Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

The Childline message boards are a great place to get support and talk to other people who might be having similar experiences. To make sure they are a safe space for everyone there are some house rules. These are there to protect you and the other young people using the boards from coming to any harm.

Our moderators read every message that is written for the boards. They’re there to check each post is safe for everyone to publish. They can reject a post if it breaks one of our house rules.

Some of the rules are there to respect others - like not saying things that are racist, sexist or transphobic. Some rules might be there for your safety. For example, you aren’t allowed to talk about a specific place or event. This rule is there to make sure you don't accidentally say something that gives away where you live or a place you might be. When talking online it's important to stay as anonymous as possible, so that you can't be found in real life.

You have to think carefully about what you say. If you were to post "I'm 9 today", someone can know your full date of birth as they know your age, the day and month you were born. This is something we wouldn't allow on the boards and it's for your safety.

It's also important to think about other people when you post. If you were to say something that could be difficult for others to hear, we might not allow it. What you've been through is important and it's okay to talk about, but if you post something that could be upsetting for someone else, we will ask you to share it privately with a Childline counsellor instead.

We understand that you might break the rules accidentally and you won't get in trouble if this happens. The rules are there so that everyone is safe and can get support and have a good time using them.

Thanks for writing.

Take care.

Sam