Dealing with online grooming

If your child has been groomed online or you are concerned that they are at risk, here are tips on how to support them and take action to report it.

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Quick tips
2 things you need to know about dealing with online grooming

If your child is being groomed online, it can be a very distressing time for both of you. It’s important to seek support and guidance as soon as possible and reassure your child that there is help available. If you become aware of this, try to stay calm and reassure them that they have your support and you’ll help them by taking the following steps:

Find out who your child is talking to

Speak to your child about who they are communicating with, if you still feel uncomfortable, discuss it with their friends, teacher, or someone that might be able to tell you.

Give them advice about the dangers of sharing personal details with people they don’t know in real life and the potential risks of meeting up with someone in real life.

What are the warning signs that my child is being groomed online?

Signs of grooming are difficult to spot because sexual predators often tell children to not stay silent and not speak out about it. Share this Childline video aimed at young people to help them spot the signs of online grooming and what to do.

How to report online grooming

You can report any concerns that you have about grooming or sexual abuse directly to CEOP. CEOP is part of the National Crime Agency and helps keep children and young people safe from sexual abuse and grooming online.

Click to anonymously and confidentially report child sexual abuse content and content-photographic child sexual abuse images.

What happens when you make a report?

If you make a report you’ll be contacted by one of the Child Protection Advisors via email or phone to talk further about the report you’ve made. Your child safety and wellbeing will be protected and they’ll work with you and other safety professionals to help.

If a crime has been committed they’ll investigate to identify who was involved and bring them into the criminal justice system.

Examples of things children and young people report:

Someone I met in an online game keeps trying to talk to me privately
Someone online has asked me to send them nude images
Someone online was talking to me about sex and it made me feel uncomfortable
I did something that I was embarrassed about on webcam and someone has turned nasty towards me

Online Grooming ft. TycerX | Voice Box | Childline

When to take immediate action

If you think yours – or any child – could be in immediate danger tell your local police at once.

Call 101 for non-emergencies or 999 if you are concerned that a child is in immediate danger
If you wish to remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or report online.
Report any child abuse images you find hosted by websites to the Internet Watch Foundation.

How do I take action online?

Choose to block or unfriend – In some situations, it might be best to encourage your child to block or unfriend the person that caused them harm – particularly if they’re an anonymous user or not known to your child. Your child might be reluctant to do this if they consider the person a ‘friend’ or they know the person from school or the local community. Revisit what it means to be a friend and talk about healthy online relationships.
Report or flag upsetting content – Most social media platforms give you options for reporting or flagging content that breaches their user guidelines and this is always an option. Be aware that the thresholds for offensive content, the process for reviewing reports, and the time it takes to remove content vary according to the social network, game, or app.

How to report online abuse on social platforms?

Click below to find out:

Where to get counselling services

As a parent, you should always take it seriously and if you have any worries about your child’s mental or physical health see your GP. If you need help talking to them about mental health, then the Mental Health Foundation and Mind have some advice.

Talk to your GP about available support. Many local counselling services offer a sliding scale of cost depending on your family income. It may even be free. This can be quicker than accessing support through your GP. For information of counselling services in your area visit the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and make sure your child knows about Childline and other helplines.

Helplines to support you and your child

If your child wants to talk to someone in confidence they can call Childline on 0800 1111 or The Mix on 0808 808 4994 (text 80849).

Parents can call the NSPCC’s free 24/7 adult helpline on 0808 800 5000, email help@nspcc.org.uk or text 88858. You can also contact the Stop it Now! helpline (0808 1000 900) where you can seek advice anonymously.