the attacker may be left alone with his victim;
3. immediately after the incident, inform adults about it;
4. call your parents.

Having learned about threats to a child, parents must file a statement with the police about the crime with a request to understand the situation and bring the offender to justice.

First steps when receiving scary messages

Threats over the phone
What to do if you are threatened over the phone worries many citizens who, due to debts to banks, have become hostages of numerous unseemly promises from collectors.

By law, such messages in any form are illegal, but in practice, a collection agency that has purchased a debt strives to make money and return an amount that is sometimes much greater than the actual amount.

Employees of such institutions are not always correct; they use all sorts of methods of intimidation. Citizens who have been overtaken by such telephone punishment should take advantage of the following protection:

• you need to take the initiative of the conversation into your own hands, warn the subscriber about the recording of the conversation, that intimidation can be regarded as extortion, which entails criminal liability
• ask the caller to introduce himself by his full name and surname
• announce the status of the employee, his position in the company
• give the address, name of the institution on whose behalf the threats are being made, indicate contact information

The law obliges you to provide all the information listed above; it will help in the event of further messages of a threatening nature, contact law enforcement agencies with a correctly completed application.

Written threats

The applicant should preserve as many evidentiary traces as possible, leave the letter in the phone memory unchanged, and the recorded conversation will help in court.

If the ransomware tries to hide its data, then in our time there is no problem in determining the places from which the calls come and the owner of the device.

When letters arrive via mail, the correspondence must be handled with care, transferred without unnecessary traces to the prosecutor's office, attaching an envelope with eloquent contents to the petition for protection as evidence.

It is better to repay debts, not to lead to critical situations, and not to meet the creditor face to face.

If this happened, the person is unknown, and the debt was taken online, then you will have to carefully examine the offender in order to describe him in detail in your complaint. Threats made by loved ones should be recorded in every possible way. Courts do not accept unfounded allegations; in each case they require facts in the evidence base.

Threat to spouse

If a woman really fears for her life, then there is no need to tolerate such an attitude. You can turn to relatives and friends for help. Constant threats will be a strong reason for divorce.

When threats are made by an ex-husband, you can go to court to issue a ban on approaching the place of residence of your ex-wife and children. In any case, you can write a statement to the police so that appropriate measures can be taken against the person expressing real threats.

How to act and behave if you or your loved ones are threatened

A threat to life, health, well-being and business reputation is not a pleasant situation. Unfortunately, threats are now very common, and in reality almost everyone faces them. Where the conflict could have been resolved amicably and an apology made, the matter often ends more seriously. You may not only be threatened with physical violence or disseminate information discrediting your honor, dignity and business reputation, but also be shown dangerous objects or even weapons.

At first glance, threats for an unprepared person can be very scary. But it’s worth cooling down a little and thinking about how best to behave in this situation so that you and the people close to you don’t get hurt?

In order to figure out how real the threat of violence is from arrogant and unpleasant people who disturb your peace, and also to develop the right line of behavior, you should listen to the advice of lawyers. If you are receiving physical threats, you should not assume that the situation will resolve on its own. Timely protection is necessary to ensure personal safety for yourself and your loved ones. This article will talk about exactly where to look for protection from threats and prevent a negative development of the situation.

How can I get help?

Unfortunately, in everyday life, threats come not only from collectors and banks. Unscrupulous debtors do not always become the subject of moral and physical attacks; domestic terror is widely applicable and known, in which the stronger party often moves from threats to action.

This example is unpleasant, but perhaps a woman who is being bullied by her husband or cohabitant will be helped by calling the crisis trust center, they are accepted there 24 hours a day. In any case, in order to file a complaint with the police department or the prosecutor’s office, you need to collect the facts and prove that this is not the revenge of an offended woman for betrayal.

What to do according to the law if you are threatened - on video:

Where to go for protection?

In order to accurately determine the authority to contact, it is necessary to assess the reality of the threat. Perhaps your friend was just joking or in the heat of an argument expressed his indignation, without even thinking of scaring you.

Do not panic and act in the same way against the attacker. Know that if you yourself begin to make threats against another person, you can also become a defendant in a criminal case.

Police

The best option for insurance in such a situation is to contact the police.

The police are obliged to consider statements from citizens about threats they receive. After such a statement, a check must be carried out.

