Charities need to ensure they are protecting volunteers and staff from “harmful or distressing online interactions”, according to latest guidance on dealing with hostility, including on social media.

Published by Volunteer Scotland and SCVO it offers practical tops to help charities “navigate hostility and intolerance”.

These cover ensuring charities are offering “expert-led safety advice” during interactions, that the wellbeing of staff and volunteers is a priority, and that processes are in place around risk assessment, safety planning and communications.

It warns that on social media “hostility can escalate quickly, affecting volunteers, staff, service users and organisational reputation”. This includes harassment, the spread of misinformation, ‘identity based abuse’ and attempts to provoke emotional responses.

“Volunteers and staff need clear, safe boundaries and organisations need structured moderation, escalation and response processes,” states the guidance.

Charities are also urged to identify patterns of hostility that are linked to “wider community tensions”.

“Responding to online hostility is not about winning arguments - it is about protecting people, reducing harm and maintaining safe, ethical communication,” the guidance adds.

Charity staff are urged not to “engage emotionally” and “pause before acting” to assess risks and the nature of content.

Moderation tools on social media should also be used, such as hiding comments, limiting replies and blocking accounts.

Avoiding public debate is key, says the guidance, which adds, “hostile actors often seek escalation - do not provide it”.

Any misinformation should be corrected “gently”, using “calm, factual statements without repeating harmful claims”.

Record keeping of incidents is also important and charities are urged to coordinate messaging so that staff and volunteers use consistent tone and language.

All plans around responding to hostility online should also be updated, adds the guidance.

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