How it happens

Looking at their stories

How it happens

Looking at their stories

How it happens
Looking at their stories
Claire’s story

14 years old

Read story
Jack’s story

7 years old

Read story
Charlotte’s story

11 years old

Read story
Claire’s story

14 years old

Read story
Jack’s story

7 years old

Read story
Charlotte’s story

11 years old

Read story

For many adults who care about children and young people, it might be hard to believe that this can happen to anyone.

These stories help us to understand the often calculated and manipulative behaviours that lead to children becoming victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse.

Please note, these stories include a combination of real scenarios, where names and other details have been changed to protect the privacy of children and their families.

For many adults who care about children and young people, it might be hard to believe that this can happen to anyone.

These stories help us to understand the often calculated and manipulative behaviours that lead to children becoming victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse.

Please note, these stories include a combination of real scenarios, where names and other details have been changed to protect the privacy of children and their families.

Claire

14 years old

Jack

7 years old

Charlotte

12 years old

For many adults who care about children and young people, it might be hard to believe that this can happen to anyone.

These stories help us to understand the often calculated and manipulative behaviours that lead to children becoming victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse.

Please note, these stories include a combination of real scenarios, where names and other details have been changed to protect the privacy of children and their families.

Claire’s story
Claire’s story
Claire’s story
How did it happen?

Let’s explore some clues that tell us Claire was being tricked and manipulated

Clue 1

‘Morgan’ told Claire that she had a 19-year-old boyfriend and asked Claire not to tell anyone about the relationship because she would get into trouble if her parents knew. This was an early test by the perpetrators to see if Claire would not disclose this ‘secret’.

From Claire’s reaction, they learnt that she was less likely to tell anyone about what they were going to ask her to do. Claire is a lovely young person with an open heart and trustworthy nature who, like so many was manipulated by adults attempting to hurt her.

Clue 2

The context of the friendship changed when it moved outside of the game. ‘Morgan’ was able to convince Claire to share her personal information, ensuring that ‘Morgan’, and eventually ‘Dylan’, were able to contact Claire directly at any time.

Clue 3

‘Morgan’ quickly introduced ‘Dylan’, her 19-year-old boyfriend, who was instantly friendly and complimentary. The introduction served as a means for Claire being asked to share photos of herself. Claire was made to feel comfortable, accepted and special; she was offered the opportunity to have older, more mature friendships. These perpetrators exploited Claire’s natural inclination to seek independence from her parents during adolescence.

Clue 4

‘Morgan’ and ‘Dylan’ had been building up to this next step, gradually earning Claire’s trust to influence her behaviour. In the story, the perpetrator who was masquerading as ‘Morgan’ convinced Claire through a range of strategies. These included sending fake photos of herself, being persistent and using humour to normalise the scenario.

Finally, Claire sent her the photo that ‘Morgan’ had asked for . ‘Morgan’ was immediately complimentary, moving the ‘friendship’ into a new more intimate space.

Clue 5

Claire had not agreed to her photo being shared with ‘Dylan’ or anyone else. She was embarrassed but had not been given a choice. This is a tactic that perpetrators use to trick children to not react to a lack of consent. Compliments are used to distract from feelings of upset about not giving consent. Fun exchanges immediately afterwards anchored Claire back into a playful and familiar space.

Clue 6

For Claire, this was devastating. She tried to engage ‘Morgan’, to say sorry as if somehow it had been her fault. The timing of ‘Morgan’s’ withdrawal was meant to have maximum impact. It linked Claire’s refusal to send a photo of herself in her bra with the powerful experience of disapproval.

Claire’s parents knew something was wrong but didn’t think to ask her about friendships outside of school, or what might be happening for Claire online.

Clue 7

Once Claire had sent the photo of herself in a bra, she hoped it would be over.  But ‘Dylan’ knew that he had compromised Claire now and that he could pressure her without fear of being caught.  Claire didn’t know how to manage the phone calls from ‘Dylan’, who was now in control.

