Nicole Brzyski

Hey, I'm Nicole, and I'm a victim of severe cyber harassment. Images of me, both stolen and edited, are plastered all over the internet on dozens of revenge websites. Imposter blogs have been created under my name with promises to publish private photos and videos of me. Anonymous emails were sent to my employer falsely accusing me of criminal activity, along with photos and sexually explicit content. My personal email addresses were spammed with pornographic and violent content, and dozens of fake social media accounts were created to not only harass me but the people who follow me.

I've spent the last year studying the law, and recently started working as a paralegal in a family law firm. My goal is to make sure cyber abuse is taken seriously, whether it's part of a domestic violence dispute or a criminal action arising from cowards on the internet who think that hiding behind a computer gives them power.

In addition to working in the legal field, I volunteer as a victim advocate for The BADASS Army. BADASS is a nonprofit org dedicated to providing support to victims of revenge porn/image abuse and eradicating the practice through education, advocacy, and legislation. Our goal is to arm victims with the tools they need to become their own advocates for justice, and provide the resources they need to regain control of their images, empower themselves, and get justice.

Whether at work or as a volunteer, I spend my time fighting for people who might not have the resources to go after their online harassers - or are told in court that cyber abuse isn't real or serious. I'm currently working with legal experts and law enforcement to take this crime seriously, and hope to work with elected officials to ensure laws are written to protect victims from cyber abuse, and provide adequate relief to those who have been harmed.

If you are being harassed online and need help, please reach out to me. Remember, you aren't alone and there are ways to fight this.