Safeguarding Children From Online Harms

Being online is now part of everyday life for the vast majority of children and has become an integral to how they play, learn and communicate.

The online world has many benefits, however, it also has risks and can cause harm, to which children are more vulnerable than adults. Online technology can be a significant component in many well-being and safeguarding issues and can be a form of extra-familial harm. Children may experience this type of harm from adults and/or other children and can involve people they know in the offline world as well as those they only interact with online.

Children can be at risk of abuse and exploitation online, as well as face to face. Abuse can take place wholly online, or technology may be used to facilitate offline abuse. In many cases abuse, exploitation and other harms will take place concurrently both online and offline.

The consequences and impact of online child abuse can be just as severe as abuse experienced offline.

The breadth of issues classified within online harm is considerable, ever evolving and can change quickly; this is particularly the case in relation to the rapid development of AI. Online harm can commonly be categorised into four areas of risk:

Content: The child engages with or is exposed to potentially harmful content. This can be violent, gory content, hateful or extremist content, as well as pornographic or sexualised content that may be illegal or harmful, including by being age inappropriate. Content online may be mass-produced or self/user-generated (including by the child), and it may be shared widely or not.

Contact: The child experiences or is targeted by contact in a potentially harmful adult-initiated interaction, and the adult may be known to the child or not. This can be related to harassment (including sexual), stalking, hateful behaviour, sexual grooming, sextortion, or the generation of sharing of child sexual abuse material.

Conduct: The child witnesses, participates in or is a victim of potentially harmful conduct such as bullying, hateful peer activity, trolling, sexual messages, pressures, or harassment, or is exposed to potentially harmful user communities (e.g. self-harm or eating disorders). Typically conduct risks arise from interactions among peers, although not necessarily of equal status.

Commerce: The child is party to and/or exploited by potentially harmful contract or commercial interests (gambling, exploitative or age-inappropriate marketing, etc.). This can be mediated by the automated (algorithmic) processing of data. This includes risks linked to ill-designed or insecure digital services that leave the child open to identity theft, fraud, or scams. It also includes contracts made between other parties involving a child (trafficking, streaming child sexual abuse).

Some risks are cross cutting and relate to most or all of the four categories and can have include online risks relating to privacy, physical or mental health, inequalities or discrimination.

See the CO:RE classification of online risk to children.

Potentially all children are at risk from online harm and abuse, however, children’s offline vulnerabilities also indicate a likelihood of more digital risk. These vulnerable groups include:

• Children in care;
• Young carers;
• Children with special education needs;
• Children with communication difficulties;
• Children with mental health difficulties, including eating disorders;
• Children who have a physical disability;
• Children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or gender questioning.

Many vulnerable children are also more reliant on online technology than other children to communicate, play, socialise, and learn. Risk often depends on their vulnerability and individual circumstances. If a child has multiple vulnerabilities, this can increase their likelihood of encountering online risk. Vulnerable children must be given relevant, proactive, and nuanced online education and support to help them stay safe.

Practitioners should consider using the UKCIS Digital Passport (GOV.UK), a communication tool to help children with care experience, to talk with their carers about their online lives. The tool is also useful with other vulnerable children.

Also see Internet Matters Inclusive Digital Safety Centre for resources for children with SEND, care experienced children, LGBTQ+ young people and a Guide for professionals working with vulnerable children and other resources outlined in Related Guidance - 'Talking to children about online safety' and 'Online safety information and resources'.

Across the UK, criminal and civil legislation aims to prevent a range of abusive activities online including:

• Stalking;
• Harassment;
• Grooming;
• Taking, creating, or sharing child sexual abuse material;
• Sexual communications with a child;
• Sexual or criminal exploitation;
• Improper use of a public communications network;
• Sending indecent, offensive, false, or threatening communications;
• Sending private sexual photos or videos of another person without their consent.

Key legislation

Crimes involving indecent images of children fall under Section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1978, as amended by Section 45 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. It is illegal to take, make, permit to take, distribute, show, possess, possess with intent to distribute, or to advertise indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs, including those created using AI, of any person below the age of 18.