There were cases when the local police officer ignored the appeals of women, after which they became victims of a domestic tyrant. In this case, the district police officer will face dismissal and trial.

If the threat was not made in an emergency situation, you can go to the police station after the conflict and calmly write a statement against the attacker. They must give you a sample application and help you fill it out correctly.

The application must include the following information:

• The name of the police department where the application is being submitted;
• Applicant details;
• If known, the details of the attacker;
• The essence of the conflict and the threat expressed, indicating the circumstances of the crime;
• Date and signature.

It is better to submit your application in two copies so that the office staff will mark your acceptance on the second copy. If the district police officer refuses to accept the application, you can complain about it to his boss or to the prosecutor's office.

When the conflict does not require delay, you should call the police and call the squad immediately. You should call 02 or the helpline of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In Moscow this is the next number - (495) -250-98-10.

As a rule, crimes involving threats are initiated in this way. On the spot, when the police arrive, you will be asked to write a statement.

Very often crimes under Art. 119 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation are committed in the family, and especially often while intoxicated.

Court

After initiating a criminal case and conducting investigative actions, the material of the crime is transferred to the court . Both the defendant and the victim will be summoned to the court hearing, where they will be able to give their testimony and present evidence.

The victim cannot independently submit an application to the court to initiate a criminal case, since Art. 119 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is not one of the crimes considered as a private prosecution.

To defend yourself in court and prove the guilt of the offender, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

• Seek help from a lawyer;
• Present witnesses to what happened;
• Collect the maximum amount of irrefutable evidence (calls, correspondence, letters, audio or video recordings of threats);
• Remove beatings if threats were made during the fight;
• Collect a large number of negative characteristics about the culprit.

Where to go if you are threatened

Many citizens of the Russian Federation ask the question: what should I do if I am threatened with physical harm? In such situations, it is important to calm down and make the right, adequate decisions. If there is a threat to life or health, you must immediately report it to law enforcement agencies. A statement is drawn up indicating all the circumstances of the crime that occurred.

Police officers are obliged to accept a citizen’s appeal and carry out a set of necessary measures. In this case, verification should be carried out regardless of whether the attacker is known or not. In the application, in addition to describing the situation, it is necessary to indicate the details of the department to which the application was sent, as well as all known information about the attacker. If the identity of the attacker is unknown, it is necessary to provide information about the persons who could have committed the crime described. Any little things and situations that precede threats can help the police in finding the attacker.

Law enforcement agencies are given 10 days to consider the application and make a decision on the need to initiate a criminal investigation. If the application is rejected, the applicant may appeal such a decision to the head of the department or the prosecutor's office.

Psychological assistance in case of threats

Some attackers, uttering threats against another citizen, want to break him morally. When a person lives with a constant feeling of fear and worries about his life and health, this prevents him from communicating normally, working and conducting everyday affairs. The problem becomes even worse if the threatened citizen is left alone.

To cope with moral pressure, you need to contact a qualified psychologist. This can be done during the investigation of a crime so that the attacker is caught quickly and receives a well-deserved punishment.

Statement of threat

The beginning of contact with law enforcement agencies begins with a correctly drawn up statement against the accused. In order to do this, you can contact a lawyer or try to draw up the document yourself. This is done according to the following algorithm:

• The header indicates the name of the authority you are applying to. If the appeal is to a specific person, indicate him. The header also contains full information about the applicant - full name, place of registration and residence, passport details, etc.
• After this, the text of the statement describes the circumstances of the incident, indicating the date and time of the incident (if possible).
• If there were witnesses, then it is written about this, indicating the names and telephone numbers of people who are ready to confirm your words.
• After this, you need to write that the threat had a real basis for such and such reasons. Here we indicate all the evidence that you have - you will need to attach it, for example, on a disk, flash card or other media. If this is a photo, you can print it out and attach it to your application.
• The statement ends with a request to punish the criminal.
• At the end there is a number of compilation and a signature.

Remember that you are responsible for providing false testimony in accordance with Articles 306 and 307 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Therefore, if your evidence is not accepted, you may have to face the charges. It is also best to indicate that you have been warned about this in the last part of the statement.

Statements that do not constitute criminal threats

Examples of statements for which you cannot be held criminally liable:

• a promise to burn the goods of a competitor's company;
• parents threatening to kick their child out of the house for disobedience;
• a statement about depriving a father of rights to a child.

