Community Guidelines – SurvivorSupportHub

Gentle community guidelines focused on safety, respect, and non-judgment for survivors and their supporters.

Community Guidelines

Why These Guidelines Exist

These guidelines are here to support a space that feels as safe, kind, and low-pressure as possible. Many people who visit are holding painful or overwhelming experiences. Clear expectations can help reduce anxiety and confusion.

You are always free to engage at your own pace. There is no expectation to share anything before you are ready, and you never owe anyone details or explanations.

The goals of these guidelines are to:

• Protect the emotional safety and dignity of everyone who visits.
• Encourage kindness, curiosity, and respect in every interaction.
• Reduce content that might be overwhelming, triggering, or risky.
• Support people’s choices and autonomy, rather than pressuring them.

Our Core Values

This space is grounded in a few core values. When in doubt, you can come back to these.

1. No Blaming

No one ever “asks for” abuse, harm, or trauma. We do not allow messages that:

• Suggest someone caused, deserved, or invited their abuse.
• Question whether someone is “really” a survivor or “overreacting.”
• Minimize another person’s experience or pain.

People are allowed to have complicated feelings and mixed decisions. Choosing to stay, leave, return, or change a relationship does not make someone responsible for harm done to them.

2. No Shaming

Shame often keeps people silent and alone. We avoid language that:

• Insults or attacks a person’s character, choices, or coping strategies.
• Moralizes trauma responses (for example, freezing, fawning, using substances, or going back to an unsafe relationship).
• Mocks or dismisses someone’s emotions, identity, or body.

It is always okay to set boundaries, disagree, or step back from a conversation. It is not okay to belittle or ridicule others.

3. No Identity-Based Hate

Everyone deserves to feel that who they are is welcome. We do not allow:

• Racism, colorism, or xenophobia.
• Sexism, misogyny, or hostility toward men as a group.
• Anti-LGBTQIA+ language, transphobia, homophobia, or biphobia.
• Ableism, including mocking or dismissing mental or physical disabilities.
• Religious intolerance, or hostility toward people based on their beliefs or lack of belief.

You are encouraged to speak from your own experience (“I” statements) rather than judging or making broad claims about groups of people.

What We Avoid Sharing

It can be healing to speak honestly about what has happened to you. At the same time, some types of details can be overwhelming for others or create safety concerns. We gently ask that you keep the following in mind.

1. Graphic or Highly Detailed Descriptions

Please avoid:

• Graphic, step-by-step descriptions of abuse, violence, or sexual acts.
• Specific descriptions of injuries, medical procedures, or self-harm methods.
• Explicit content that focuses on shock value or disturbing imagery.

You are welcome to speak in broader, less detailed terms (for example, “I experienced sexual abuse,” “there was physical violence,” or “I hurt myself”) without going into sensory or explicit detail.

2. Naming Abusers in Ways That Could Be Unsafe

For your safety and privacy, please avoid:

• Sharing full names, addresses, phone numbers, or contact details of the person who harmed you.
• Posting identifiable information about workplaces, schools, or other locations connected to them.
• Encouraging others to confront, contact, or retaliate against specific people.

You are free to describe your relationship in more general terms (for example, “my ex-partner,” “a family member,” “someone from my community”) rather than in a way that could reveal their identity or your exact location.

3. Encouraging Risky Actions

Trauma can bring up intense emotions, including anger and urges to act quickly. To support safety, we avoid:

• Urging others to “get revenge,” destroy property, or confront someone who harmed them.
• Pressuring anyone to report, leave, or disclose before they are ready.
• Offering detailed instructions for unsafe, illegal, or high-risk behavior.

You can absolutely share what has helped you, while also acknowledging that different people have different needs, timelines, and circumstances.

Talking About Self-Harm or Suicidal Feelings

Thoughts of self-harm or suicide are serious and deserve care and attention. You are allowed to say that you are struggling. We simply ask that you share in ways that protect both you and others who may be vulnerable.

What Is Okay to Share

These kinds of statements are generally safer:

• “I’ve been having thoughts of hurting myself.”
• “Lately, I’ve been wondering if life is worth it.”
• “I feel really hopeless and I’m scared of what I might do.”

You can talk about your feelings, how intense they are, and what support you wish you had, in general terms.

What We Gently Ask You to Avoid

To reduce harm and distress for others, please avoid:

• Describing specific self-harm methods or suicide plans.
• Sharing instructions, tips, or “how-to” information about self-harm or suicide.
• Posting images of injuries, tools, or locations connected to self-harm or suicide.

This kind of detail can be very activating for people who are struggling with similar thoughts or behaviors.

Redirecting to Crisis Support

If you are in immediate danger, feeling unable to stay safe, or actively planning to harm yourself, more direct and urgent support may help. Options can include:

• Contacting local emergency or crisis services, if you feel it is safe to do so where you live.
• Reaching out to a trusted person offline, such as a friend, family member, or community support.
• Contacting a crisis hotline, text line, or online chat service in your area, if available.

This space cannot monitor for emergencies, but you deserve live, specialized support when your safety feels at risk.

About Moderators and Support Roles

People who help maintain this space care deeply about survivors’ wellbeing. At the same time, it is important to be clear about their role and limits.

Moderators Are Not Therapists

Moderators and community helpers:

• Are here to uphold guidelines, reduce harm, and keep the space as respectful as possible.
• May offer general emotional support, validation, and information.
• Cannot provide therapy, diagnosis, or personalized treatment plans.

Any information offered is for general support only and is not a substitute for mental health care. If you have access and it feels right for you, connecting with a therapist or counselor in your area can offer more in-depth, ongoing support.

Moderators Are Not Lawyers or Legal Representatives

Moderators and community helpers:

• Cannot provide legal advice or tell you what you “should” do in legal situations.
• Cannot represent you, intervene in legal matters, or contact authorities on your behalf.
• May share general information or resources, but this is not a substitute for legal counsel.

If you choose to explore legal options, it may be helpful to look for legal professionals, advocacy organizations, or local support services that understand trauma and survivors’ needs.

Moving Gently in This Space

You are welcome to participate in whatever way feels manageable: reading quietly, sharing a little, or speaking more openly when you are ready. You can step back at any time.

If you see something that seems to go against these guidelines, you can choose to:

• Use any available reporting tools, if that feels safe.
• Step away from the conversation and care for yourself.
• Engage only if you have the emotional space and wish to do so kindly.

Above all, you are not alone in wanting a space that is gentle, respectful, and survivor-centered. These guidelines are here to support that shared intention.