Training modules/Dealing with online harassment/slides/providing-support-and-advice

Providing support and advice

It's natural for you to want to offer as much help and support as you can to a person who is being harassed, but you must keep in mind that your skills and tools do not necessarily encompass all types of help and support that a target may need. At times, there will be advice you simply cannot offer, either because doing so may inadvertently harm the person you are trying to help or because it would be more useful to refer the person to someone more qualified to offer that support.

Before we go into types of support, remember: you should never feel obligated to counsel or advise harassment targets if you are not comfortable doing so. Your mental health and safety are as important as those of anyone else. It is much better for you to pass off a case to someone more equipped to handle it than for you to burn out trying to do it all yourself.