What changed everything?
Action 1

Abby was part of Claire’s safety circle, one of her best friends. Abby listened; she didn’t judge Claire or laugh at her or minimize the seriousness of the experience. Abby knew that she couldn’t keep this to herself and told Claire’s mum.

Action 2

Claire’s parents believed her. They validated all her fears and worries. They were patient and supported each other, not letting Claire know that they may have also been feeling bad or guilty.

Action 3

Claire’s parents supported her in talking to the police. They knew it was an important step for for Claire.

Action 4

Claire needed to make sense of what had happened. Her sense of trust had been broken, making the world feel like a less safe place. With the support of family, friends and a counsellor Claire was able to make sense of what had happened to her and begin to heal her trauma. Claire found herself feeling so distressed. She had been tricked and lied to. She had so many questions. These questions haunted her a little. They played over and over in her head.

Answering Claire’s questions
Question 1

The perpetrators did not target Claire specifically; they use games and other spaces online children use to locate potential targets to exploit. It’s likely these perpetrators have lots of different identities across many games and apps. The tactics they use make it easy for children to see them as friendly and fun to play alongside. Claire would have been one of many children they were manipulating at any one time.

Question 2

No, not at all. She could not have known who ‘Morgan’ and ‘Dylan’ really were. Claire was a confident young person with good social skills, who enjoyed playing the game. The very first clues that she was being manipulated were extremely difficult to identify.

Question 3

Claire did not suspect that she was interacting to adults who were intent on hurting her. She sent photos because young people share photos all the time. It’s a very normal way of connecting with peers. Claire also wanted to fit in, feel accepted and belong.

Claire was also manipulated at every stage to share more explicit photos of herself. The first few photos were innocent enough and did not make Claire feel uncomfortable. Over time she was manipulated to doing things she felt uncomfortable doing, but she did so because she was afraid and ashamed.

Question 4

Claire felt like she was the one doing something wrong. She felt embarrassed about what her parents or her friends may have thought. ‘Morgan’ and ‘Dylan’ set her up to feel like that so that they could control her behaviour. They cut Claire off from her safety circle deliberately isolating her.

How did it happen?

Let’s explore some clues that tell us Claire was being tricked and manipulated

Clue 1

‘Morgan’ told Claire that she had a 19-year-old boyfriend and asked Claire not to tell anyone about the relationship because she would get into trouble if her parents knew. This was an early test by the perpetrators to see if Claire would not disclose this ‘secret’.

From Claire’s reaction, they learnt that she was less likely to tell anyone about what they were going to ask her to do. Claire is a lovely young person with an open heart and trustworthy nature who, like so many was manipulated by adults attempting to hurt her.

Clue 2

The context of the friendship changed when it moved outside of the game. ‘Morgan’ was able to convince Claire to share her personal information, ensuring that ‘Morgan’, and eventually ‘Dylan’, were able to contact Claire directly at any time.

Clue 3

‘Morgan’ quickly introduced ‘Dylan’, her 19-year-old boyfriend, who was instantly friendly and complimentary. The introduction served as a means for Claire being asked to share photos of herself. Claire was made to feel comfortable, accepted and special; she was offered the opportunity to have older, more mature friendships. These perpetrators exploited Claire’s natural inclination to seek independence from her parents during adolescence.

Clue 4

‘Morgan’ and ‘Dylan’ had been building up to this next step, gradually earning Claire’s trust to influence her behaviour. In the story, the perpetrator who was masquerading as ‘Morgan’ convinced Claire through a range of strategies. These included sending fake photos of herself, being persistent and using humour to normalise the scenario.

Finally, Claire sent her the photo that ‘Morgan’ had asked for . ‘Morgan’ was immediately complimentary, moving the ‘friendship’ into a new more intimate space.

Clue 5

Claire had not agreed to her photo being shared with ‘Dylan’ or anyone else. She was embarrassed but had not been given a choice. This is a tactic that perpetrators use to trick children to not react to a lack of consent. Compliments are used to distract from feelings of upset about not giving consent. Fun exchanges immediately afterwards anchored Claire back into a playful and familiar space.

