- Be kind, respectful and helpful – see our community guidelines for more details!
- Avoid debate – it can be useful to mention that you have a different experience of something or introduce new ideas people may not be aware of, but this should not lead to back-and-forth debate
- Either be supportive of what’s been said, or take a ‘yes, and’ approach and make your own contribution. If you feel what someone has said is concerning because it’s misinformation that could put people at risk, flag it to us and we will deal with it.
- It’s ok to ask questions of people’s experiences but be mindful of what you’re trying to achieve with that and what the kindest way of asking it is. ‘Have you called the police?’ and ‘Have you had the chance to speak to anyone else, like the police, about this?’ ask the same thing, but the second one is warmer and gentler.
- If a reply to your post makes you angry or afraid, consider whether responding to it immediately is helpful, or whether you can step back and either respond later or report it to us if it still worries you.
- Dealing with trolls (online bullies) – people may come to the forum with difficult feelings because of what they’ve experienced, but ‘trolling’ (bullying) behaviour is not an acceptable way to deal with difficult feelings. Don’t engage directly with anyone who is being critical or bullying – continue the conversation around their comments and flag the post for us to deal with.
We will remind posters of this guidance and our community guidelines if we notice these not being followed and will move to delete posts and block member accounts in response if needed.
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