The Serious Crime Act (2015) introduced an offence of sexual communication with a child. This applies to an adult who communicates with a child and the communication is sexual or if it is intended to elicit from the child a communication which is sexual and the adult reasonably believes the child to be under 16 years of age. The Act also amended the Sex Offences Act 2003 so it is now an offence for an adult to arrange to meet with someone under 16, for the purposes of committing a relevant offence, having communicated with them on just one occasion (previously it was on at least two occasions).

Allowing or encouraging a child to view adult pornography, and/or extreme forms of obscene material is also illegal.

The Voyeurism (Offences) Act (2019) made ‘Upskirting’ a specific criminal offence. Upskirting involves taking a picture under a person's clothing without them knowing, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks to obtain sexual gratification, or cause the victim humiliation, distress or alarm.

The Online Safety Act 2023 is a new set of laws that protects children and adults online and work is being carried out to bring its protections into effect. It puts a range of new duties on social media companies and search services, making them more responsible for their users’ safety on their platforms. This includes Duties about illegal content, Duties about content harmful to children and Duties for categorised services. The criminal offences introduced by the Act came into effect on 31 January 2024. These offences cover:

• Encouraging or assisting serious self-harm;
• Cyberflashing;
• Sending false information intended to cause non-trivial harm;
• Threatening communications;
• Intimate image abuse;
• Epilepsy trolling.

See Online Safety Act: explainer (GOV.UK) and Online Safety Act 2023 - Explaining what the law means for you, Safer Derbyshire awareness videos.

Online safety refers to being aware of potential online threats, including security risks, protecting personal data, managing online reputation, and avoiding harmful or illegal content.

Online safety is about staying safe online and encompasses all technological devices which have access to the internet, including computers, laptops, smart TV's, smartphones, smart watches, smart speakers, fitness trackers, toys, games consoles, baby monitors and virtual reality (VR) headsets.

Being safe online means adults are protecting themselves and children from online harms and risks. Children should be supported to understand how to stay safe and behave online.

Roles and responsibilities of agencies and their staff

It is essential that anyone working with or caring for children take steps to ensure online spaces are safer for children and that they are safeguarded from potentially harmful, inappropriate, and illegal online material. This includes:

• Recognising how important the online world is to children, the impact on their lives and talking to them about it and about anything worrying they experience online;
• Have a knowledge of the latest online harms, threats, risks and trends as well as safety features, privacy settings, controls and reporting; this includes being aware that some images/videos can be removed, in some circumstances, and that children can use Report Remove to report sexual images and videos of themselves and remove them from the internet. See Related Guidance - Reporting online harms;
• Promoting safe and healthy online behaviour with children and their families;
• Incorporating online technology in children and their families lives as a routine part of support, assessment, and interventions.  

In addition, all agencies should have appropriate online security and filtering and monitoring arrangements in place, as well as relevant policies/agreements about safe online use and behaviours.

Keeping Children Safe in Education outlines the whole school approach to be taken by education providers, including teaching online safety.

When discussing or responding to the online experiences of children, all practitioners must be mindful of the language, attitudes and behaviours that can be considered victim blaming which can be harmful. This includes removal of devices from children which should only be considered as a last resort, balancing the risk of further harm against the potential removal of support networks and sense of isolation. A positive approach and response however can assist children to report their concerns, support understanding of children’s experiences and, where harm or abuse has occurred, assist children’s recovery. See Challenging victim blaming language and behaviours when dealing with the online experiences of children and young people (GOV.UK).

Parents and carers

Parents and carers play a key role in helping to keep children safe online and responding to concerns, and they may need extra support in understanding how to keep their children safe online. Practitioners should share information and advice about online safety, and potential online harms, abuse, and exploitation. They should also encourage reporting and signpost parents and carers, where relevant, to safe and appropriate services that can provide additional support. In some cases, practitioners may need to support parents and carers to keep their children safe online, including helping to support discussions with children about their online use, setting up key safety features, i.e. parental controls and privacy settings, app/game age ratings, and/or online safety agreements, and how to respond to and report concerns.

A number of organisations provide online safety information, advice and resources for children, young people, parents/carers and practitioners; see Related Guidance.

In most circumstances, low level online concerns can be addressed via universal services or where there are emerging needs, via an early help assessment. See Providing Early Help Procedure.

