Secondary school resources

Our research shows that about 13% of 11-12s and 9% of 13-14s experience online bullying, abuse or trolling from both people they know and don’t know. This is an increase from the Primary level.

This increase could be due to increased interest in socialising online and using social media. At secondary school, children are more likely to feel pressure to join social media (even if they’re underage). This opens a world of communication and interaction with others.

Lessons to teach about positive behaviours:

• Tackling Online Hate: Teach children the ins and outs of online hate and how to deal with it if it happens.
• Breaking Down Gender Stereotypes: Explore how harmful stereotypes can lead to bullying and how children can spread positivity online.

Resources for parents:

• Social media safety guides: Share these step-by-step guides with parents to help them engage with their child’s social media usage.
• Social media-ready checklist: Encourage parents to check that their child is ready for social media before giving in. It’s more than just age that they should consider.

Research shows that coming across mis/disinformation online increases with age. Nearly 1 in 4 15-17-year-olds report encountering it.

This can come from the platforms they engage with. Those spreading misinformation or disinformation tend to use social media and video-sharing platforms. Because this is also where teens are, it makes sense they’d come across it.

However, the risks for teens is that they fall into an echo chamber and shape their worldview with misleading ideas.

Resources to promote critical thinking:

• Thinking About Online Challenges: Teach children the importance of thinking below the surface before participating in harmful trends.
• Fact-Checking AI: Explore the skills needed to navigate content potentially generated by AI.
• Real or deepfake?: Guide for teens to help them fact-check information they come across online.

11-12-year-olds are most likely (46%) to say they feel like they spend too much time online. Overall, about 2 in 5 teens agree with this.

In Secondary, children are more likely to use their devices to stay in contact with friends. Additionally, they are likely to use their devices for homework, school and revision. This means that both ‘work’ and ‘downtime’ moments are spent on screens.

Even older children need support to help them find the balance between active screen time, passive screen time and screen time breaks.

Resources for parents:

• Guide to balancing screen time: Share this guide with parents to help them develop good balance and screen time habits with children.
• Screen time advice hub: For more in-depth advice, share this link with parents to help them better understand screen time.

Research shows that self-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is most common among 11-13-year-olds. Additionally, teen boys are most at risk of sextortion in online spaces.

The reasons behind sharing nude images vary. For some, it’s about relationship pressures; for others, it’s threats of exposure. Some scammers might even create AI-generated nude images to coerce young people.

Early education is important and children welcome quality lessons on these topics.

Explore the research:

• Research into self-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM): Explore the findings from surveys and focus groups about teaching this topic.
• Research into online misogyny and image-based abuse: Explore how misogynistic attitudes influence abuse around sexual image-sharing.
• The new face of digital abuse: Explore research into nude deepfakes and the impacts on young people — especially girls who are most often targeted.

Resources for parents and students:

• What is sextortion? Guide for parents: Share information about sextortion with parents to keep them informed and help them take action.
• Sextortion guide for teens: Help teens recognise the signs of sextortion and what they should do if someone targets them.
• Online child-on-child abuse: Explore how child-on-child/peer-on-peer abuse takes shape online with guides for parents, teens and teachers.