Ways to Get Help

Learn more about online safety

• Tips for staying safe online.

  Advice for keeping your online activities safe and positive.

  To stay safe online:

  • Be careful about interacting online with people you don’t know in person. They may not be who they say they are.
  • Avoid sending or exchanging nude or intimate photos or videos, and avoid conversations that are sexual in nature, especially with adults or people you don’t know in person.
  • If someone harasses you sexually or asks for nude photos or videos, save the evidence, report the content, block or mute the account, and tell a trusted adult.
  • Avoid in-person meetings with people you meet online.
  • Be honest about your age when signing up for apps that ask for it. Some apps have built-in protections for teens.
  • Think carefully before sharing personal information about yourself, family members and friends.
  • Use strong and unique passwords, and don’t share them. When possible, use two-factor authentication, Touch ID and Face ID.
  • Know how to block and report posts, conversations or people that make you uncomfortable.
  • Treat people respectfully, and don’t respond to mean or disrespectful comments.

• Recognizing and responding to grooming and sextortion.

  How to tell if someone is befriending you to manipulate and exploit you.

  Grooming

  People who want to abuse you sexually may start by befriending you to gain your trust. It’s called grooming. Be on the lookout for warning signs of grooming.

  The person might:

  • Try to establish a close friendship with you quickly.
  • Contact you on multiple apps. 
  • Message you a lot. 
  • Ask you to engage in a live chat, video or voice conversation. 
  • Give you money or gifts and perhaps ask you to hide them.
  • Attempt to isolate you from friends or family.
  • Talk about romance, love or sex.
  • Request nude or sexually explicit photos or videos. 
  • Ask you to hide the relationship from friends or family.
  • Blame you for what’s happening. 
  • Claim that you will get into trouble if you tell anyone.
  • Threaten to hurt you, your family, a pet or other loved ones if you say anything.
  • Try to convince you to feel sorry for them.

  If you notice any of these signs, remember that it’s not your fault. Get help from a trusted adult.

  Sextortion

  Grooming can lead to sextortion. Sextortion occurs when someone threatens to share your intimate or private photos or videos unless you do what they want — like sending money, sharing more photos or performing sexual acts. It’s usually done by online scammers, but sometimes it can come from someone you know. Sextortion is a crime in most places.

  Steps to protect yourself:

  • Criminals may offer to send you photos or videos if you send your photos first, but that’s just a trick to get your images and use them against you. Don’t fall for it.
  • Never share a nude or intimate image with anyone who approaches you online, especially if you don’t know and trust them in real life.
  • If they have your image, don’t send money, more images or anything else they demand. If you don’t comply, they might move on. Even if you do comply, they might ask for more.
  • If someone is pressuring, threatening or forcing you to send an image with nudity, gore or violent content, you don’t have to comply. Help is available.
  • Save the evidence. Take screenshots or keep the messages so you can share them with law enforcement.
  • Block them. Stop further contact.
  • Get help. Talk to a trusted adult, report it to the police and, if it’s someone from school or work, tell school officials or the proper authorities.
  • Protect your accounts. Use Apple’s Safety Check and the Personal Safety User Guide to lock down your information and cut ties with unsafe contacts.

  It’s not your fault. People who try to exploit others are the ones breaking the law. Reach out to a parent, another trusted adult or support services. You don’t have to go through this alone — you will get through it.

• Dealing with gory or violent content.

  What to do if you see gory or violent images on your device.

  To help you stay safe, your device may blur photos and videos in select Apple apps and display a warning if they appear to contain graphic or violent content. It’s up to you whether to view or send them. Apple can’t see or access these photos and videos. Everything happens right on your device.

  Gory and violent photos or videos that may be blurred include disturbing or graphic depictions of violence, injury, death or cruelty toward people — whether real or fictional. You might encounter or even share this kind of content without meaning to, or without realizing how it could affect you or someone else. Context matters. Sometimes it’s meant to raise awareness about real-world issues, while other times it’s shared just to shock, provoke or harass. Not knowing how to handle material like this doesn’t make you weak. And if it affects you, there are resources and people who can help.

  How it can affect you:

  Everyone reacts differently, but seeing disturbing content can affect how you feel and think. You might:

  • Feel anxious, upset or just “off.”
  • Have trouble sleeping, get stuck on certain images or thoughts, or find it hard to concentrate.
  • Over time, start feeling emotionally numb, lose empathy, or notice you’re more on edge or frustrated than usual.

  What you can do:

  It’s not uncommon to be affected by disturbing content, which is often designed to shock people, so don’t be hard on yourself if curiosity led you to view it. Here are some ways to protect yourself and take back control:

  • Check in with your body. If your heart is racing, your stomach hurts or you can’t stop thinking about what you saw, that’s a signal to take a break and reset. Music, fresh air, movement, journalling or a conversation with a friend can help you feel grounded again.
  • Talk to someone you trust. If photos or videos stick in your head or affect your sleep or mood, it’s a sign to reach out for extra support.
  • Set boundaries for yourself. If something disturbing pops up, close the app and consider blocking the sender. You don’t owe the content or the people sending it your attention.
  • Save evidence if needed. If something feels threatening, abusive or illegal, take screenshots or save links before blocking or reporting.

  If you believe someone is in danger, or the content involves serious threats or illegal activity, tell a trusted adult right away or contact law enforcement.

• Dealing with cyberbullying.

  What to do if you or someone you know is cyberbullied.

  If someone is repeatedly mean to you or others online, that’s cyberbullying. Imagery containing nudity, gore or violence can be used to bully. It’s not your fault. No one deserves to be treated cruelly or made to feel uncomfortable.

  If you are being cyberbullied:

  • Stay calm, and don’t retaliate. Responding in anger can escalate and prolong the situation.
  • You don’t need to respond. If someone sends you an inappropriate photo or video that makes you uncomfortable, you can get help.
  • Ask the person to stop. If they don’t, block or mute the account.
  • Save the evidence. Take a screenshot of the content. Report the content, and block or mute the account. If you think the person goes to your school, you can report the cyberbullying to a teacher, the school counsellor or the principal.
  • Reach out for help. Talk to a trusted adult and friends for support.

  If you’re aware of someone being cyberbullied:

  • Keep cool. You can stand up for a friend, but never retaliate.
  • Show your support. If possible, send a kind message to the person being cyberbullied.
  • If the targeted person goes to your school, let them know you have their back.