Developing a self-harm and suicide content policy

Self-harm and suicide content will manifest in different ways depending on functionality. See Understanding self-harm and suicide content for risks associated with specific functionality.

Sites aimed at vulnerable users, such as children and young people, will require stricter content policies.

Responses to self-harm and suicide content will be influenced by principles of safeguarding, data protection and the removal of illegal content.

Companies should ensure they have the necessary resource to implement their policy effectively.

Polices should include clear definitions of self-harm and suicide in order to establish what content is in scope. For definitions of self-harm and suicide, see our information page: Understanding self-harm and suicide content.

It is important that policies are explicit about what content is and isn’t covered. While sharing experiences of self-harm and suicidal thinking and behaviour can be helpful for many people, in order to protect users, all sites and platforms should remove and limit access to self-harm and suicide content considered to be harmful.

Content considered harmful

• Promotion or encouragement of self-harm and suicide. Content that intentionally encourages the suicide or attempted suicide of another person is considered illegal under the 1961 Suicide Act
• Graphic descriptions or depictions of acts of selfharm or suicide, such as open wounds and blood
• Detailed methods or instructions for self-harm and suicide, including descriptions and depictions of equipment, and the evaluation or comparison of the effectiveness of different methods
• Suicide pacts and challenges, where users may be encouraged to harm themselves
• Mockery or bullying of people who have self-harmed or attempted, or died by suicide

Formats

• Text: posts, private messages, instant chat, quotes, blogs information pages
• Visual: images, video, artwork, memes, emojis, TV/film stills
• Livestreaming: audio and visual content that is broadcast in real time to a live audience
• Disappearing content: posts that expire after a defined period of time

Content policies should also cover how they will respond to self-harm and suicide content where less is known about the impact on users, such as:

• Quotes about self-harm and suicide
• Lived experience accounts of self-harm and suicide
• Depictions of self-harm and suicide such as artwork and memes
• Images of self-harm scars
• Sharing methods of concealment
• Online memorials for people who have died by suicide

For more information about the risks associated with different types of content, see our information page: Understanding self-harm and suicide content online.

Deciding whether self-harm or suicide content could be harmful for users can be complex. Whilst some types of content may be obviously harmful, other types may require more nuanced thinking and a judgement on what is appropriate for the platform. The following questions may help to decide which content should be prioritised for removal or review based on the impact it may have on users:

Does it show a risk of imminent threat to life?

Content of this kind should be urgently addressed. Consider whether immediate removal of the content could prevent the user from receiving urgent help from others.

Who is viewing the content?

The more vulnerable the audience, the stricter the content policy should be.

How graphic is it?

Content that contains graphic descriptions or depictions of self-harm or suicide should be prioritised for review as it can be distressing and triggering for other users.

Does it encourage, promote or glamorise self-harm or suicide?

Content that promotes self-harm and suicide or portrays them as effective ways of ending distress could encourage other users to try it.

Is there an evidence base that shows this type of content is harmful?

Is there research that indicates that the content may encourage people to harm themselves, or cause a contagion effect?

Does it stigmatise self-harm or suicide?

Content that shows prejudice against people experiencing self-harm or suicidal feelings could be triggering and hurtful, preventing users from reaching out and sharing their experiences.

How common is the content on the platform?

Some types of content, like a self-harm quote, may have minimal impact as an isolated post, but viewing large volumes of this content may have a much larger impact on users.

How are users reacting to it?

The way users respond to content should be considered – is it being reported? Is it being shared more widely?

There are multiple ways in which sites and platforms can respond to self-harm and suicide content, from monitoring the content, reducing access or removing it from the platform. Our information page: Reducing access to harmful self-harm and suicide content online provides further guidance.

For example templates of self-harm and suicide content policies, please contact Samaritans’ Online Harms Advisory Service.

Include the date and name of the team or person who reviewed the document.