It feels like wishing on a star when reporting online abuse. You throw your complaint into the ether and hope that some benevolent power is listening, but you know that there is a high likelihood that nothing will come of it. You keep trying because you believe in miracles.

You don't have to be completely in the dark with Instagram. The image sharing platform allows users to view a history of their reports so they can see when action is taken against offenders. The outcome may be the same regardless of whether or not you are informed, but at least you will know your complaint didn't just evaporate into thin air when you submitted the report.

You can see your report history on social media.

  1. Open your account on the photo-sharing app.

  2. You can go to your profile by tapping on your profile icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.

  3. The hamburger icon is in the top right corner. This will open a menu.

  4. To go to your settings menu, tap on it.

  5. The help menu will be brought to you by tap.

  6. Support requests can be tapped.

  7. There are reports.

This will show you a list of the reports you have made, including who made the reported post, what you reported it for, and the decisions thatInstagram has made about it. If you tap a report, you will be able to see more information about it, as well as view the reported content.

You can request a review of some of your reports if you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the matter.

Hate speech and harassment are against the community guidelines of the platform. The platform's moderation isn't perfect, with abusive comments still slipping through.

You can limit or remove comments on your account if you so choose, as well as turn off your social media accounts from strangers. If you have a dedicated harasser, it may not catch everything. It will probably make it feel a little less scary.