How to Handle Chats Involving Crime

A question we get a lot on this site is how to handle chats where the member admits to having committed a crime.

Firstly, if a member admits they have committed a crime, it's important to remain non-judgemental and professional. Remind them that they are in a safe environment where they can share their story without fear of being judged or having their anonymity compromised. 

You can let them know that you are concerned for their safety and kindly ask them if they are still committing the crime, or if they have further plans to commit another crime in the future.

Please note: We aren't allowed to support people who are actively committing a crime; you can let them know we can't support them if they have a plan to do it again/or are committing it at the time of the chat. Let them know that they can contact the authorities if they wish, but we cannot support anyone committing or planning to commit a crime.

But if they are not planning to commit a crime / committing it at the time of chat, 

We can support them by asking open ended questions about their situation and their feelings behind it. We can support them emotionally by showing them empathy and understanding, asking them questions about how the crime made them feel.

How you continue with the chat from here is up to the member, they can share however many or little details as they wish. Here are some important tips on handling crime chats: 

Believe them: As with all things on this site, we treat every chat as genuine, so believe what they are confessing is true. 

Be nonjudgmental: Even if they are admitting to a serious crime, accept how they are feeling and how they react to the situation they are in, even if it's not how you would expect them to act or feel. 

Be Respectful: Even if you disagree with the crime they committed, please respect their decision to reach out for help and support, it can be very hard to reach out after doing something illegal. 

One Last Note 

Because of the anonymity of 7 Cups, we are unable to report any crimes a member admits to, they would need to do that themselves if they wish; if they do wish to confess the crime themselves you can ask them to contact emergency services in their area to do so, as well as give emotional support to them through that.

Original post here by @MidnightRaven999, send them a thanks!