“Social Media Shame: Why Are Police Officers Becoming Public Punchbags?”

Peppa Pig? Fat? Useless? Dismissed? Some Of The Ridiculous Online Abuse Facing Officers By Ignorant Individuals

Police officers being targeted on social media is a growing concern for many policing organisations. Women officers in particular are being singled out — called names like “Peppa Pig”, labelled “fat”, and accused of not being capable of doing their job. Officers are ridiculed and laughed at by members of the public who, in many cases, have never faced the kind of pressure police do on a daily basis.

This abuse, often spurred on by misinformation or deliberate hostility, is becoming increasingly vicious and widespread. Officers arriving at incidents frequently endure verbal and physical assaults before even having the chance to deal with the call they’re responding to. Many of those who mock and harass police online “would increase sales in toilet paper if confronted with the situations these officers deal with.”

Policing, without question, has become one of the most abused professions in our society.

A recent study published in Criminology & Criminal Justice confirmed that women officers are disproportionately affected by online abuse, including misogynistic language, violent threats, and public questioning of their competence. Much of the abuse focuses on appearance rather than actions, reinforcing troubling gender biases in the way authority figures are treated.

In addition to personal attacks, research by the British Psychological Society revealed that this abuse often extends to officers’ families. There have been multiple cases where officers and their loved ones had to move homes or change schools after becoming targets. One extreme incident even involved a threat to plant a car bomb after an officer’s identity was exposed online.

What makes these attacks even more damaging is their cumulative effect. When officers are mocked with phrases like “dismissed” — often by individuals with no understanding of the complexities of modern policing — it chips away at morale and professionalism across the board. It also discourages people from joining the force at a time when recruitment and retention are already national challenges.

Even more concerning is the effect this online narrative is having on young people. Youth growing up today are increasingly exposed to relentless negative portrayals of police across social media platforms. The result is a generation who view officers not as public servants there to protect, but as targets for ridicule or mistrust. This loss of respect for authority figures at such a formative age is deeply detrimental — not just for policing, but for the future of law and order in our communities.

Despite growing concern, there is currently no centralised national data on the number of police officers who report being abused or targeted online, underscoring the need for better tracking and institutional support. The silence on this issue is dangerous. Without proper policies in place, both individual officers and the reputation of policing suffer — and by extension, public safety.

With morale at an all-time low, resources stretched, and trust in institutions being repeatedly tested, perhaps it’s time to ask: who protects the protectors?

For the record, last year’s horrendous attack by a man wielding a sword in Hainault saw a female officer walk towards him on her own, with a taser and incapacitate him. If that taser had not functioned, that officer would have lost her life. She did her job with the utmost professionalism, but most importantly-incredible bravery.

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