Blocking can be useful, but it is not always the best immediate response.
For example, where there is stalking, coercive control or serious harassment, suddenly blocking someone or changing account settings may:
- alert them that something has changed;
- cause them to move to another platform;
- lead to escalation;
- affect evidence that may later be useful;
- change their behaviour in unpredictable ways.
The same can apply to changing passwords, disabling shared accounts or turning off location sharing.
That does not mean you should stay exposed to harm.
It means that safety actions should sometimes be planned carefully rather than applied automatically.
A Safeguarding practitioner can help you think this through.