Report it
If you are under 18, report online sexual abuse to one of our Child Protection Advisors at the CEOP Safety Centre.
If you're over 18, call 101 to speak to your local police.
Reporting and blocking on social media
Social media platforms have measures in place to help you if there are people or things online that upset or worry you.
Blocking someone on social media
If you come across someone on social media that you don’t want to speak to anymore, most platforms give you the option to block them.
Blocking a user can mean different things on different social media sites, but it generally stops them being able to interact with you on that platform. Sometimes it also means they can no longer see anything you post or even find your profile if they search for it.
Users aren’t told when someone blocks them so most of the time they won’t realise or know for certain.
If someone on social media is pressuring you to do things you don’t want to, speak to a trusted adult or report it to CEOP.
Reporting on social media
You can ask for content on a social media platform to be removed by reporting it.
You can report any content, such as a post, image, or comment, that is harmful, misleading or damaging. It might be something that you think is inappropriate or fake. It could also be something that someone has posted about you that you didn’t give them permission to post or that has upset you.
You can also report a user or account if they are pretending to be another person or if they are posting harmful content.
What will happen if I make a report?
When you make a report to a social media platform, the platform will review what you have told them and decide whether the content breaks one of their rules.
Each platform has its own set of rules or ‘community guidelines’ that it expects its users to follow. When you make a report, you usually have to pick which of these rules you think the content or account you are reporting breaks.
Reporting something doesn’t always mean the post or account will get removed. Once the platform has reviewed your report, they will tell you what they have decided and what action they are going to take.
Most of the time when you report something on social media, it stays anonymous so the person you reported won’t know who made the report.
How do I make a report?
Need more help?
In an emergency
If you're ever in immediate harm or danger:
- Call the police on 999 straight away
- Tell an adult you trust who will be able to support you through a difficult time
Talk to someone
Free, confidential support online and over the phone for young people under 19.
The Mix is a charity that provides free information and support for under 25s.
Use their crisis messenger by texting THEMIX to 85258.