Article summary
An article giving tips and advice for anyone who receives messages from unknown or anonymous people.
"Someone I barely know keeps IM’ing me."
If someone is sending you messages that make you uncomfortable, you should get help to stop it straight away.
This can be tricky, especially if it’s a friend of a friend who is sending the messages. It might be that they are just really keen to get to know you and be your friend too.
Try talking to a trusted adult about these messages as they might be able to help you write a response you can send back that could fix the problem without hurting that person’s feelings.
If you are receiving unwanted comments or messages from someone you don’t know or barely know online it is OK to block their messages by using the tools provided by the service you’re using.
If someone is sending you messages that make you uncomfortable or worried, you don’t have to put up with it. Speak to an adult you trust who can help you to block messages and deal with the issue.
If you are uncomfortable with what someone is sending you online, you can find out more from Childnet.
If someone is sending you messages asking you to do things that make you feel worried or upset, or asking for images of your body, that’s not OK. No matter what may have happened, it's not your fault. It's best to tell someone you trust and you can also report it to CEOP.
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