[FAQ]

Hello,
I’m looking for some advice on handling a specific member in my local hiking group. The group is usually a really positive space, but one person consistently stirs up trouble. They argue with other members over trivial things, post off-topic rants, and generally bring a negative vibe to every thread they’re in.

I’ve deleted some of their worst comments, but I feel like I’m just playing whack-a-mole. What’s a fair process here? Do you give warnings? Mute them for a while? Or just remove them and be done with it? I want to protect the community without looking like a dictator. Thanks for any tips.

[Jeff Bullas]

Dealing with disruptive members is a common, and critical, challenge for any group admin.

The Short Version: The best way to handle a disruptive member is to use a private, escalating process based on your group’s written rules, starting with a warning and leading to removal if the behaviour continues.

This structured approach ensures you are being fair and transparent, which protects the health of your community by focusing on the disruptive text content, not the person.

Your first step should always be to delete the offending comment and send the member a private message, clearly explaining which rule they broke and issuing a formal warning. Public arguments only fuel the fire and undermine your authority. If the behaviour continues, your next step should be to use Facebook’s admin tools to temporarily mute the member for a set period, like 24 hours or a week, informing them that this is their final warning. If they still cause problems after the mute expires, you should permanently remove and ban them from the group to protect the positive atmosphere for all other members.

Cheers,

Jeff

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