We maintain a presence on social media channels to connect with our supporters, share information about our work, and have open conversations around suicide and mental health. We actively encourage you to get involved in the conversation with us.
It’s important to us to make sure that our social media channels are safe, and that people are protected by our guidelines. To make this possible, we ask anyone who interacts with us, our branches and other people in our comments, to post safely and follow our guidelines listed below:
Our Guidelines
Do’s
- Be Kind - Be sympathetic to, and mindful of, other people’s feelings.
- Be tolerant and respectful of other people’s beliefs and please think before you comment anything that might upset someone - we're all here to support each other.
- If you do see any comments which you think are against these guidelines in any way, please report them. We have tips on how you can report content online.
Don’ts
- We won't tolerate disrespectful, offensive, or abusive comments, and they will be removed from the page along with the author of the comment.
- Swearing is not permitted, and any comments will be removed.
- Do not share any personal information in comments, for example, your personal address or mobile phone number. This is for your own safety.
- Do not advertise in our comments. These comments will be hidden.
- Do not go into detail about self-harm and methods of suicide, as this may be triggering to others. For more information, visit our media guidelines.
- Do not post spam on our content. It will be removed, and you will be blocked from our social media platforms.
How we define inappropriate language/bullying
Inappropriate language includes any of the following:
- Abusive/hurtful language towards others or the organisation
- Hate Speech
- Inappropriate language e.g., swearing
- Off-topic comments
- Advertising
- Inappropriate imagery
- Anything deemed controversial
How we apply our guidelines
To make sure our social channels remain a safe and hopeful space for people to share their experiences and stories, we hide any comments that go against our guidelines or may be triggering to others. For example, descriptive methods of suicide and self-harm or photos or videos. If we hide your comment, we will reply to you and let you know the reasons why.
If you repeatedly go against our community guidelines after we have hidden your content and kindly asked you not to continue, you will be blocked from our social channels.
On Facebook we have profanity filters turned on and any comments that include any inappropriate words or phrases will automatically be hidden. To determine which comments to hide Facebook uses the most commonly reported words and phrases that are marked offensive by the community.
How we moderate our channels
Our Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn are moderated daily from 7am until 10:00pm. We are a small (but hard-working) social team, and we always aim to respond within 48 hours of your post or message.
Please note that our social channels are not moderated 24/7 and we cannot offer emotional support via our social media channels. If you need emotional support, please call or email our volunteers on 116 123 or at [email protected].
In case it’s helpful, we’ve gathered some tips and guidance on how to stay safe online, which has been co-designed with young people with lived experience of self-harm and suicidal feelings.
Additional Resources and Guidance
Reporting worrying content online
There may be times when you see something online about self-harm or suicide that you find worrying or harmful. We’ve gathered some tips and guidance for when you see this content online.
Sharing your experiences of self-harm and suicidal feelings online safely
Sharing your feelings and experiences online during a difficult time can be really helpful, but it also can be triggering for others. Here are some tips on how you can share your experiences safely, whilst helping to protect your own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others.
How to talk about suicide safely online
Making sure you post safely and responsibly can reduce the risk of suicidal feelings and behaviours in others and encourage people to seek help. Whether you are trying to raise awareness, you’ve seen something in the media or you’re sharing your personal experience, posting safely can make a difference. Here are tips on how you can talk about suicide safely online.
Controlling the suicide and self-harm content you see online
It's important that you feel able to control what you see and do online. This can help you avoid things that you might find upsetting, so you can have positive experiences online. Different platforms have different tools that you can use to control what you see and do. We’ve shared some of the different options and how to use them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you share my fundraiser on Samaritans' social media?
Thank you for fundraising for us! We aren't able to share individual fundraisers as we get a lot of requests like these, and we just don't have capacity to share them all. However, our Community and Events team would love to hear more. Please get in touch with them via community&[email protected].
Can you help me with a research project?
We receive a lot of requests to share and participate in research, and we just don't have capacity to help with them all. You can find out more information about our policy and research here.
Can I share my story with you, for you to share on Samaritans’ social media?
We’re always keen to know these stories as they often encourage others who might be struggling to cope. Would you be open to sharing more? If so, you can share your story by filling out this form.
Contact us
If you have any ideas or feedback for how we can moderate our channels better, or if you have any questions, please email [email protected].