Moderating High-Risk Content

High-Risk Content refers to any discussions or posts that involve sensitive and potentially harmful topics—such as self-harm, suicide, severe mental-health crises, or any material that could trigger distress in vulnerable individuals. Because this content can put both the author and other readers at risk, it demands careful, compassionate moderation to keep everyone safe.

Table of contents

1. Risk-level matrix and actions
2. Communication: contacting members
3. Community-level safeguards
4. Looking after your well-being
5. Crisis and support resources

1.Risk-Level Matrix & Actions

Community moderation teams are encouraged to follow a risk management strategy, whether it is the strategy below or your own. If in doubt of what actions you should take, get a second opinion from another moderator or contact the HealthUnlocked Support team.

🟢 Low Risk

Typical indicators:

Past or metaphorical references to self-harm.

Examples:

• “I was so bored in the waiting room, I wanted to slit my wrists.”
• “I have been suffering for nearly 3 years, with self-harm and suicide attempts in the past.”
• “The temptation to cut myself has been occasionally coming back, but my therapy is helping.”

Moderator actions:

• Edit the post and select “Community only” visibility
• Monitor the thread
• Use your judgement
• If in doubt, escalate to the next risk level

🟠 Medium Risk

Typical indicators:

Ongoing suicidal ideation without immediate intent.

Examples:

• “I have been considering suicide for the last 3 months. I want some advice on this.”
• “I feel like such a failure and contemplate suicide every day — does anyone have a similar experience?”
• “I just want to end it all.”

Moderator actions:

• Edit the post and select “Community only” visibility
• Edit the title to include “Trigger Warning”
• Monitor the thread
• Contact the member with support information (see template below)
• Screenshot the content
• Report and delete if the risk escalates

🔴 High Risk

Typical indicators:

Imminent plans, recent self-harm, or highly triggering content for others.

Examples:

• “I’m at the top of the building about to jump.”
• “I’ve done it. I’ve just taken an overdose.”

Moderator actions:

• Screenshot the content
• Report and delete the post
• Contact the member with support information (see template below)
• Consider replacing the post if it had many replies (see template below)
• Log the incident and notify other moderators or HealthUnlocked support

2.Communication

Contact member with support information

It’s important to try to reassure high risk users to hold on, to seek professional help and that you have had to remove the post. Below is a template that you can edit to make the tone more personal and natural:

Hi [username],

I wanted to get in touch personally. You’re going through a terrible time right now and we take everything you say very seriously. I would urge you to talk about your situation with your doctor or a health professional you trust so that they can try to help you through this.

Unfortunately, because this is an anonymous community and your situation right now looks so severe, we have had to take down your most recent post. Anonymous advice in this acute situation can make things worse, not better, and can also be a risk to other members of the community, which is why we unfortunately have to stick to this rule.

Please hold on and do not give up hope. If there’s no one at hand you can contact: [INSERT RELEVANT SERVICES IN USER’S COUNTRY] 

Replace the post if it had received many replied (optional)

Here is an example of a post you could share with your community to replace the risky post that was removed:

I’m posting this because we regretfully had to remove a recent post that implied the need for professional or medical help. 

Although an incredible level of support and advice exists in this community, it is anonymous, online and not professional in nature. In a critical situation, anonymous online advice carries the risk of misjudgement and harm, however well intentioned. We have to stick to our rule of taking down this type of post for safety’s sake.

We have contacted the member with advice and contact details for services that can provide the appropriate level of advice to get through their situation. From the bottom of our heart we wish them well from the whole community and hope that they can get through this situation as quickly as possible.

3.Community-Level Safeguards

• Pinned Guidelines – Include how to report self-harm posts, why trigger warnings matter, and the limits of what admins can do on an anonymous platform.
• 18+ Only Policy – Suspected minors must be reported to HealthUnlocked Support for account removal and redirection to age-appropriate resources.
• Repeat High-Risk Posters – If a user continues posting crises after repeated signposting, notify Support so we can consider a site-wide ban for community safety.

4.Looking After Your Well-Being

Moderating intense content is emotionally taxing. Share burdensome decisions with others, take regular breaks, and make use of moderator-focused resources such as:

1. Conversations Matter (conversationsmatter.com.au): Practical resources for supporting someone who is suicidal
2. National Suicide Prevention Alliance (nspa.org.uk/resources): Resources and information on suicide prevention and supporting people affected by suicide
3. Suicide Bereavement Support Partnership (SBSP) (supportaftersuicide.org.uk): Information for people supporting someone bereaved by suicide, with downloadable Help is at Hand report
4. Suicide is preventable (suicideispreventable.org): US-based online tool for talking about suicide.

5.Crisis & Support Resources

If your community regularly receives high-risk posts, consider adding a pinned “Help Lines” post linking to hotlines in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and other regions.