31/05/2025
I was scrolling on facebook recently and came across the post from an anonymous member who has opened up about some disturbing images being circulated throughout a local highschool. As a parent, teacher, mentor and criminology expert, I feel the need to reach out and give some help, advice and guidance.
If you or your child has been affected by this recent incident, please reach out to me and I will offer some educational and mentorship sessions for completely free. I will also be reaching out to local schools to organise the delivery of some needed internet safety workshops.
However, in the meantime.
This guide is here to help you understand internet safety, and how you can support safe, open communication at home.
It is important to discuss social media and the importance of keeping ourselves safe while navigating new technological freedom. I would recommend discussing boundaries, not only for us and what we expect but ask our children their own boundaries and how these can work together. Discuss the risks of going against boundaries and how once we press send, we lose all control.
How do we start the conversation?
• Stay calm and curious: Teenagers are more likely to open up if they don’t feel judged.
• Ask open-ended questions and dont push too hard . “Has anyone you know ever been pressured online?” If they say no, even if you believe them to be hiding the truth, pushing it further may cause a communication shut down.
• Reassure that they can always come to you if something goes wrong. It may not be nice to know your teenager has shared an image of themself or somebody else, but letting them know they have a safe adult to turn to if this situation does arise helps with shame, anxiety and fear. It also may lead to better communication!
• Making mistakes is part of growing up – they deserve support, not punishment. It is easy for us to see this through our adult eyes, but we need to take a moment and realise they are still children. Mistakes happen- We need to teach them how to deal with it.
Safety Tips
• Keep accounts private and check privacy settings regularly.
• Encourage strong passwords
• Talk about peer pressure
• Be aware of apps with disappearing messages like Snapchat – they still leave a digital trace.
What To Do If Something Happens?
If your child receives or shares an explicit image:
• Don’t panic – stay calm and talk it through.
• Do not reshare the image – it is illegal.
• Report it to the platform (Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok).
• Contact your child’s school or a safeguarding lead.
• Seek support from other services
Where to Get Help
• Childline – 0800 1111 | www.childline.org.uk
• CEOP (Child Exploitation & Online Protection) – www.ceop.police.uk
• NSPCC – Advice for parents: www.nspcc.org.uk
• ThinkUKnow – Resources for parents: www.thinkuknow.co.uk
