1. Talk to people around you: You are not responsible for the violence you are experiencing. It helps to talk about it with one or more trusted people.
2. Talk to professionals: Consult your doctor, a mental health professional, or a lawyer if you want to file a complaint.

If you are in imminent danger, please call the police directly by dialling 117. Counselling for victims of violence is available around the clock at 142.

1. Preserve evidence: Take screenshots, if possible showing the date and the visible URL/social network. In cases of insults or hate speech, these screenshots can be helpful for filing a complaint if the content is removed by the platform or the person in question.
2. Report content: Consistently report offensive and demeaning content to the platform. Here you will find a guide for the various platforms. Here you will find a comprehensive guide on how to report content depending on the platform.
3. Block accounts: Block accounts that spread hate speech. On some platforms you can even block entire lists to protect yourself from targeted attacks.

You don’t have to do this alone. Delegate these tasks to one or more trusted people - for example by giving them temporary access to your social media accounts. Remember to change your passwords afterwards.

How to better protect your data and accounts.

It is important that your personal data, especially sensitive information such as your address, is well protected.

1. Use strong passwords: Combine letters, numbers and special characters (a whole sentence works well) and use a unique password for each account. A password manager helps you keep track.
2. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): An extra step alongside your password - such as a code via an app - protects your accounts.
3. Use secure connections: Avoid public Wi-Fi where possible, such as at airports, train stations or in restaurants.
4. Have sensitive information about you removed from Google search results: https://support.google.com/web

Here are also some useful external resources:

1. You can find more information in our guide to digital self-protection.
2. On the website Have I Been Pwned you can check whether your data has appeared in a data breach. If so, change the affected password.
3. With VirusTotal you can check whether unknown links or attachments are dangerous. Important: only paste links and drag files into the tool — do not click or open them.
4. Access Now offers free help with digital security issues, especially in cases of targeted attacks.

These tips were created in collaboration with the Cyberpeace Institute.

Legal information on attacks and hate speech.

Legal proceedings are time- and cost-intensive and can be re-traumatising. Before proceeding, seek advice on your specific case from a legal or victim support service.

Criminal law

Hate speech as such is not a criminal offence in itself, but it may fall under various criminal provisions. The most common are:

Discrimination and incitement to hatred (Art. 261bis of the Swiss Criminal Code)

Anyone who publicly incites hatred or discrimination against persons or groups on the grounds of their race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation is liable to prosecution. It is also a criminal offence to publicly demean or discriminate against another person or a group of persons on the basis of these characteristics in a manner that violates human dignity.

As this is a public prosecution offence, the authorities must prosecute such acts as soon as they become aware of them. This means that any person may report it, not only those directly affected.

Offences against personal honour

Hate speech directed specifically at a person that damages their reputation is a criminal offence. Depending on the case, this may constitute defamation (Art. 173 SCC), calumny (Art. 174 SCC) or insult (Art. 177 SCC).

Prosecution of these offences requires a formal complaint from the person affected.

Civil law

Honour, as part of one’s personality rights, is protected under civil law (Art. 28 of the Swiss Civil Code). What is protected is the reputation of being a person of good standing — that is, behaving in the way that a decent person is generally expected to behave. Professional, economic and social reputation is also protected.

Those affected may, pursuant to Art. 28a SCC, demand that the violation be remedied. In particularly serious cases, claims for moral damages (Art. 28a para. 3 in conjunction with Art. 49 CO) or compensation for material damages (Art. 28a para. 3 in conjunction with Art. 41 CO) may additionally be asserted.

You can reach us directly at stophatespeech@public-discourse.org. We are not a counselling service, but we build networks among those affected and offer workshops.