The UK Safer Internet Centre Professionals Online Safety Helpline can help anyone working with children and young people dealing with any online safety issues. Telephone 0344 381 4772 or email helpline@saferinternet.org.uk.

The Derbyshire Constabulary cyber protect officers and digital PCSO can assist in prevention. See Related Guidance - Derby and Derbyshire specific resources.

Harmful and illegal content should be reported using the online providers reporting mechanisms and, where appropriate, followed up via the relevant report tools. See See Related Guidance - Reporting Online Harms.

Where a child’s interest in digital technology becomes a concern and puts them at risk of committing cybercrime, practitioners should consider a referral to the early intervention programme Cyber Choices.

See Cyber Choices Toolkit for more information about Cyber Choices programme, including how to identify children who are at risk and the referral process.

Practitioners should be alert to the potential need for early help for a child who is viewing problematic and/or inappropriate online content and/or behaviour that is inappropriate or harmful. For example, linked to hate speech, harassment, violence, pornography, indecent images of children, bullying or unhealthy messages such as dangerous online challenges, self-harm, suicide and eating disorders, or where a child is beginning to develop inappropriate relationships online.

For advice about how to respond to an incident of nudes and semi nudes being shared Education providers should refer to Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people (updated March 2024). Out-of-school settings may also wish to refer to this guidance as good practice advice.

While children who share nudes and semi-nudes of themselves, or peers, are breaking the law, they should not be unnecessarily criminalised. The National Police Chiefs’ Council has made it clear that incidents involving sharing nudes and semi-nudes should have an immediate focus on safeguarding children. As outlined in the above guidance, in many cases, education settings may respond to incidents without involving the police. Even when the police are involved, a criminal justice response and formal sanction against a child would only be considered in exceptional circumstances.

See Responding to the taking or sharing of nude and semi-nude images by young people (College of Policing) - Briefing note on how police should respond to reports of young people taking and sharing nude or semi-nude images.

Whenever there are nude/semi-nude images or videos they should not be viewed unless there is a good and clear reason to do so; any decision to view should be based on professional judgment and clearly recorded. Viewing, copying, printing, sharing, storing, or saving the imagery, or asking a child to share or download could constitute an offence.

In all cases where there are online concerns, practitioners should consider each situation on a case-by-case context, considering what is known about the child/children involved, their vulnerabilities (See Section 2, Understanding online risks) and if there is an immediate risk of harm. Often, children and young people need education and support for example, on identifying healthy and unhealthy behaviours and understanding consent and how to give it.

To support practitioners in their decision making and the safeguarding actions to be taken, where there are specific concerns the relevant procedure must be referred to:

Children at Risk of Exploitation (CRE) Procedure where there are any online and or offline concerns relating to children at risk of exploitation, including sexual or criminal exploitation (including children exploited to commit cyber-dependent crimes for the benefit of others) and/ or county lines.

Safeguarding Children and Young people against Radicalisation and Violent Extremism Procedure where there are concerns in relation to a child's exposure to harmful views, hate speech including misogyny/misandry, extremist ideologies and materials.

Domestic Abuse Procedure where there are concerns about online and or offline incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence, or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

Children who Present a Risk of Harm to Others Procedure where there are concerns about online physical, sexual and emotional bullying and abuse by a child.

Working with Sexually Active Children and Young People Under the Age of 18 Procedure for the key points in relation to working with sexually active under 18-year-olds.

Allegations Against Staff, Carers and Volunteers Procedure where there are concerns or an allegation that any person who works or volunteers with children, in connection with their employment, (including supply staff) or voluntary activity.

Managing Individuals who Pose a Risk of Harm to Children Procedure about managing people who have been identified as presenting a risk of harm to children.

Anyone who has concerns that a child is at risk of online harm, exploitation, or abuse, should consult with their agency designated/named professional for safeguarding and child protection. See Derby City and Derbyshire Thresholds Document.

If a practitioner wishes to speak to a qualified Social Worker for advice, especially if they are uncertain whether the threshold is met for Children's Social Care involvement, they should contact the relevant local authority Children's Social Care Department in their area.

