Staying safe online

As technology improves, there are lots of exciting opportunities, but of course risks too. Educating yourself, keeping up to date on security and staying aware of privacy issues can help you keep clear of online exploitation, abuse or bullying. Some of the risky things you may come across online are:

• Bullying by peers and people you might consider 'friends'
• Seeing inappropriate or harmful content (e.g. rude or extremely violent pictures)Involvement in illegal or inappropriate content (e.g. posting sexual pictures)
• Posting personal information that can identify and locate you offline
• Being persuaded to do illegal or inappropriate things through contact with strangers
• Seeing information and talking with others online who encourage self-harm
• Seeing racist or hate material
• Glorifying activities such as drug use or excessive drinking
• Physical harm to young people in making video content, such as doing stunts and other risky activities
• Being encouraged to leave or run away from home by someone you met online

Resources and more information:

Staying Safe Online - Relationships and sexual health advice from Brook

Find out how to keep yourself safe online - Tips and tricks from Think U Know

Online and mobile safety advice - Advice including privacy, online gaming, cyberbullying from Childline

Marie Collins Foundation Steering clear of Indecent Images of Children – helping young men to stay safe online - This campaign aims to protect victims from online sexual abuse by guiding young men away from illegal content and driving awareness of the law so they can navigate their online environment safely and legally.

Online gaming

Remember: your online friends are not the same as your real ones. 

Criminals are increasingly targeting children and young people via online gaming sites, pretending to be someone who they are not. This can often lead to bullying, grooming and sexual exploitation.

Online games like Fortnite and Roblox can let you play with your friends and strangers from around the world. But playing with people online can also be risky. 

Resources for keeping safe online

Childline - has tips to keep safe while playing online.

ThinkUKnow - Online gaming: tips for playing safe

Safe Date website – advice on healthy relationships

What child sexual exploitation means – video made by teenagers

‘Interview’ , ‘Superficial’ , ‘Happened’ – videos highlighting the harm that viewing indecent images of children can cause

Videos and livestreams

Houseparty exploded in popularity during lockdown, but did you know is isn’t automatically set to private? That means anyone could video call you without you having to accept. Make sure you change your privacy settings. 

Livestreaming is popular way to communicate with your friends or wider community, but remember livestreams have risks:

• They can’t be edited
• You can’t erase what people have already seen
• Personal information might be given away by things said during the stream, things shown on camera or even in the background
• Livestreams can be recorded by others, who can then keep a copy even after the stream has ended or expired. 

Find out more about livestreaming and staying safe.