79% of all cyberbullying occurs on YouTube by creeps with keyboards.

That’s the latest statistic, as of November 4, 2022, from Security.org. 

This is a lengthy petition, but it contains very important information. Please take your time to read this slowly. You likely know someone who has been or currently is a victim.

WHO AM I?

My name is Mozelle Martin, and I am a 35-year forensic handwriting analyst and retired mental health professional. With degrees in Forensic Psychology, Criminology, Applied Ethics, and more, I have contracted with investigative agencies in various countries to decipher the personality behind the pen. I also work with private individuals worldwide. 

ABOUT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL…

As an ethical creator on YouTube, I have been cyberbullied by other creators. My YouTube channel is one of entertainment. I enjoy educating people by providing insight into human behavior through the often eerily-accurate field of handwriting analysis. It's where I go to have fun (or at least used to).

My channel is not a true crime channel. It's also important to note that I do not earn a living on YouTube. As you will see below, I am a new creator.

For many years I have strongly urged people to conduct their own research and stop believing something simply because someone tells them to. In our immediate gratification, fast-paced society, it seems people don't take the time to do their own research and instead, choose to listen to what others tell them, such as the creator they are most loyal to at the time.

Likewise, it is not up to YouTube creators to force-feed their viewers or subscribers with passive-aggressive bullying, mind games, false accusation, personal attacks, professional defamation, or other inaccuracies.

Unfortunately, as you already know, not all channels are created equal. Some are unethical, and some may even be illegal. Many only exist to start drama and others seem to lead miserable lives and project it onto innocent people.

Many creeps with keyboards say, "we were calling them out to expose the truth."

Okay, although that may be the original intention, who made those creators and their followers (usually other private citizens) the judge and jury of that platform?

Two things to ponder:

1. If other creators "call them out" through hatred, public shaming, shunning, and the like, logical-minded adults would know that is not the professional way to do so. That is not adult behavior; that is middle school behavior. This is where cyberbullying, cyber-harassment, cyber-libel, cyber-defamation, and more come into play. Anyone with an internal moral code would recognize that the one who is doing the harassment, name-calling, bullying, shaming, etc, (aka "cyber-hating") is making him/herself look bad. If they can do this to others, they can easily do it to you, too.
2. This is why it's crucial that the platform, not other citizens do the policing. Platforms can use their legal team to discern the laws and keep things professional. By contrast, most private citizens use their subjective biases, which cause them to become emotional and impulsive with no regard for integrity.

In a bit, I’ll share some tips about how you can assess your personal ethics and involvement with the YouTube channels you follow.

MY CYBER-STORY…

I had a Vimeo channel for over 10 years and started my YouTube channel in 2016. Although I've been slowly moving Vimeo content over to YouTube, I pretty much ignored my YouTube channel. Mainly, I uploaded private content to keep it safe for my kids and grandkids after losing important files in computer crashes. Although my adult son urged me for several years to start sharing my decades of experience, I wasn’t interested.

Then, in August 2022, while traveling for work, I met a retired detective who was the host of a true crime channel on YouTube. Over a group lunch, he showed me an unknown handwriting sample on his phone. I immediately provided my synopsis. It's often a great icebreaker and creates conversational fun. So when he asked if I’d be willing to put it on a video for his show, I thought, sure, why not?

The detective warned me that if I appeared on his show, I might get harassed by other true crime creators. He said, "It's a blood bath on YouTube." That didn’t make sense to me; I mean, why would one channel harass another? Indeed, with 8 billion people in the world and 114 million YouTube channels, there is room for everyone, right? Regardless, I wasn’t worried about it because, as mentioned, my channel was and is not in the true crime genre.

Almost immediately after appearing on this detective's show, I received a message from another YouTube creator stating he was trying to warn me about [this] detective. He sent me video clips and asked me to "watch them to learn the truth about [this] detective." I did not know anything about the person sending me these videos because he did not provide his real name. I tried to watch the videos but, because I don’t follow true crime, I didn’t know any of the names or cases mentioned. Overall, because of my autism, I was confused with who was who and just didn't understand all the perceived drama and hatred or toxicity against each other. The messaging seemed convoluted and after watching each one of the videos for up to five (5) minutes, I was enveloped by more confusion than anything, so, I gave up.

Instead, because I didn't want to admit my autism symptom of being confused by it all, and because of the detective's warning, I kindly responded back that I appreciated the heads up but that I form opinions about people based on how they treat me, not on how someone else says I should feel about them. I also stated that I am not responsible for anyone’s actions other than my own and that the bias against or about this retired detective had nothing to do with me. 

