If a child or young person is at risk of immediate harm:
Call 999 NowPolice • Ambulance • Fire — available 24/7
Childline is free, confidential, and available 24/7 for children and young people.
Select the situation that best describes what you're dealing with.
Stay calm — your reaction will influence your child's willingness to disclose
Do NOT respond to the sender
Screenshot the message(s) including the sender's profile information
Block the sender on the platform
Report to the platform using their in-app reporting tool
Report to CEOP if the sender appears to be an adult contacting a child
Reassure your child: "You did the right thing telling me. This is not your fault."
Do NOT alert the suspected groomer — do not confront or message them
Preserve all evidence: screenshots of conversations, gifts received, account details
Report immediately to CEOP (ceop.police.uk/ceop-reporting)
Contact your local police if you believe the child is in immediate danger (999)
Do NOT delete any messages or evidence
Support your child — they may not recognise what is happening as harmful
Contact the NSPCC Helpline (0808 800 5000) for professional guidance
Close the content but do NOT delete browser history (may be needed as evidence)
Talk to your child calmly about what they saw — listen without judgement
Note the URL/platform where the content was found
Report illegal content to IWF (iwf.org.uk) if it involves child sexual abuse material
Report to the platform if the content violates their terms
Monitor your child for signs of distress over the following days/weeks
Contact Childline (0800 1111) if your child needs to talk to someone
Do NOT forward, save, or share the images — this may constitute a criminal offence
If an adult is involved, report to police (101 or 999 if immediate danger)
If under-18 to under-18, this is a safeguarding matter — contact school DSL
Report to the platform to have images removed
Use the Report Remove tool (childline.org.uk/report-remove) for under-18s
For AI-generated images of a real child: report to CEOP and IWF immediately
Reassure the child: blame lies with the person who shared, not the person in the image
Listen to your child and take their experience seriously
Screenshot all evidence including dates, times, usernames, and content
Block the bully on all platforms
Report to the platform — most have specific anti-bullying reporting tools
Report to the school if the bully is a classmate (schools have a legal duty to act)
Do NOT retaliate or encourage your child to respond
Contact Childline (0800 1111) or the Anti-Bullying Alliance for support
Monitor your child's wellbeing — cyberbullying has serious mental health impacts
Tell your child: "This is NOT your fault. You are the victim of a crime."
Do NOT pay any money or comply with demands — it almost never stops the demands
Do NOT delete conversations — they are evidence
Screenshot all communications including the blackmailer's demands and account details
Report to police immediately (101, or 999 if threats to life)
Report to CEOP (ceop.police.uk/ceop-reporting)
Report to the platform — accounts used for sextortion can be quickly removed
Contact the Revenge Porn Helpline (0345 6000 459) for image removal support
Seek emotional support: Childline (0800 1111), Samaritans (116 123)
If your child is in immediate danger of self-harm: call 999
Talk to your child — ask directly: "Are you thinking about hurting yourself?"
Contact your GP for an urgent referral to CAMHS
Call Childline (0800 1111) — available 24/7, free, confidential
Call the Samaritans (116 123) — available 24/7 for anyone in distress
Review and restrict access to platforms showing harmful content
Contact the school DSL — they can coordinate multi-agency support
Do NOT dismiss concerns as "just the internet" — online and offline distress are equally real
Immediate danger to life. Someone is being harmed right now.
Online sexual exploitation, grooming, sextortion of children
Free, confidential support for children and young people 24/7
Report child sexual abuse material found online
Professional advice for adults concerned about a child
Emotional support for anyone in distress, 24/7
Screenshot Everything
Capture messages, profiles, usernames, timestamps. Use the device's built-in screenshot tool.
Do NOT Delete
Do not delete messages, clear browser history, or uninstall apps. This evidence may be crucial for investigation.
Note the Details
Write down: platform name, usernames involved, approximate dates/times, what happened.
Preserve Devices
If police may be involved, preserve the device as-is. Do not factory reset or hand it to anyone except police.
Secure Storage
Save screenshots to a secure location (not on the child's device). Email them to yourself as a backup.
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