In Derbyshire, practitioners working with children and families can access the Starting Point Consultation and Advice Service for Professionals (Tel: 01629 535 353). The service operates Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm.

In Derby City, practitioners working with children and families can access the Children's Services Professional Consultation Line (Tel: 07812 300 329). The service operates Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm.

Whenever there are serious or complex needs and child protection concerns, a referral should be made to Children's Social Care. See Making a Referral to Social Care Procedure.

If the child is at immediate risk of harm the practitioner must contact the Police on 999.

Where the alleged perpetrator works or volunteers with children, in connection with their employment, (including supply staff) or voluntary activity, please refer to the Allegations Against Staff, Carers and Volunteers Procedure.

The Police has a specific Protecting Children Online Team (PCOT). They are perpetrator focused and target individuals who are suspected of being in possession of indecent images of children and, with support from agencies such as the National Crime Agency (NCA), will identify individuals within Derbyshire who in possession of child sexual abuse material. Perpetrators will be arrested and have their digital devices examined; charges will be brought against offenders caught in possession of unlawful material. The team works alongside children’s social care to protect children who are exposed to offenders.

See also Related Guidance, College of Policing for specific police guidance on Indecent images of children, Responding to the taking or sharing of nude and semi-nude images by young people, Sharing photographs or film of people in an intimate state and Online Hate.

Where there are concerns that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, Children's Social Care will convene a Strategy Discussion / Meeting involving Police, Health and other agencies as appropriate (for example the referring agency, child's school, legal services and specialist agencies). See Child Protection Section 47 Enquiries Procedure, Strategy Discussions / Meetings.

Derby and Derbyshire specific resources

• DDSCP Briefing note: Harmful Online Challenges and Hoaxes (Documents Library);
• i-vengers online safety for children - a peer-led digital leader programme which seeks to engage, educate and empower young explorers of digital technology and help them make safer choices online;
• Digital MOT - a Derbyshire cyber security assessment tool to help find out how you can be safer online;
• Online Safety Act 2023 - Explaining what the law means for you, Safer Derbyshire awareness videos;
• Cyber Choices Toolkit - information about Cyber Choices programme, including how to identify children who are at risk and the referral process;
• Derbyshire Constabulary Cyber Team - based within the Police’s Cyber Team are a 2 cyber protect officers and a digital PCSO who assist in prevention. This may include:
  • Working closely with Youth Engagement team and do school visits and individual visits if needed around any online issues, offering support for the family and individual;
  • School inputs for both primary KS1 & KS2;
  • Cyber Choices - individuals referred in on the programme in their homes or education setting. This is done over several weeks on a 1-1 input following the Cyber Choices protocol;
  • Parent/carer Online cyber workshops either in school environment or on TEAMS;
  • Referrals from Safeguarding Teams and Child Sexual Exploitation Investigation Unit within the police.
    Contact via cyber@derbyshire.police.uk.

Helplines

• Professionals Online Safety Helpline - supporting professionals working with children and young people, with any online safety issue they may be having. Telephone, 0344 3814772, email helpline@saferinternet.org.uk or visit the website;
• Childline - a free, private and confidential service for anyone under 19 in the UK who needs help and advice on any issue. Telephone 0800 1111;
• Shore - a safe and anonymous place for young people to get help and support. The aim of this website is to prevent harmful sexual behaviours among young people for anyone who:
  • Has questions about healthy sexual relationships;
  • Wants to change their own behaviour;
  • Is looking for reliable information to help them respond to someone else’s behaviour;
• Stop It Now - helpline, live chat and email support anyone with concerns about child sexual abuse, including online offending.

Reporting online harms

• Report directly to the online platform - report all content which could be illegal directly to the platform. Reports should also be made to the relevant reporting system for illegal content; see Illegal content below.
  
  Most platforms will also have their own community guidelines when it comes to harmful online content. To report a piece of harmful content, it must violate the platforms community guidelines to be taken down. Each platform will have expectations towards behaviours and what reports will be actioned. Where there has been an unsuccessful report which is believed to be harmful Report Harmful Content can be used further escalation and review.

Self-reporting from children

• Report Remove - to help young people under 18 in the UK to confidentially report sexual images and videos of themselves and remove them from the internet. 