In accordance with Article 119, similar statements cannot be considered a criminal offense. Threats for which no criminal punishment is provided include statements to commit an unlawful act, other than causing harm to life and health, when the threat could be carried out.

Possibility of pre-trial resolution

In some cases, the problem at hand can be resolved without litigation. If a citizen receives constant threats from a person known to him, he must contact the police. Sometimes warning an attacker about possible liability from a local police officer or other law enforcement officials can bring the desired effect.

Settlement in court

After contacting the police and carrying out investigative measures and collecting evidence, the case is sent to court. Both parties to the conflict will be invited to the court hearing. The injured party must present irrefutable evidence of the defendant’s guilt:

• evidence;
• witness statements;
• audio or video recordings;
• other evidence.

The accused may present evidence of his innocence.

Bullying via the Internet

Increasingly, threats to life and health are recorded through social networks. If they are possible, such actions will also be considered criminal offenses. To obtain evidence and record such threats, complex preparatory actions are not required. All information and messages are stored in the computer's memory.

Proving the reality of threats on the Internet is quite problematic, and law enforcement officials are extremely reluctant to investigate such allegations. Therefore, in such cases, before contacting the police, it is recommended to collect a package of documents that will contain irrefutable evidence of the reality of the threat. It is mandatory to attach screenshots of messages with threats, which must be certified by a notary. The reality of the threat can be proven if the attacker knows where the victim lives.

Methods of proving a crime has been committed

Depending on the attacker’s method of action, the appropriate option for collecting evidence of the crime committed is selected. If threats are made in person or over the phone, the best option would be to record the conversation on audio. If there were witnesses present when the threats were made, it is necessary to take their personal data and contacts.

It is important that they agree to confirm the fact of the crime to the police. In case of threats over the phone, you can contact your telecom operator and get a printout of incoming calls. When an attacker writes threatening SMS or messages in instant messengers, social networks must take screenshots of them and attach them to the application.

An investigation into the circumstances of the incident will be launched if police officers determine that the threat is indeed real. To do this, it is necessary to collect information and characteristics about the attacker. You can contact the criminal’s neighbors, the local police officer, or the administration of the organization where the citizen who is threatening works. If you have a criminal record, you must attach a certificate confirming this. If the collected data convinces police officers that the threats are real, they will take measures to prevent their implementation.

Where to go if you are threatened by debt collectors

Any of the collection agencies is a commercial organization that does not have any right to make threats against a citizen. The only opportunity that such organizations have by law is to demand the return of funds borrowed from a bank or other financial company.

If necessary, collection agency employees have the right to remind about the existence of a debt and initiate legal proceedings regarding non-payment of the debt.

When collection companies exceed the actions permitted by law, it is necessary to record this fact and file a complaint with law enforcement agencies. If collectors arrive at the debtor’s residential address and persistently call and knock on doors, then it is necessary to call the police. It is almost impossible to prove the reality of the threats of collection companies. The only thing that can be done is to intimidate and reduce the persistence of their employees.

What awaits an attacker under the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation?

The court gives the parties to the conflict the right to make peace and terminate the criminal case. This requires that the defendant has no criminal record and that the victim agrees to reconciliation.

Often family conflicts end in reconciliation until one of them kills the other.

The following types of liability are provided for threats to kill or cause grievous bodily harm:

• Mandatory work up to 480 hours;
• Restriction of freedom up to 2 years;
• Forced labor for up to 2 years;
• Arrest up to six months;
• Imprisonment for up to 2 years.

If the threats were made in the context of racial, political, ideological, national or religious hatred, the attacker will face a sentence of 5 years in prison.

You can also file a civil claim, either independently or as part of criminal proceedings, for compensation for moral damage. It is better to ask for more, since the judge will most likely reduce the amount claimed, which he has every right to do.

Isolated cases of uttering threats

Threats can be made at work, at home or on the street. They can be carried out as part of the performance of professional duties or for reasons of hatred and jealousy. In each specific case, threats have their own characteristics.

What to do if collectors threaten?

Collectors are among the leaders in the number of threats expressed . They do not have the right to intimidate debtors; they are only obliged to remind them of the need to repay claims.

Since the law regulating their activities was introduced, the number of violations by debt collectors has decreased. But to this day they still meet.