Clue 6

For Claire, this was devastating. She tried to engage ‘Morgan’, to say sorry as if somehow it had been her fault. The timing of ‘Morgan’s’ withdrawal was meant to have maximum impact. It linked Claire’s refusal to send a photo of herself in her bra with the powerful experience of disapproval.

Claire’s parents knew something was wrong but didn’t think to ask her about friendships outside of school, or what might be happening for Claire online.

Clue 7

Once Claire had sent the photo of herself in a bra, she hoped it would be over.  But ‘Dylan’ knew that he had compromised Claire now and that he could pressure her without fear of being caught.  Claire didn’t know how to manage the phone calls from ‘Dylan’, who was now in control.

What changed everything?
Action 1

Abby was part of Claire’s safety circle, one of her best friends. Abby listened; she didn’t judge Claire or laugh at her or minimize the seriousness of the experience. Abby knew that she couldn’t keep this to herself and told Claire’s mum.

Action 2

Claire’s parents believed her. They validated all her fears and worries. They were patient and supported each other, not letting Claire know that they may have also been feeling bad or guilty.

Action 3

Claire’s parents supported her in talking to the police. They knew it was an important step for for Claire.

Action 4

Claire needed to make sense of what had happened. Her sense of trust had been broken, making the world feel like a less safe place. With the support of family, friends and a counsellor Claire was able to make sense of what had happened to her and begin to heal her trauma. Claire found herself feeling so distressed. She had been tricked and lied to. She had so many questions. These questions haunted her a little. They played over and over in her head.

Answering Claire’s questions
Question 1

The perpetrators did not target Claire specifically; they use games and other spaces online children use to locate potential targets to exploit. It’s likely these perpetrators have lots of different identities across many games and apps. The tactics they use make it easy for children to see them as friendly and fun to play alongside. Claire would have been one of many children they were manipulating at any one time.

Question 2

No, not at all. She could not have known who ‘Morgan’ and ‘Dylan’ really were. Claire was a confident young person with good social skills, who enjoyed playing the game. The very first clues that she was being manipulated were extremely difficult to identify.

Question 3

Claire did not suspect that she was interacting to adults who were intent on hurting her. She sent photos because young people share photos all the time. It’s a very normal way of connecting with peers. Claire also wanted to fit in, feel accepted and belong.

Claire was also manipulated at every stage to share more explicit photos of herself. The first few photos were innocent enough and did not make Claire feel uncomfortable. Over time she was manipulated to doing things she felt uncomfortable doing, but she did so because she was afraid and ashamed.

Question 4

Claire felt like she was the one doing something wrong. She felt embarrassed about what her parents or her friends may have thought. ‘Morgan’ and ‘Dylan’ set her up to feel like that so that they could control her behaviour. They cut Claire off from her safety circle deliberately isolating her.

How did it happen?

Let’s explore some clues that tell us Claire was being tricked and manipulated

Clue 1

‘Morgan’ told Claire that she had a 19-year-old boyfriend and asked Claire not to tell anyone about the relationship because she would get into trouble if her parents knew. This was an early test by the perpetrators to see if Claire would not disclose this ‘secret’.

From Claire’s reaction, they learnt that she was less likely to tell anyone about what they were going to ask her to do. Claire is a lovely young person with an open heart and trustworthy nature who, like so many was manipulated by adults attempting to hurt her.

Clue 2

The context of the friendship changed when it moved outside of the game. ‘Morgan’ was able to convince Claire to share her personal information, ensuring that ‘Morgan’, and eventually ‘Dylan’, were able to contact Claire directly at any time.

Clue 3

‘Morgan’ quickly introduced ‘Dylan’, her 19-year-old boyfriend, who was instantly friendly and complimentary. The introduction served as a means for Claire being asked to share photos of herself. Claire was made to feel comfortable, accepted and special; she was offered the opportunity to have older, more mature friendships. These perpetrators exploited Claire’s natural inclination to seek independence from her parents during adolescence.

