PS27 - Adopting a Multi-Faceted Approach to Creating a Safer Internet for Individuals Experiencing Self-Harm and Suicidal Feelings
Creating a Suicide-Safer Internet Through Online Safety Education Aimed At Users and the People Around ThemPlatforms, government and regulators play a fundamental role in creating a safer internet for vulnerable users. However, users also play a critical role as content creators and therefore it is important to equip users on how to post safely and respond to potentially harmful content. Education in this area is key to empowering all users (not just the vulnerable) to be in control of their online journeys, but also to enable them to understand legislative changes and emerging trends in online use. Increased knowledge develops critical thinking to help users make informed decisions about what they are posting and how they interact online with others. ? Samaritans, in collaboration with people with lived experience, have co-developed an Online Safety Hub offering tailored resources and training for users, parents and carers and practitioners working with people who experience self-harm and suicidal feelings. We will share how we have developed these resources, what they include, how they are being disseminated as well as findings from a recent evaluation on their impact. Samaritans research highlights the importance of such resources, with 90% of research participants (of 80 respondents) who had never been asked about their online use in relation to self-harm by a practitioner and 69% of respondents thought that practitioners had misconceptions or gaps in knowledge about how people might use the internet in relation to self-harm or suicide.