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uk Personal safety & immediate danger

What to do if…
repeated unwanted online contact becomes controlling or threatening

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

If anyone is in immediate danger or a crime is in progress, reach a safer place if you can and call 999. Otherwise, keep further contact to a minimum, tell someone you trust, and use a safer device to seek specialist support or contact the police.

Do not do these things

  • Do not agree to meet the person or reveal your location, routine, or plans.
  • Avoid confronting, threatening, bargaining with, or publicly exposing them.
  • Do not click unexpected links, open files, or share passwords or verification codes.
  • Avoid deleting messages, accounts, or profiles in a rush.
  • Avoid blocking accounts or making major security changes in a rush if that could alert the person.
  • Do not delay emergency help or reporting while trying to collect more evidence.

What to do now

  1. Reach the earliest safe pause. If anyone is in immediate danger or a crime is happening, move towards other people or a trusted place if you can and call 999.
  2. Reduce live contact. Stop negotiating or arguing, mute notifications, and do not confirm where you are or what you plan to do.
  3. Tell one trusted person now. Show them the contact and ask them to stay with you, check in at an agreed time, or call emergency services if they cannot reach you.
  4. Keep what you already have if it is safe. Save recent messages, usernames, account links, voicemails, dates, and screenshots. You do not need to gather evidence before contacting the police.
  5. Use a safer device if monitoring is possible. Check access to your main email and important accounts, signed-in devices, and location sharing. Change passwords and enable two-step verification only when doing so is unlikely to increase the danger.
  6. Choose a reporting route. For a non-emergency, call the police on 101 or use the online route provided through GOV.UK. You can describe what happened even if you are unsure whether to call it stalking, harassment, or something else.
  7. Contact specialist support. The National Stalking Helpline can provide advice and support before you decide whether to make a police report.

What can wait

You do not need to decide now which legal label applies, reconstruct the complete contact history, secure every account, explain the situation publicly, or make long-term relationship, housing, work, or legal decisions.

Important reassurance

This is not your fault, and taking repeated controlling or threatening contact seriously is reasonable. You do not have to reply, calm the person down, or understand their intentions before seeking help.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate first steps only. Later safety, reporting, account-security, housing, workplace, or legal decisions may require specialist help tailored to your circumstances.

Important note

This is general personal-safety information, not legal, cybersecurity, or other professional advice. It is not a substitute for emergency services, the police, or an assessment from a specialist support service.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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