What advice can I give on how to stay safe online?

Most sites give users tools to help them control what they see, such as:

• unfollowing people so you don’t see their posts
• blocking people so they can’t contact you
• muting keywords or # hashtags so you see less content on a particular topic
• turning off notifications so you stay in control of when you visit sites.

You can help people work out how they feel about using these tools, and if they know how to use them. You may also want to talk to them about what can happen when they use a tool. For example, they may be concerned about whether other people will be able to find out.

For more information, use our quick guide to common online tools.

Most online sites and platforms have:

• community guidelines and a way to report things that worry you
• moderators who read those reports and decide whether to take action.

Usually, moderators remove things that breach community guidelines. Sometimes there are other penalties. For example, people can be suspended or banned from posting.

It’s important that people report anything that worries them. If they find something distressing, it’s likely that other people will too.

However, the process of reporting can sometimes be frustrating. People may find that there’s not always an option to report posts on the grounds that they contain harmful suicide and self-harm content. Sometimes the process is slow and there’s not always a clear way to appeal or get support.

Samaritans’ Online Harms Advisory Service can support people with reporting content if they’re having any issues.

People may also worry that someone will know it was them who reported the content. This can be a valid and real concern – it can happen in some cases. If you can, support the person through the reporting process or help them contact our advisory service.

You can also share our online guides on how to report content or support someone else online.

You can talk to people about how they can make their posts safer for others. You should do this carefully to avoid making them feel guilty about things they may have posted before.

Emphasise that there are many small things that can make a big difference.

To make posts safer they can:

• avoid detailing methods of harm
• avoid sharing graphic images or descriptions of harm
• use content warnings
• choose the right language when talking about suicide
• focus on sharing stories of hope and recovery – even the smallest positive steps
• include links to support services.

To find out more about these areas, use our guide to posting safely. You can share this guide with the people you support.

Different online communities have different cultures around things like:

• the kind of things people post
• the usual tone of comments
• how often people report things
• how the moderators tend to respond.

Online communities can change over time as members come and go.

If someone is finding that the communities they're a part of are having a negative impact on them, they may be interested in exploring new ones or trying a different type of support.

Part of your work will be to help people recognise when their online activity is becoming too much and they need to take a break. This does not have to be a break from the screen. It could be getting a cup of tea or doing a self-care activity or just watching a video online that’s not related to suicide or self-harm. You could also talk about turning off notifications so that it’s easier to take time away from their online activity around suicide and self-harm.

One of the changes you can help people with is encouraging them to talk to people they trust about their experiences online and how they’re being affected by them. This does not need to be offline. Chatting with a friend via a messenger service or on an online call can work well.

When talking to someone about their online activity you may identify other needs they have. You can then recommend other relevant online and offline support services.

For example, you can:

• recommend locally run peer support groups to someone who is ready to make connections in their area;
• refer someone to 24/7 online messaging or telephone services if they often look for support in the middle of the night;
• arrange for a service provider to contact them, if they prefer that to taking the first step themselves.

Only recommend face to face services if you know that they’re readily available and that the person won’t have any barriers to accessing them. For some people, leaving the house or meeting people offline can be a barrier in itself.

You can find a list of urgent helplines and directories of local services below. Use these to help them find the right support.

Use our printable handouts

After you’ve had these conversations you may want to give printable handouts or web links to the people you support or their parents and carers.

We’re evaluating the helpfulness of this guidance and would like to hear from you.

Do you have some time to spare to tell us about your experiences of using these resources? We’re keen to learn if we could do anything better. If so, please express your interest by clicking the link below.