About a month later, I was given another handwriting sample and agreed to appear on that detective’s YouTube show again. As usual, I had no clue what the case was about, nor did I care.

As an aside... all investigative agencies I’ve worked with over the past 35 years will tell you that I never ask questions up front, don’t want to know anything about the case, and don’t want the writer’s name. Literally, none of that matters to me because the handwriting tells me everything I need to know.

MY STORY...

Not until I had this detective on my channel to interview him did my story begin. Almost immediately after that third show, I became a victim of cyber-hatred. I didn't really feel it was up to me to vet him any more than it's up to me to vet my medical doctor. I assume the law enforcement agencies he was working with did the vetting, just like the hospital should vet my doctor before hiring him.

If you follow true crime on YouTube, this is no surprise to you. It absolutely was to me.

Of course, these cyber-haters never bothered reading my “entertainment” disclaimer below every video for the past 5+ years or the ‘About’ page on my channels. Had they done so, they would have read the words…  “nothing should be taken as fact.” Even if they didn’t know how to read, they could have watched my channel trailers and learned the same things.

So, they chose to attack me because they didn’t take independent responsibility for doing any of those things.

NOBODY DESERVES TO BE VICTIMIZED…

Where were they 5 years ago? Where were they 4, 3, or 2 years ago? Where were they 1 year ago? Again, none of this occurred until I met this detective. I am not blaming the detective; instead, this appears like a "guilt by association" attack.

EVEN IF THIS DETECTIVE IS AS CROOKED AS SAN FRANCISCO'S LOMBARD STREET... it had and has nothing to do with me. I only met him three (3) months ago. Although we are not close friends, he has not mistreated me, and that's all I can go by. 

Either way, these cyber-haters don’t believe in my career field, which is fine. But, instead of maintaining their stance on the topic itself, they attacked me as a professional (a person) – calling me a liar, fraud, and charlatan. They did this using one of the most common tactics of creeps with keyboards. Some may call this ad hominem, the strawman fallacy, or simply hate-mongering.

I am still unsure why they claim I owe them (who hide behind usernames) an explanation for my career choice, but either way, per my attorneys, I ignored them starting on November 16, 2022, which was just three days after this all started.

Every single time I posted something on my channel or updated my website, they made hateful posts and hours-long videos about me. (see updates tab for recent activities). Even after ignoring them, they still told their followers that every video or post (which was all pre-scheduled Vimeo content from way before this drama started) was for them specifically. So, they retaliated with more hateful content - both posts and videos. 

I also proved many of their claims wrong in this video and this video.

Everything they claimed I was doing to them was, in fact, everything they were doing to me. In doing these things, they were feeding misinformation to their subscribers and misleading them, thereby instigating more of the same. Many of his subscribers harassed me, too. Some of their followers also created "shorts" about me to attack my professional character. Some may call this gaslighting or projection.

WHY DO I CARE?

I care because there have been a lot of articles and movements about teen victims of cyberbullying. However, very little has been done in the form of public information and awareness or in support of adult professionals that have been targeted victims. I have since met many others who have been targeted by the same people, including a legally blind YouTube creator. This is not okay. I'll say it again... nobody deserves to be victimized.

While much of this online cyber-hatred truly is illegal, there are...

TWO MAIN REASONS VICTIMS DON’T SUE…

(1)  The cyber-haters hide behind their First Amendment right to free speech and the ability to have a platform to spread their toxicity. Most people don't thoroughly understand their amendments and don't bother to research them in-depth.

(2) The cost to sue these ill-intended YouTube channels or creators is enormous.

I have a couple of attorneys that work for me, one specializing in social media and DMCA (copyright). Because most of these cyber-haters know that it can take an average of six (6) years and thousands of dollars to withstand this type of lawsuit, they feel confident they will not face any consequences.

Most victims cannot afford the legal fees and it is extremely difficult to find an attorney who accepts online defamation or libel cases anyway. So, yes, these cyber-haters usually do get away with it. The only alternative would be a group of victims coming together for a class suit. Most don’t know how to initiate that, and since many victims have gone into hiding, it requires a vast amount of resources to locate them. 

WHY YOUTUBE DOESN'T CARE...

Per one attorney, “YouTube doesn’t care. They are in business to make their shareholders (stockholders) wealthy, so the more drama they have, the more people will watch, the more sponsors and advertisers they receive, and the more money they make.”

