Youth HelpRoom participants are asked to commit to following shared ground rules before entering a Youth HelpRoom session. The rules are in place to ensure the safety and anonymity of all users. If a participant violates a ground rule, the RAINN staff moderator will connect with them privately to address any issues or concerns.

• RAINN staff are mandatory reporters, soonly share your name or location if you would like a report to be filed about what brought you here today. If you do not want RAINN to file a report, do not share any information about your name, age, or location.
• To protect your privacy, please be aware of providing any information that could be used to identify you. This includes information like your name, age, address, email address, social media handle, phone number, and school you attend (if applicable). This also includes information about other people, such as family members or someone who has hurt you.
• Please do not use any language that may be harmful to others. Examples of harmful language for this particular space, i.e. profanity, derogatory remarks, etc.
• Do not ask other members of the chat for their personal information. This includes their email, name, phone number, social media, etc.
• The HelpRoom sessions work best when members talk and share with one another. Please join in by sharing your thoughts when you want to, and also give others a chance to share. We ask that you listen to others with respect, and be kind as we support one another.
• If you have not participated in the chat for 10 minutes or longer, and have not responded to the staff member, you will be removed from the group.
• The HelpRoom does not provide medical or mental health care, and cannot provide this for you. If you are in a dangerous situation, call 911.

The Youth HelpRoom does not provide psychological or behavioral health services. Please do not use the Youth HelpRoom as a substitute for professional healthcare.

Please note, the Youth HelpRoom is intended for participants ages 24 and younger, depending on the session. If you are in danger, call 9-1-1. If you or someone you care about is thinking about suicide, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or connect via their chat.

How we made the Youth HelpRoom Secure and Anonymous:

• We do not capture your IP address once you enter the Youth HelpRoom. This means that we have no record that you were ever here.
• We do not save a transcript of Youth HelpRoom discussions. Once you close your chat window, that text is not retrievable.
• We do not allow participants to share any personally - identifying information while in a Youth HelpRoom discussion.
• Youth HelpRoom moderators have the ability to block messages that violate the Ground Rules. Messages that may be blocked or edited include those that contain personal information or inappropriate content that could be disruptive or harmful to other participants.

Is Safety Guaranteed?

• No. We have taken extensive precautions to ensure your safety, but we cannot guarantee that someone will not invent a way to circumvent these protections. While we can't eliminate every risk, we have greatly minimized the risks and made it as safe to use as a telephone helpline.
• If you are using a shared computer, or fear that you may be monitored, please delete your history, cache, and cookies after participating in the session.