diff --git a/backend/Gemfile b/backend/Gemfile
index a25650c..3d823f0 100644
--- a/backend/Gemfile
+++ b/backend/Gemfile
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ gem "paper_trail"
 # A Rails engine that helps you put together a super-flexible admin dashboard.
 gem "administrate"
 
+# ActiveRecord plugin allowing you to hide and restore records without actually deleting them.
+gem "acts_as_paranoid"
+
 group :development, :test do
   gem "bullet"
 
diff --git a/backend/Gemfile.lock b/backend/Gemfile.lock
index 0d112ff..3417b9a 100644
--- a/backend/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/backend/Gemfile.lock
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@ GEM
       minitest (>= 5.1)
       mutex_m
       tzinfo (~> 2.0)
+    acts_as_paranoid (0.10.0)
+      activerecord (>= 6.1, < 7.2)
+      activesupport (>= 6.1, < 7.2)
     addressable (2.8.6)
       public_suffix (>= 2.0.2, < 6.0)
     administrate (0.20.1)
@@ -568,6 +571,7 @@ PLATFORMS
 
 DEPENDENCIES
   active_model_serializers
+  acts_as_paranoid
   administrate
   bootsnap
   brakeman
diff --git a/backend/app/models/application_record.rb b/backend/app/models/application_record.rb
index 02f987e..6a572e0 100644
--- a/backend/app/models/application_record.rb
+++ b/backend/app/models/application_record.rb
@@ -3,4 +3,5 @@
 class ApplicationRecord < ActiveRecord::Base
   primary_abstract_class
   has_paper_trail
+  acts_as_paranoid
 end
diff --git a/backend/db/migrate/20240526124316_add_deleted_at_to_users.rb b/backend/db/migrate/20240526124316_add_deleted_at_to_users.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1f753c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/db/migrate/20240526124316_add_deleted_at_to_users.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class AddDeletedAtToUsers < ActiveRecord::Migration[7.1]
+  def change
+    add_column :users, :deleted_at, :datetime
+    add_index :users, :deleted_at
+  end
+end
diff --git a/backend/db/schema.rb b/backend/db/schema.rb
index 418e571..99253a3 100644
--- a/backend/db/schema.rb
+++ b/backend/db/schema.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended that you check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema[7.1].define(version: 2024_05_25_174254) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema[7.1].define(version: 2024_05_26_124316) do
   # These are extensions that must be enabled in order to support this database
   enable_extension "citext"
   enable_extension "plpgsql"
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@
     t.string "oauth_provider"
     t.string "oauth_uid"
     t.boolean "admin", default: false, null: false
+    t.datetime "deleted_at"
+    t.index ["deleted_at"], name: "index_users_on_deleted_at"
     t.index ["email"], name: "index_users_on_email", unique: true
     t.index ["reset_password_token"], name: "index_users_on_reset_password_token", unique: true
   end
diff --git a/backend/spec/models/acts_as_paranoid_factories_spec.rb b/backend/spec/models/acts_as_paranoid_factories_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1304e94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/spec/models/acts_as_paranoid_factories_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+# spec/models/acts_as_paranoid_factories_spec.rb
+require "rails_helper"
+
+RSpec.describe "ApplicationRecord" do
+  FactoryBot.factories.each do |factory|
+    model_class = factory.build_class
+
+    it_behaves_like "acts_as_paranoid", model_class
+  end
+end
diff --git a/backend/spec/support/acts_as_paranoid_examples.rb b/backend/spec/support/acts_as_paranoid_examples.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..839295c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/spec/support/acts_as_paranoid_examples.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+# spec/support/acts_as_paranoid_examples.rb
+RSpec.shared_examples "acts_as_paranoid" do |model_class|
+  let!(:record) { create(model_class.name.underscore.to_sym) }
+
+  describe "acts_as_paranoid" do
+    it "soft deletes the record" do
+      record.destroy
+      expect(record.reload).to be_deleted
+      expect(model_class.with_deleted.find(record.id)).to eq(record)
+    end
+
+    it "does not include soft deleted records in default scope" do
+      record.destroy
+      expect(model_class.all).not_to include(record)
+    end
+
+    it "includes soft deleted records with with_deleted scope" do
+      record.destroy
+      expect(model_class.with_deleted).to include(record)
+    end
+
+    it "restores a soft deleted record" do
+      record.destroy
+      record.recover
+      expect(model_class.all).to include(record)
+      expect(record.reload.deleted_at).to be_nil
+    end
+  end
+end