That's why you can report content 100 times, and nothing is ever done. I have proof of a video full of slander, misinformation, and harassment reported 113 times, and nothing was done. Nothing. So most people stop reporting completely because they feel it's useless. Perhaps that's what YouTube is counting on? This is what causes many to take it into their own hands and thus, the toxic mess of a platform YouTube has become. There was at least one case where a YouTube creator tried to kill another YouTube creator.

RESEARCH STATISTICS…

40% of these cyber-haters do this just for fun, scoring higher on both the psychopathology and sadism scales. Do you think these people are dangerous as they walk freely amongst us, or are they just cowards in real life? Perhaps this will answer that for you.

These are often the same individuals who cannot have respectful conversations about differences without personally attacking you. These are often the same individuals who twist your words and try to use them against you. These same individuals often create or promote hatred across the platform for clicks and money. They often ban together with other haters and incite their followers to act in kind. 

WHAT ABOUT THE VICTIMS?

Knowing that I could have sued for defamation and more, it’s not just about me. Although defamation is not protected by the First Amendment, my story can be the voice of support for others who are too ashamed, scared, or intimidated to advocate for themselves.

IT MUST STOP...

I’ve been victimized too many times in my life to count.... way before the internet came along. As a repeat survivor, I have a passion for defending others. That’s why I decided that my money would be better spent on advocacy. This petition is just one part of that process.

When people are scared, they put on their emotionally responsive cap and take off their critical thinking cap. That’s why so many victims respond to these cyber-haters impulsively, only to discover that the situation worsens.

YOUTUBE NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE VICTIMIZATION ON ITS PLATFORM.

So the best method of attacking this issue from a global scale to help rich and poor victims alike is to hold social media platforms accountable for upholding their own Terms of Service, including anti-harassment policies. 

Furthermore, since 79% of cyberbullying occurs on YouTube, it's best we start with them to set an example.

YouTube allows all types of illegal behavior and misinformation to be expressed on their platform under the guise of Freedom of Speech. In doing so, victims often feel powerless and insecure. Even worse, several have committed bullycide (suicide due to online bullying).

As I’ve stated long ago on different platforms, YouTube should adopt a vetting policy like Twitter’s blue checkmark to build trust in the platform, showing the public that the creator is who the creator claims to be. This vetting icon would also build confidence in the viewers that they will receive quality content from a qualified creator. One could argue this is even more important in the true crime genre where real lives can be instantly destroyed and real cases sabotaged. Not solving cases also creates more victims on so many levels. If there is no arrest, prosecution, and conviction, the dangerous person remains on the streets. This is a public safety concern. Moreover, for every unsolved crime, botched crime scene, and mistrial, the loved ones of the victims are thereby victimized by the system that is supposed to protect them... all because of some armchair sleuths spreading misinformation and trying to earn money on the victim's shirttails.

To reiterate... there are a lot of channels that cause damage to innocent people and even hinder actual criminal investigations. They should be dealt with, but it’s not up to other creators to be the judge and jury. Instead, it should be the platform that “punishes” unscrupulous creators. For that to happen, though, YouTube has to be accountable. 

Right now, society has already stopped trusting and respecting the very institutions that used to protect us… police, science, media, government, church, and even experts' opinions.

As a result, we have become confused and don’t know where the truth lies. But victimization doesn't end there. Not only are the human targets of their cyber-hatred victims, but so are their viewers because these hateful channels often trick and, in many ways, ‘brainwash’ their followers.

So it's up to their followers to discern their own involvement.

