What issues do LGBTQ+ children face online?
Children who are a part of LGBTQ+ often face greater risks online than other children. So, it’s important to stay on top of these issues and give them the tools to stay safe.
Explore the different issues they might face by choosing one of the following sections or scrolling down.
Oversharing
Some children and young people struggle to understand what oversharing online means. For those a part of the LGBTQ+ community, this could prove especially difficult. If their community is only online, they might unknowingly share the same information they would with those offline.
However, the information we share online is different than offline. So, LGBTQ+ children face this risk if they’re unaware what information should stay private.
- Discuss what it means to overshare, what information should stay private and what is okay to share?
- Explain the potential consequences of oversharing in an open and honest conversation
- If they share too much information with someone, talk about when, where and with whom
- For information shared publicly with or without their knowledge and consent, contact the website to have it removed.
- Doxxing is a form of cyberbullying and should be reported.
Sexting and online sexual abuse
It’s difficult to know accurately how many LGBTQ+ children and young people share sexual images. However, sharing amongst children and young people is not an isolated behaviour.
LGBTQ+ young people are more likely to send a nude photo or video. Unfortunately, they often do not understand it is against the law to send or have sexually explicit images of a minor.
Oftentimes, young people might feel pressured by others to share these images. This is a form of abuse and possible harassment.
Any child, from any background, is at risk of sexual abuse online. But some are more vulnerable than others.
The most common concerns raised of a sexual nature were online and peer-on-peer abuse.
Many LGBTQ young people have experienced filming or photography of them without their consent.
- Encourage and help your child to immediately block and report the abuser.
- Reassure your child and let them know it isn’t their fault. Your main concern is their safety, so you want to help them
- Have calm and open conversations to explore what is happening in an honest and supportive way.
- Avoid intrusive or pressuring questions. Instead, focus on understanding how they are feeling now and what they might like from you.
- Check that the abuse has definitely stopped. Often, abuse continues even after a child or young person has told someone about it.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying takes many forms for LGBTQ+ children and young people:
- outing: the bully publicly reveals your child’s LGBTQ+ identity
- excluding: the bully or bullies do not let your child join in something, possibly because they are LGBTQ+
- misgendering: the bully purposely calls a trans person by the wrong pronouns they have shared
- child-on-child abuse: severe bullying that includes sexual or physical harassment, sharing inappropriate content and sending nudes.
See other types of cyberbullying here.
Cyberbullying can also take the form of exploitative relationships usually from someone your child knows well. It relies on a person knowing to target your child’s triggers to bait them into doing something or getting upset for the bully’s entertainment.
LGBTQ+ young people often find themselves targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Cyberbullying is known to lead to mental health issues, including self-harm. It’s important to watch for signs and provide them with support.
- Block and report the perpetrator and ensure they are aware of these tools themselves
- If the perpetrator is from your child’s school, report this behaviour to their head, head of year or safeguarding lead
- Offer support and talk to your child. Ensure the know it is not their fault this is happening
- Discuss ways they can navigate the online world safely
- Set up closed friendship groups on messaging apps or in video games. You can work with other parents to do this, creating a safe and positive space for your child to talk with others
Hate speech
On social media, algorithms and machine learning can potentially spread hate by creating echo chambers. LGBTQ+ children and young people might come across hateful content online through videos, comments and more.
Users who experience hate online report feelings of:
- hopelessness/exhaustion
- surprise/shock
- anger/disappointment
- embarassment/shame
- anxiety/fear
Those who received online hate against a specific characteristic such as their LGBTQ+ identity risk a higher negative impact. This might lead to ‘burnout’ where young people no longer want to engage with the online space.
Oftentimes, LGBTQ+ children and young people lean on close friends and family for support. However, making children aware of alternatives is important as not every child feels comfortable opening up to those they know.
Creating a safe space and relationship open to conversation can help.
- Have an open discussion with your child about what they saw or read and how it made them feel.
- Identify the pain points. Did they see a slur? What made them feel this way? Was it directed to them?
- You can report harmful content to social media sites for removal.
Tips to support your LGBTQ+ child
Help your child have a safe online experience and mitigate risks safely with the ABCs of online safety.
Additional resources to find support
Get personalised advice and ongoing support
The first step to ensure your child’s online safety is getting the right guidance. We’ve made it easy with our ‘My Family’s Digital Toolkit.’