What to Do If You're Harassed on Video Chat
Being harassed on video chat is more common than people admit. Here is exactly what to do when it happens and how to prevent it going forward.
Immediate Actions
When harassment happens, your first and only priority is your immediate safety. Do not try to reason with the harasser, do not lecture them, and do not retaliate. These responses often escalate the situation and waste time you could spend protecting yourself.
Use the skip button immediately. On Coomeet, Chatrandom, and most other platforms, one click ends the conversation and connects you to someone else. Do not feel obligated to explain yourself or say goodbye. You owe nothing to someone who is harassing you.
Stay calm. I know that is easier said than done, but panicked responses can lead to mistakes. Take a breath, skip, and move on. You can collect evidence and report after you are safe.
Reporting to the Platform
After you are out of the harmful conversation, report the user. On Coomeet, find the report button — typically a flag icon — and describe what happened. Be specific: what the user said or did, how long the interaction lasted, and why it violated the rules.
Vague reports like "this person was rude" are less useful than detailed ones like "this user asked me to remove my clothing three times and became aggressive when I declined." Specific reports help moderation teams identify patterns and take appropriate action.
If the platform has a support ticket system, use it for serious incidents. Some platforms let you escalate by emailing their trust and safety team directly. Check the platform's safety page for the appropriate escalation path.
Collecting Evidence
Screenshots are your primary evidence. Capture the username, any messages sent, and the timestamp. On most devices, you can screenshot with a keyboard shortcut or button combination. Do not crop the images — unedited screenshots carry metadata that can be useful during investigations.
Recording laws vary by jurisdiction. In some states and countries, recording a private conversation without the other party's consent is illegal. Check your local laws before recording video or audio of a video chat session. When in doubt, stick to screenshots.
Keep a written log of incidents. Date, time, platform, username, and description of what happened. This creates a timeline that can be useful if you need to escalate to law enforcement or if the harasser creates new accounts and you need to demonstrate a pattern of behavior.
Blocking the Harasser Across Platforms
Once you block someone on one platform, they may try to find you on another. If you use the same username across multiple video chat platforms, a harasser who recognizes you could follow you. Consider using different usernames on different platforms to make cross-platform tracking harder.
If you encounter the same person on another platform, block them there too. Most platforms have block lists you can manage. Check periodically to ensure blocked users stay blocked and remove any that you no longer need to block.
Watch for ban evasion — when someone creates a new account to get around a ban. If you see a user with the same photo or similar username as someone who previously harassed you, report it to the platform as ban evasion. Moderation teams take these reports seriously.
Platforms with the Best Anti-Harassment Tools
Coomeet stands out for its active moderation and quick response to reports. Their moderation team reviews incoming reports and takes action — from warnings to permanent bans — based on severity. Coomeet's 94% real-user rate also means fewer bots and scrapers collecting information for harassment campaigns.
Chatrandom has improved its safety features in recent years, including better report flows and clearer pathways to escalate serious incidents. Shagle offers basic blocking and reporting tools but lacks the moderation depth of Coomeet.
Avoid platforms with no meaningful moderation — they become havens for users who have been banned elsewhere. Monkey, for instance, has a 40% real-user rate and minimal safety infrastructure, making it a risky choice if harassment is a concern.
Emotional Impact and Where to Get Support
Harassment on video chat is not your fault. No matter what you were doing on the platform, no one deserves to be harassed. The behavior reflects the harasser, not you.
If you find yourself feeling anxious, violated, or upset after an incident, that is a completely normal response. Take a break from video chat platforms if you need to. Your mental health comes first.
Consider talking to someone you trust — a friend, family member, or counselor. If the incident was severe, organizations like the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative offer resources for people who have experienced online harassment. You do not have to process this alone.
Coomeet's moderation team responds quickly to reports and has clear anti-harassment policies. Full Coomeet review →