Masquerade staff should feel confident handling everyday issues — but equally confident knowing when not to handle something alone.
Escalation keeps both members and staff safe, prevents mistakes, and ensures the most serious situations are managed by the right people.
This page explains exactly when to escalate, who to escalate to, and why escalation matters.
Staff must always escalate the moment any of the following appear:
Any hint of:
Self-harm
Suicide
Harm toward others
“I’m going to hurt myself”
“I don’t want to be alive”
Violent ideation
➡️ Escalate to Admins immediately.
Do not engage solo.
This includes:
Non-consensual photos
Sexual content involving minors (real or AI)
Revenge porn
Doxxing
Blackmail
Stalking
Threats
Anything related to law enforcement
➡️ Escalate to Admins + preserve evidence.
Do not download illegal images. EVER.
Signs include:
“I’m actually 17 but almost 18”
Refusal to provide verification
Photos that look edited or borrowed
IDs that look manipulated
Behavioral red flags
Repeated verification attempts with inconsistencies
➡️ Escalate to Admins.
Unsafe = instant escalation.
Including:
Pretending to be staff
Pretending to be another member
Fake screenshots
Fake mod actions
Attempts to mislead staff
➡️ Escalate to Admins.
Impersonation breaks trust and requires high-level review.
Examples:
Heated voice chat fights
Mob dogpiling
Persistent harassment
Group conflicts
Someone melting down emotionally
Staff being targeted or attacked
Drama spilling across multiple channels
➡️ Escalate to Admins after initial stabilizing actions
(timeout/kick if needed).
Even indirect references:
“She’s 17 but looks older”
“My boyfriend is 16”
“Here’s a pic of me when I was 15”
Third-party minors in NSFW stories or media
➡️ Escalate immediately.
Zero tolerance.
This one is simple:
If you ever find yourself thinking
“I don’t know how to handle this”
or
“I don’t feel good about this interaction”
➡️ Escalate to Admins.
Experience matters more than guessing.
Member conflicts
Rule concerns
Behavior questions
Anything more than basic support
Safety issues
High-conflict drama
Threats
Underage concerns
Illegal content
Fake verification
Any situation requiring judgment calls
Severe safety issues
Structural decisions
Escalations affecting policy
Anything requiring platform escalation
Potential Trust & Safety cases
Explicitly illegal content
Sexual content involving minors
Actual threats
Non-consensual sexual content
Stalking/doxxing that requires platform action
Escalation protects:
Members
Staff
The server
The Masquerade atmosphere
The safety and integrity of the community
Moderating alone during a serious situation increases risk. Escalating ensures multiple eyes, safer decisions, and proper handling of high-impact issues.