If debt collectors try to break into your apartment, call the police . You need to immediately demonstrate to them that you know your rights and do not intend to forgive them for their lawlessness.

The victim has the right to issue a ban on the transfer of his debt file to a collection company.

What to do if you receive threats over the phone?

It is much easier to make threats over the phone than through direct personal contact. Finding an attacker through a phone is much more difficult. Criminals today use all kinds of voice changing programs and use untraceable SIM cards.

When you are harassed by phone, you need to follow the following algorithm:

• Write a statement to the police and ask employees to track incoming calls;
• If you are unable to track calls, simply change the number or add the subscriber to the blacklist.

Perhaps these are telephone hooligans, and after changing the number, no one will bother you anymore . Such violators do not care at all who they call with threats.

What to do if your ex-husband insults and threatens?

Family relationships, whether past or present, often give rise to serious conflicts, even criminal offenses. The victims in this case are often women and children.

What to do if a threat comes from your husband or father of your children? If your husband threatens you, you need to immediately stop such behavior. If you give in and endure humiliation, the threats will continue to come and will only get worse.

If death threats are accompanied by insults that have no relation to reality, the attacker can additionally be prosecuted under the article “Slander.”

This is a private prosecution case, which means you can file a lawsuit yourself without waiting for the police to act.

What to do if you receive threats on VK?

If you are threatened via messages on various social networks, you should immediately contact the police.

You will have in your hands irrefutable evidence of the attacker’s guilt - a printout of messages.

Law enforcement officers will later carefully study the criminal’s page and may find several more episodes of criminal acts.

Whether your husband or neighbor threatens you, whether your boss is a tyrant or an anonymous terrorist does not matter. All of them commit illegal acts and must be held accountable in accordance with current legislation.

Threats do not need to be encouraged with forgiveness, they need to be stopped by contacting the police, so as not to one day become a victim of a crime under Art. 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Murder”.

Inappropriate on social networks: why people are rude to you, and how to defend yourself if you are attacked

“I look at this and I feel some kind of anger and my teeth are grinding” is a wonderful meme that arose thanks to a certain Sasha Demina. An ordinary comment would not have become a meme if it were not for an exact hit on one common socio-psychological phenomenon.

The greatest value of the Internet and social networks is freedom, at least relative. While you can still write anything to anyone. But there are nuances. You can write, but the consequences of inappropriate behavior are unpredictable. Since I, as an author, often have to deal with trolling, hate and outright rudeness on social networks, and at the same time I position myself as a popularizer of psychology, I want to tell you how to behave correctly in unpleasant situations.

Why are social media users rude to strangers?

The first thing that is important for sensitive, vulnerable and vulnerable subscribers to understand is that in fact they are not personally directly related to the unpleasant situation.

The recipients of insults are simply an irritant who becomes a red rag for an angry bull. If you are attacked, this does not mean that you are to blame for anything. Rather, it means that for some reason you caused a reaction of irritation in your opponent. But you are not omnipotent and cannot predict all responses. Sometimes subscribers react painfully to the most innocent and most neutral text. But this is a feature of their perception, nothing more. You have nothing to do with it!

The second important factor: if you are attacked, you immediately become a garbage dump into which your opponent dumps toxic emotions that are not addressed to you.

What does it mean? This means that, for example, the opponent has developed anger, anger or hatred in personal relationships with certain specific people. But showing this anger in a real relationship is dangerous. Perhaps this anger arose in a relationship with the boss, and being rude to the boss means being fired from his job. Perhaps this anger arose in relations with parents, and you can’t say nasty things to mom and dad, because upbringing doesn’t allow it. Perhaps this toxic aggression arose in contact with a person who can punch you in the eye for rudeness. In general, there is no way to answer, but he is bursting with anger. Therefore, a person releases his accumulated tension where it is safest. You are not the boss, not the mother, and not the one who will hit you in the eye! You don’t know each other personally at all, and you can write anything you want. Many users have nicknames and no personal photos that would help identify them. And now you were rude, and someone felt a lot better!

The third reason for inappropriate behavior is a psycho-emotional disorder or mental illness.

Unfortunately, the average social media user cannot diagnose psycho-emotional problems. This can only be done by specialists - qualified psychologists, psychotherapists, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists. Ordinary people who do not have a set of special knowledge can only rely on intuition. It is worth adding that during the pandemic, after self-isolation, in conditions of the economic crisis and rising prices, the exacerbation of emotional and mental disorders began to increase noticeably.

