For families

Start with the relationship, not the rules#

Settings and parental controls help, but the strongest protection a child has is an adult they will tell when something goes wrong. Children often stay silent because they fear being blamed, punished or losing their phone. Say clearly, before anything happens, that they can always come to you, and that you will help rather than punish.

Talk early and often#

• Ask about the games, apps and people your child spends time with, with curiosity rather than suspicion.
• Explain that people online are not always who they say they are, and that an adult asking a child for secrets, photos or a private chat is a warning sign, however kind they seem.
• Agree together what to do if something feels wrong: stop, don't reply, tell you.

Signs that something may be wrong#

There is no single sign, and these can have other causes. But it is worth gently asking if your child:

• becomes secretive about their phone or suddenly stops using it;
• seems frightened, withdrawn or upset after being online;
• has new gifts, money or game credits you cannot explain;
• mentions a new older friend they met online.

If your child tells you something has happened#

1. Stay calm and listen. Thank them for telling you. Make it clear it is not their fault.
2. If they are in danger now, call the emergency number.
3. Keep the evidence. Do not delete messages or accounts. Do not copy, forward or save any sexual images of your child, even to report them: report where they are instead.
4. Report. Use the platform's report tools, and the specialist services listed on Report a Concern for your country.
5. Get support for them, and for you. Child helplines and parent helplines can talk you both through what to do next. See Get Help.

If your child is being blackmailed with images#

Act quickly, and stay calm with your child: they are the victim. Do not pay. Keep the messages, report the account to the platform, and report to the national service listed for your country on Report a Concern. If the images were taken when your child was under 18, Take It Down can help stop them being shared on participating platforms.

Settings worth checking together#

• Who can contact your child, and who can see their profile and location.
• Whether the app offers a teen or supervised account, and what it actually restricts.
• How to block and report in each app your child uses. Practise it together.

Settings change often, so check the app's own help pages. We will publish independent comparisons of what major platforms offer as part of our planned Platform Safety Observatory.