Think your friend is in trouble? Facebook could help
If you see a disturbing post from a Facebook friend, you don’t have to leave the social network for help.
This
week, Facebook’s Safety Center, a resource page with tips on bullying
prevention and suicide hotlines, became available in more than 50
languages. Aside from informational pages, Facebook's report tool is
ever-evolving. With the tool, users can flag friends’ posts to get
advice on how to personally talk to that friend or ask Facebook to send
that friend resources.
To use the tool, go to the
concerning post, click the down arrow in the top right corner, select
“Report Post” and click “I think it shouldn’t be on Facebook.” Then,
select what is wrong with the post. For users concerned about a suicidal
friend, they can select: “It’s threatening, violent or suicidal.” The
following window asks to choose a type, where an option is “self-injury
or suicide.”
A window then pops up, prompting users to
contact a local authority immediately if they believe their friend is in
danger. Plus, Facebook offers a list of next steps: “Reach out to a
friend,” “Learn how to talk with Facebook Safety about this” and “Ask us
to look at the post.”
When users select "reach out to a
friend," they have the option to send a direct message to another friend
with the concerning post and Facebook suggests this language: “Hey,
this post makes me feel worried about [Name]. Do you have any idea why
[Name] would have written this? Do you think there's something we can do
to help?”
Selecting “learn how to talk with Facebook Safety” directs users to a Facebook resource page.
The
third option, “Ask us to look at the post” will submit an inquiry to
Facebook’s Help Team, which is staffed 24/7. Usually, the team responds
to these reports within 48 hours, said Antigone Davis, Facebook's global
head of safety.
If the team believes the post does indicate concern, it will send the Facebook user who posted it a message asking how Facebook can help. A page will pop up showing options: talk with a friend, contact a helpline (provides local contact information based on the user’s country) and get tips and support. The user won’t know who submitted the report.
“When somebody is worried
about somebody, they aren’t sure what to say,” said Dan Reidenberg,
executive director of SAVE. “The tool is incredible because it not only
helps the person who is worried about somebody but it helps the person
who is at risk.”
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