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Everyone deserves to feel safe and happy.
If something has happened to you or someone else that is makes you feel sad then it is good to tell someone about it.
If someone or something is making you feel scared, threatened or distressed, report it to the police by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency
What to do if you’re worried about something online
If you are feeling sad or upset, tell someone you trust and feel safe with about what is making you feel sad or upset. They will listen and support you. A person you trust could be your:
- parent, carer, family member or someone else who cares for you
- friend’s parent or carer, or a neighbour
- youth worker, care worker, teacher or another adult in your school, college or club
- doctor, school nurse or a counsellor
Get advice from a support service – if you don’t feel ready to speak to an adult you know and trust, contact a support service for free and confidential support. This could be:
- Childline for free and confidential support online and over the phone for young people under 19
- Report Remove tool if you want to report a nude image of you that’s been shared online
- Text-A-Nurse service for confidential text messaging support for 11-19 year olds.
- Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline for free and confidential support online and over the phone for anyone aged 16+.
- Lifeline for free and confidential support for anyone who is struggling to cope or feeling overwhelmed.
If you can’t find what you are looking for then the Helplines NI website has information and phone numbers for other helplines in Northern Ireland that can support you with a range of issues.
Should I report it?
If something or someone is making you feel unsafe or uncomfortable then contact the police for help by calling 101.
If you or someone you know is ever in immediate harm or danger call the police on 999 straight away and tell an adult you trust who will be able to support you. It might feel embarrassing or scary, but police officers are trained to deal with these types of situations and the matter will be dealt with sensitively and they can support you.
Some of the things children and young people have reported to the police include:
- Someone is bullying me and sending nasty, abusive and threatening texts and messages on social media. I have blocked and reported them but they keep making new social media accounts and they won’t stop
- An older person is sending me sexual types of texts and messages on social media
- Someone online is putting pressure on me to do things I don’t want to do, I have said no and tried to block them but they won’t leave me alone
- A person catfished me and tricked me into sending semi-nude photos of myself. They threatened that I will get into trouble if I tell anyone
- My ex has sent a private nude photos and videos of me to their friends and they are threatening to send more
- I am receiving abusive and threatening messages because I’m gay. They are scaring me and I am struggling to cope
- An older person is messaging me online and they have asked to meet up offline
- I shared a nude image with someone online and they are threatening and blackmailing me. They know where I go to school and play football, it’s scary
- I’m worried because my partner needs to know where I am all the time, they phone constantly, spy on me and track my location. Sometimes they don’t believe where I am and make me take photos and videos to prove my location
- Someone has created a fake social media profile of me and is sending nasty messages and calls, they seem obsessed with me and won’t leave me alone
- I did something that I was embarrassed about on webcam and someone has turned nasty towards me
If you are worried about online abuse or the way someone has been communicating online, you can report it online to CEOP and they will support you.
Some of the things children and young people have reported to CEOP include:
- Someone online has asked me to send them nude images
- I shared a nude image with someone online and they are threatening me
- I did something that I was embarrassed about on webcam and someone has turned nasty towards me
- Someone I don’t know is asking me to live stream and do things I don’t want to do
- Someone online kept asking me to meet them face to face and I feel pressured by them
- Someone online was talking to me about sex and it made me feel uncomfortable
- Someone online is putting pressure on me to do things I don’t want to do
- Someone I met in an online game keeps trying to talk to me privately