Harmful content

• Report Harmful Content - national reporting centre that has been designed to assist anyone in reporting harmful content online. Includes information about the types of harmful content, reporting and when to go to the police. 

Illegal content

• CEOP Report - to report worries about online sexual abuse or the way someone has been communicating online;
• Internet Watch Foundation - to report suspected online child sexual abuse images, videos and AI, animation, cartoon or 'drawn' child sexual abuse images;
• Report online material promoting terrorism or extremism - to report illegal or harmful information, pictures or videos on the internet like:
  • Articles, images, speeches or videos that promote terrorism or encourage violence;
  • Websites made by terrorist or extremist organisations;
  • Videos of terrorist attacks;
• ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) - to report if you’ve seen or heard something that could potentially be related to terrorism. 

Talking to children about online safety

• Challenging victim blaming language and behaviours when dealing with the online experiences of children and young people, UK Council for Internet Safety;
• UKCIS Digital Passport - A communication tool to help children with care experience talk with their carers about their online lives;
• Talking to your child about online sexual harassment (Children’s Commissioner) - a guide for parents and carers on online sexual harassment and how they can support children to stay safe online;
• NSPCC talking to your child about online safety (NSPCC) - advice about how to start the conversation and how to get support if you’re worried;
• Talking to young children about online safety (Childnet) - advice on how to start discussions about internet safety issues, and online behaviour, with young children;
• Five tips for talking about online safety with young children (UK Safer Internet Centre).

Online safety information and resources

• The CO:RE classification of online risk to children;
• UK Safer Internet Centre - formed of three charities Childnet, Internet Watch Foundation and SWGfL providing advice and support to children and young people, parents, grandparents and carers, schools, and the children’s workforce. Includes online safety training events and three helplines to support to professionals working with children and young people with online safety issues, and support to all adults facing issues with harmful content and non-consensual intimate imagery online. Has specific guidance and resources for:
  • Working with children and young people with SEND, including subtitled and signed resources and Childnet’s online safety teaching toolkit for educators to deliver with young people aged 11-16 with special educational needs and disabilities;
  • Be Safe and Smart Online - Childnet online safety resources to help and support deaf young people and their parents, carers and teachers;
  • The children’s workforce i.e. teachers, school staff, governors and trustees, social workers, health professionals, residential care settings, foster carers and adoptive parents;
• Help for early years providers: internet safety (Department for Education) - advice and guidance for early years providers;
• Internet Matters - online safety information, advice and resources for children, parents, grandparents and carers, early years, schools and other practitioners. Includes an Inclusive Digital Safety Centre with resources for children with SEND, care experienced children, LGBTQ+ young people and a Guide for professionals working with vulnerable children;
• CEOP Education - the National Crime Agency's CEOP Education team aim to help protect children and young people from online child sexual abuse. We do this through our education programme, providing training, resources and information to professionals working with children, young people and their families;
• NSPCC Keeping children safe online - advice, support and resources for children, parents and professionals, includes online safety resources for children with SEND. Childline also has a Staying safe online - Deaf Zone;
• Parents Protect - information about protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation, including online safety; and
• Women’s Aid online and digital abuse.

Schools

• Keeping children safe in education - statutory guidance for schools and colleges on safeguarding children and safer recruitment;
• Education for a Connected World - guidance describes the digital knowledge and skills that children and young people should have the opportunity to develop at different ages and stages of their lives;
• Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people (Updated March 2024); 
• Project EVOLVE - resources each of the 330 statements from UK Council for Internet Safety's (UKCIS) framework “Education for a Connected World” with perspectives; research; activities; outcomes; supporting resources and professional development materials;
• ProjectEVOLVE EDU - video training platform for teachers and professionals, featuring knowledge maps and accreditation.

Legislation

• Online Safety Act: explainer (GOV.UK).

College of Policing

• Online hate;
• Indecent images of children;
• Responding to the taking or sharing of nude and semi-nude images by young people - Briefing note on how police should respond to reports of young people taking and sharing nude or semi-nude images;
• Sharing photographs or film of people in an intimate state - Understanding amendments to the Sexual Offences Act as part of the Online Safety Act.