Harassment remains a big problem on social networks; according to a Pew survey, 40 percent of Internet users have experienced it in some form.

One interesting approach is to get bystanders to be active monitors and reporters of harassment online or in person. Some universities, for instance, have started programs to train students to step in if someone else is being harassed or appears at risk of being assaulted.

Such intervention, however, has also been criticized. Not everyone who is harassed wants others to step in, because that can sometimes make the harassment worse. And confronting a harasser can be difficult or even dangerous for a bystander. A recent study by researchers at Ohio State University found that bystanders were less likely to confront the harasser directly than to point out the harassing behavior to a third party.

Image An anti-harassment rally in New York in 2014. Credit... Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times

A new platform called HeartMob, which has raised funds on Kickstarter for testing and development with the goal of a public release this year, would give bystanders several ways to help that do not involve talking to a harasser. It allows users to document and report harassment. It also allows harassment victims to solicit the assistance of bystanders, who could help by sending supportive messages, by reporting the harassment if the victim prefers not to or to add weight to the victim’s report, or by documenting the harassment for future reference. Victims can also ask bystanders to talk to a harasser directly, but the platform will include education to prevent those who do go the direct route from compounding the problem by harassing those accused of harassment.