How to respond to aggressive behavior

First of all, ask yourself the question: why do you communicate on social networks?

If you are a blogger, if it is important for you to promote your channel, then any comments, even the most toxic ones, increase the number of responses under the publication and contribute to its promotion.

The most evil troll, flooding a discussion with toxic comments, always brings grist to the author's mill. And if you are emotionally stable and know how to stir up the emotions of such trolls, this will help you in your promotion. You can learn to troll a troll - and then you can use toxic energy for your peaceful purposes. After all, they build nuclear power plants using the destructive power of a nuclear explosion! You just need to follow the safety rules and accurately build your personal psychological boundaries, otherwise you can play too much and bring the game to trouble. The worst thing for a blogger is loss of reputation.

If you are an ordinary user and do not have a goal to promote and develop something, personal psychological boundaries are even more important.

The healthiest response is to protect your boundaries and not come into contact with aggressive opponents. If you responded with even an emoticon, it means that you have already entered into a dialogue with evil, and then the consequences can be unpredictable. Of course, it’s unpleasant when people write offensive comments to you. But the choice is simple: take care of your nervous system or allow an unhealthy person to turn you into a garbage dump for his poison.

If this is your channel or your personal account, you can delete the unpleasant comment and block its author.

If this is a community, you can complain to the administrator. But if you yourself made aggressive stuffing, it’s unlikely that the administrators will be on your side. If you are the first to start a discussion in harsh tones, allow yourself too much, and then complain that the author answers you symmetrically, the justice of social networks is unlikely to help you. Most likely, you will be removed from the community. Responsibility always lies with the provocateur. Although, unfortunately, the provocateurs themselves often do not realize that they are provoking their opponents to aggression.

Any aggression towards the author is a sign of psycho-emotional problems

And now I will tell you the main secret of the trolls. If in a discussion of a topic you read comments about the author’s personality, you can safely block such virtual guests. “The author is another idiot”, “the author is a fool” - this is the result of a “positive test” for the presence of psycho-emotional problems. No options!

Typically, such users cannot adequately respond to the author’s willingness to defend his position and defend his personal psychological boundaries. Of course, I would like the author to remain defenseless in the face of unhealthy attacks. But if the author defends himself, the user often interprets this as aggression towards him. That is, he, the user, can discuss the identity of the author, but the author does not dare answer, and if he answered, then this is aggression. In fact, the aggressor in this case is precisely the user who projects his aggression onto the author of the publication, but stubbornly does not notice this aggression in himself and does not consider an attack on the author’s person as aggression instead of discussing his point of view using arguments.

What separates a healthy commentator from an unhealthy one?

Firstly, if a healthy person does not like a publication, he will not read it and will simply pass by. If someone didn’t like something, but read the text and also decided to respond, this is already a manifestation of an emotional or mental problem.

Secondly, if a commentator writes about the personality of the author, and does not discuss the ideas of the article and does not express his position on the topic under discussion, relying on some arguments, this is another symptom of psycho-emotional problems. Getting personal is one of the most important signs by which you can distinguish an unhealthy person.

Well, and thirdly, the cherry on the cake. Usually the most violent attacks are a sign of what psychotherapists call “being caught in a trauma.”

This means that your text or comment is somehow connected with the troll’s personal problems, and the troll, due to a psycho-emotional disorder, cannot recognize these problems. Your article reminds him of his personal pain, so the troll turns on psychological defenses and resists. But he is defending himself not from you, but from himself, from meeting his old wound.

You are not a psychotherapist; you do not have to think about how your readers will feel. If you do not intend to insult anyone, but write about what worries you, everything is fine with you, not fine with those who read you and react painfully. It is the responsibility of readers to monitor their emotions, analyze them and draw conclusions, and in case of mental pain, seek help from specialists - clinical psychologists and psychotherapists.

Be healthy and be aware of what you write in the comments and why!

How to Determine Threats May Be Committed

The reality of the threat will be established if the victim has concerns that the attacker will be able to carry it out. Then such an act will be considered a crime. If threats were made that could never be implemented, then such acts will not be investigated by law enforcement agencies.

