Wikipedia:Responding to threats of harm

Wikipedia structures and processes are designed to build a collaborative encyclopedia; between a lack of policy and ability, the community is generally ill-equipped to deal with actual emergencies or threats of harm, whether those are threats of physical violence against others, or against oneself. Prior attempts to develop policies for handling these situations have failed to gain community consensus (see Wikipedia:Responding to suicidal individuals and Wikipedia:Helping suicidal individuals), but such threats have and will most likely continue, regardless. This essay aims to describe how previous incidents have been handled, as a point of reference for handling future cases.

Successful responses are generally quick, quiet, calm, and firm. Key elements may include: treating all claims or threats of violence seriously, even marginal claims; quickly contacting administrators; blocking the user(s) involved; locking the user and user talk pages of involved user(s); removing threats or claims from public view; contacting relevant local authorities; and contacting the Wikimedia Foundation Office.

Rationale

Wikipedia is not a mental health or support organization. By and large, its users have no special training related to handling individuals who are actively or potentially violent or suicidal. Mental health experts and suicide prevention specialists recommend referring such individuals to proper professional care immediately.

Prior incident handling generally has had two aims: to get proper care and attention to suicidal or violent users, and to prevent Wikipedia itself from being used for further disruption or aggravation (whether intentionally or not).

Responding

Any person who observes a potentially violent or suicidal user is encouraged to respond. This essay describes prior handling as a guide. Some of these responses require administrator permissions, but many do not (such as calling and notifying emergency services). In all cases, administrators should be notified, including cases where an administrator is the first responder. That does not mean that non-admins cannot or should not respond further than that.

Treat all claims seriously

While it is true that many individuals who discuss committing suicide are not immediately actively suicidal, many of those people will eventually go on to become actively suicidal. The same can go for claims or threats of violence. Many claims are empty threats or hoaxes; some are made by people who are depressed or angry, but not suicidal or violent.

Wikipedians are not as a rule properly trained to determine if such a claim or threat is an immediate harm to someone's well-being, and should assume the worst and act accordingly. Treat such claims seriously and as an emergency.

Contact administrators

Any person who observes potentially suicidal or violent behavior (frequently made in discussion or announcements on talk or user pages) should notify Wikipedia administrators quickly. Possible venues for prompt attention include:

• Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard (or the incidents subpage)
• If possible, the English Wikipedia IRC channel. (more about IRC)
• Several incidents have included email discussions in real time on the wikien-l mailing list.
• OTRS Wikipedia:Contact us

Administrators are advised to make such announcements even if they discover such behavior on their own. Other administrators may be able to help more effectively, and making a wider announcement is key to mobilizing such effort.

Block user, lock pages

Potentially suicidal or violent users may be further aggravated by further interaction, whether by discussions or by misguided attempts to help. Users originating these threats have frequently been immediately and indefinitely blocked, pending resolution of the situation.

In cases where a user threatens self-harm, in particular, it may be desirable to fully protect their user and user talk pages, with a minimal administrative note explaining why. Threats or claims should be removed from any relevant pages, and are frequently deleted from page history. Use of oversight may be appropriate in extreme cases, but is generally avoided in favor of simple deletion if the authorities have not yet been contacted -- if evidence is needed, it's easier to summon an admin to reverse deletion than a developer to reverse oversight.

Contact local authorities

Wikipedia responders have consistently contacted local authorities in cases of apparent suicidal users. Law enforcement and emergency services have consistently stated that such reports are not a waste of their time, even in cases where the suicidal statements are determined to be a hoax or non-immediate threat. Please make as prompt a report as you are able to.

In many cases, there has been a problem finding the proper contact information for the individual's locality. As an alternative, a user may contact their own local authorities, who may be able to make a judgement on how or whether to proceed.

Locating the user

It is important to determine where the user is. In some cases, users self-identify with real life name and general location (city, country), which are enough to make a reasonable report. If they have not done so, then an investigation should be performed utilizing any available information (Wikipedia:Checkuser logs, the listed Internet Service Provider emergency contacts, etc). This type of emergency is generally felt to justify release of personally identifying information such as Checkuser results, to relevant authorities (but not the wider Wikipedia community).

Contacting authorities near the user

Once the users' location is determined, the best next step is to directly contact proper local authorities in the users' local area. The most efficient manner would be if a Wikipedian who lives in that area makes a local emergency phone call to local authorities. In most prior cases, a Wikipedian has not been located who is sufficiently local to the apparently suicidal user, and other methods have been necessary.

Some local authorities publish a general contact phone number for their emergency services dispatch center. If you know the location (city, etc), you may be able to find a website with such contact information listed, using search engines or other Internet tools. If so, attempt to call them directly and make a report.

If you are unable to locate a contact method for the local authorities nearest the distressed user, then you should proceed to make a report to your local authorities, as described below.

Contacting your own authorities

If you are unable to locate a method for notifying the local authorities nearest the apparently suicidal user, the next best choice is to notify your local emergency authorities and file a report with them, providing all available information including name and address. In most cases, your local authorities can then forward a report via law enforcement or emergency services communications systems to the emergency services organizations nearest the apparently suicidal user.

The local police/emergency medical response hotline, such as 9-1-1 in the United States and Canada, 1-1-2 across the EU, 999 in the United Kingdom, etc. may be relevant. See Emergency telephone number. You may also find relevant contact information in your local phone book.

Contact the Wikimedia Foundation

During office hours, if possible, notify the Wikimedia Foundation office staff of the apparent suicide note or claim. WMF staff have been some of the key responders in prior incidents.

Contact information for the WMF is located at foundation:Contact us.

External Opinions

Police and emergency authorities generally offer the advice that if a specific threat is made it should be taken seriously and reported immediately if possible.

See also

• Wikipedia:Ignore all rules
• Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not
• Wikipedia:Don't stuff beans up your nose