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Childline on social media
We’re on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. You can get advice about lots of different topics, hear from others and feel supported.
Content warning: This page has brief mentions of suicide and abuse
On this page
Keeping you safe
What we mean by safety
We might think you're unsafe if you:
- tell us you've run away
- are being abused or hurt by someone else
- have been harming yourself or thinking about suicide.
If you're going through any of this, it's important to speak to a Childline counsellor and get support. It's confidential and you can talk about absolutely anything.
Think before you post
Social media is public, so anything you post could be read by anyone. Anyone who sees your post will be able to see your profile picture, name, and anything that’s not private on your profile.
It's important to be careful about what you share so that you can stay safe online.
Sometimes people can see what you've liked or posted. We'll also take down or hide any posts that show you as unsafe or break our house rules. But people may still be able to see what you've posted on different platforms.
Keeping it friendly
Everyone has different opinions. We want to make sure everyone can get involved in discussions and share their ideas respectfully.
To make sure our social media feels friendly and welcoming, we delete anything that could upset other people. This includes:
- comments about hurting other people (or wanting to hurt them)
- personal insults or threats
- bullying or aggressive comments
- racist, sexist, homophobic or transphobic comments
- swearing
- linking to something inappropriate or offensive.
Our social media hosts
All of our channels are hosted by people from Childline. You'll see them posting and replying to people on our channels.
The hosts all work for Childline but are very different to our counsellors. They're there to support you but they can't offer counselling either in the comments or in private messaging.
Our hosts aren't there all the time and can't always reply straight away, so it's better to contact a Childline counsellor instead of asking for help on social media if you need support.
If you need support with anything confidentially, talk to one of our counsellors by calling 0800 1111 or starting a 1-2-1 counsellor chat.
Our social media house rules
We want to make sure nothing is shared on our social media that could put you in danger.
We may delete comments that mention:
- Having used Childline
It's okay to say that you've used Childline in the past as long as you don't give any detail. - You or someone else being harmed
This includes a comment about you or someone else being abused or neglected either now or in the past. We won't be able to keep any of these comments confidential. - Self-harm or suicidal behaviour
It's okay to post about these things, but we'll take down any posts that make you vulnerable. We also can't keep these comments confidential. - Personal details
This includes personal information about you or other people, like your phone, school or email. It's okay to share a general place you live, like a city, but not things like a park or small town. - Events you’re going to
Posting that you’re going to a concert or university open day could put you at risk. This includes posting about plans to meet up with people. - Volunteering for Childline
Counsellors or people who work for Childline aren't allowed to post about this on our social media. - Posts and comments in other languages
We're only able to support and reply in English, we may need to delete posts in other languages. - Unsuitable websites or hashtags
Talking about things that are helpful for young people is great, but any sites or that link to inappropriate or unsafe material have to be deleted. - Comments that show you're under 13
Our socials are only for young people aged 13 over, and you'll need permission from your parents or carers to use YouTube if you're under 13.
We can only delete comments after they have been posted. So please be extra careful about what you say.
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