This is the biggest problem with such crimes. To determine whether the threat expressed is a criminal offense or not, the following criteria are taken into account:

• the form in which the threat was expressed;
• its content;
• the nature of the statements;
• the place and circumstances in which the threat was made;
• the presence of relationships between the parties to the conflict until the intention to cause harm to life and health is voiced;
• personal characteristics of the attacker.

In criminal law, all types of threats are divided into two categories:

1. objective. Attackers can bring them into reality at the moment;
2. subjective. Threats are aimed at psychologically influencing the victim, but are accepted by him as reality.

If the attacker did not plan to carry out his threats in the future, but the victim accepted the expressed intentions as real, then the elements of a crime in such acts will be established.

What to do if there are no witnesses

Almost always, attackers, when making a threat to life, choose a place and time when they can do this without witnesses. When a criminal intimidates a victim in private, the main evidence will be the victim's testimony, which will not be enough for the court. To support your testimony, the injured party must provide:

• audio or video recording of a conversation;
• negative characteristics of the attacker;

If threats are of a recurring nature, then it is necessary to prepare for them. Install a recording device at the meeting place, arrange with another person who will witness the conversation.

Compensation for moral damage

The injured party in the crime in question has the right to receive moral compensation for the harm caused, in accordance with Articles 8 and 150 of the Civil Code, if evidence of moral damage is provided. The amount of financial payments will depend on the degree of guilt of the attacker and the suffering experienced by the victim and other significant circumstances of the crime.

What to do when you receive threats?

What to do when you receive threats? The first thing you need to learn in such situations is that you need to act immediately. After all, as mentioned above, the criminal can take action at any moment.

If someone tries to intimidate you, you need to contact the police as soon as possible. We do not recommend entering into conflict or making threats in response. Otherwise, a police report may be filed against you.

The police are obliged to consider such a statement and carry out an appropriate investigation. If you were threatened not in an emergency situation, then you can not rush to call 02, but visit the police station after the conflict, where you can write a statement. They should provide you with a sample document and help you fill it out.

We recommend writing the application in two copies. On both copies, office staff must put a mark indicating that the application was accepted. If the police officer refuses to accept the paper (and they should not do this), you can contact his immediate superior or the prosecutor's office with a complaint.

Contacting the police

Regardless of who the threat to life and health comes from, it is necessary to report it to the police. To do this, you can obtain a form and sample of such a statement from law enforcement agencies. All applications of this nature must be signed and the real personal data of the applicant must be indicated. If an anonymous application is received, it will not be considered. At the police office, the application will be accepted and registered, after which it will be transferred to the official for consideration and making an appropriate decision.

What measures to take when you need to act immediately?

What to do when the conflict in which you are threatened takes very serious forms? You should call number 02 or the helpline of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In response to such a call, the police must send a squad to your address. After they arrive and end your conflict, you will be asked to write a statement. Most criminal cases under Article 119 of the Criminal Code are initiated precisely after the police arrive at the scene of the conflict.

After the investigation is completed, the case is transferred to court. Both parties to the conflict will be called to a meeting where they will give their testimony, witnesses will be interviewed and evidence will be considered. The injured person himself cannot apply to the court, since such cases are not among the offenses that can be considered as a private prosecution.

The judge may give the victim and the defendant the right to reconcile and dismiss the case. This will be possible in a situation where the accused has not been previously convicted, and the victim agrees to reconcile.

Also, in the framework of such a case, you can also file a civil claim for compensation for moral damage. You can file such a claim separately. In such situations, it is better to ask for a larger amount of compensation, since the judge may reduce it.

What to do when you receive various types of threats on the Internet or by phone?

You can be intimidated not only at home, on the street or at work, but also on the Internet. What to do if you are threatened, for example, on social networks?

As with other cases of bullying, you should contact the police. But before you go there, you will need to take screenshots of the scary messages, print them out and save a link to the offender’s account. Law enforcement officers will figure out what steps to take next.

What to do if you are threatened by phone? Many attackers believe that it is easier to intimidate people with calls, because it will be more difficult to find them. But more difficult does not mean impossible.

If you receive such unpleasant calls, the first thing you can do is change your SIM card and blacklist the offender’s phone. Perhaps the calls were coming from regular phone scammers, and after you change your phone number, this will stop.

If the calls came to your home phone, then, as in all other cases, you should contact the police, write a statement and ask them to track the caller.