HERE ARE SOME TRICKS CYBER-HATERS USE…

• Take another creator’s original content, clip, twist, and mix it up to create their own video, thereby gaslighting others into believing a lie or misinformation.
• Making fun of true crime victims (which hurts the entire family).
• Falsely accusing innocent people of being heinous perpetrators (which can interfere with investigations and ruin reputations that will forever be online).
• “Ad hominem” is an unsophisticated technique of attacking the person instead of maintaining their stance or opinion on the topic.
• “Whataboutism” to try to one-up the perceived opponent.
• “Sealioning” by continuously asking questions under the pretense of wanting to learn until their target gets frustrated.
• “Debate obsessives” by using freedom of speech as an excuse for their behavior.
• “Sockpuppetry” is where the main creep creates several fake accounts and responds to their own creations or posts to drive a false perception of public opinion and support (a form of mob mentality)
• “Strawman fallacy” is used to counter their target’s stance on a topic by exaggerating and / or distorting the truth.
• “Tribalism,” in which the creep makes derogatory remarks about a specific group to create conflict.
• “Hate mongering” in which they spew as much hate as possible to and about their target.
• “Ardent research” in which they make inflammatory comments to upset a group conversation and then accuse the naysayers of being ‘sheeple’ before telling them to research it themselves.
• Threatening to hurt someone or urging them to harm themselves. 
• Posting a mean or hurtful picture or video. 
• Pretending to be someone they aren’t online to solicit or post personal, professional, fake, or otherwise false information about someone else. 
• Creating a mean or hurtful webpage about someone. 
• Doxing is a form of online harassment used to exact revenge and threaten and destroy individuals' privacy by publicizing their personal information. This can include home addresses, social security, credit card and phone numbers, social media account links, and other private data.
• Revenge porn and nude photo sharing
• Lies and false accusations, including fake negative reviews on business pages.
• Bullying those who are economically challenged
• Jealousy bullying
• Public shaming, ridicule, and shunning.
• Rhetorical tactics to manipulate viewers' emotions
• Posting comments or rumors about someone online that are mean, hurtful, or embarrassing.

For business professionals like me, their hateful, spiteful, unethical, and often illegal aggression toward us can harm our ability to care for our family, cause missed opportunities as it did for Carlos Mencia, and even exacerbate mental and physical health problems due to emotional duress. Again, this can lead to bullycide.

• I have autism and multiple sclerosis, so I must be careful of my stress levels. I had to step back for symptom management. These cyber-haters accused me of doing so because they somehow intimidated me. Sadly, many victims forget their self-care when they are targeted. As I mentioned, I recently met other victims who were targeted by these same cyber-haters. One victim was a legally blind creator, and after doxxing him, they door-dashed him eyeglasses to mock him.

WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT…

(1) Sign & share this petition far and wide to show other adult victims of cyber-haters that they are not alone.

(2) Although YouTube doesn’t do much at all, keep reporting content that violates its policies. It only takes a few seconds. The more people that report the same content, the more YouTube may take it seriously.

(3) Call your local police to obtain a report #. Obtain a free consultation with a lawyer since you may have rights you never knew about. Complete the FBI's cyberbullying report form (IC3) online. If you know where the person lives, report the cyber-hater to their internet service provider (ISP).

(4) If you are disabled or in a vulnerable adult population, the American Disabilities Act has great resources.

(5)  Tell your story and get support at Stop Bullying and Cyberbulling, 

(6) Next, and maybe most importantly, please evaluate your moral compass and reassess who you follow on YouTube or any other platform.

Allow the necessary time to look through their videos, read their video descriptions, listen to their words, and scroll their timeline posts.

Then ask yourself…

• Does what I’m listening to or reading make me feel better or worse about life or other people?
• Does the information that I am learning from that creator provide valuable insight into my life and / or give me tools I can use to help me make better choices?
• Do I feel happy or relaxed after spending time on that channel, or am I emotionally exhausted or physically tense, angry, or otherwise feeling toxic or uncomfortable?
• Does this creator inspire me to be a better person?
• Is this creator building people up or trying to tear others (including other creators) down?
• Read the comments of other viewers (their followers). Do they support hatred by instigating or inciting more hatred, or are they defending the victims?
• Am I associating with ethical creators, or am I supporting cyberbullies and cyber-hatred?  
• Would my current and future loved ones be proud or ashamed of my online behavior?

THINK BACK…

Most of us remember a bullied peer in elementary, middle, or high school. Most of us know a victim of bullying who was depressed and attempted suicide. Most of us know someone who was bullied and escaped through a risky lifestyle such as drug addiction or alcohol. Sadly, most of us did nothing at all to help.

BE AN UPSTANDER…

Don’t be a bystander, be an upstander and sign & share this petition. Only with your help can we hold YouTube accountable to its Terms of Service and anti-harassment policies.

Currently, YouTube is protecting the creeps with keyboards by ignoring the victims. Human life, reputation, and dignity are worth more than money... at least, they should be.

As you can see HERE, the light blue color (barely viewable) shows how many videos they have removed because of harassment. That same graphic also shows you how harassment has increased since the end of last year (2021).

I believe you are reading this because you are a responsible adult. Now is your chance to stand up for victims everywhere because you or your loved one may be their next target.

Oh, and you heard it here first. I'm sure once my haters see this petition, they will riddle it with variations of the above tactics. As a reminder, do your independent research, flag the comments, assess who you associate with and support, and form your own conclusion.

Thank you.