Clue 4

‘Morgan’ and ‘Dylan’ had been building up to this next step, gradually earning Claire’s trust to influence her behaviour. In the story, the perpetrator who was masquerading as ‘Morgan’ convinced Claire through a range of strategies. These included sending fake photos of herself, being persistent and using humour to normalise the scenario.

Finally, Claire sent her the photo that ‘Morgan’ had asked for . ‘Morgan’ was immediately complimentary, moving the ‘friendship’ into a new more intimate space.

Clue 5

Claire had not agreed to her photo being shared with ‘Dylan’ or anyone else. She was embarrassed but had not been given a choice. This is a tactic that perpetrators use to trick children to not react to a lack of consent. Compliments are used to distract from feelings of upset about not giving consent. Fun exchanges immediately afterwards anchored Claire back into a playful and familiar space.

Clue 6

For Claire, this was devastating. She tried to engage ‘Morgan’, to say sorry as if somehow it had been her fault. The timing of ‘Morgan’s’ withdrawal was meant to have maximum impact. It linked Claire’s refusal to send a photo of herself in her bra with the powerful experience of disapproval.

Claire’s parents knew something was wrong but didn’t think to ask her about friendships outside of school, or what might be happening for Claire online.

Clue 7

Once Claire had sent the photo of herself in a bra, she hoped it would be over.  But ‘Dylan’ knew that he had compromised Claire now and that he could pressure her without fear of being caught.  Claire didn’t know how to manage the phone calls from ‘Dylan’, who was now in control.

What changed everything?
Action 1

Abby was part of Claire’s safety circle, one of her best friends. Abby listened; she didn’t judge Claire or laugh at her or minimize the seriousness of the experience. Abby knew that she couldn’t keep this to herself and told Claire’s mum.

Action 2

Claire’s parents believed her. They validated all her fears and worries. They were patient and supported each other, not letting Claire know that they may have also been feeling bad or guilty.

Action 3

Claire’s parents supported her in talking to the police. They knew it was an important step for for Claire.

Action 4

Claire needed to make sense of what had happened. Her sense of trust had been broken, making the world feel like a less safe place. With the support of family, friends and a counsellor Claire was able to make sense of what had happened to her and begin to heal her trauma. Claire found herself feeling so distressed. She had been tricked and lied to. She had so many questions. These questions haunted her a little. They played over and over in her head.

Answering Claire’s questions
Question 1

The perpetrators did not target Claire specifically; they use games and other spaces online children use to locate potential targets to exploit. It’s likely these perpetrators have lots of different identities across many games and apps. The tactics they use make it easy for children to see them as friendly and fun to play alongside. Claire would have been one of many children they were manipulating at any one time.

Question 2

No, not at all. She could not have known who ‘Morgan’ and ‘Dylan’ really were. Claire was a confident young person with good social skills, who enjoyed playing the game. The very first clues that she was being manipulated were extremely difficult to identify.

Question 3

Claire did not suspect that she was interacting to adults who were intent on hurting her. She sent photos because young people share photos all the time. It’s a very normal way of connecting with peers. Claire also wanted to fit in, feel accepted and belong.

Claire was also manipulated at every stage to share more explicit photos of herself. The first few photos were innocent enough and did not make Claire feel uncomfortable. Over time she was manipulated to doing things she felt uncomfortable doing, but she did so because she was afraid and ashamed.

Question 4

Claire felt like she was the one doing something wrong. She felt embarrassed about what her parents or her friends may have thought. ‘Morgan’ and ‘Dylan’ set her up to feel like that so that they could control her behaviour. They cut Claire off from her safety circle deliberately isolating her.

Jack’s story

Jack is 7 years old. He knows he is not supposed to talk to people online he hasn’t met before. He has spoken about this at school with teachers and at home with his parents.

He has learnt to not give out information about himself like his phone number, address or the school he attends. He generally only plays games online with people like his friends from his school or neighbourhood that he knows outside of the games he’s playing.

Recently, Jack started being messaged by a boy the same age as him called ‘Sam’ through an online game he was playing. He told Jack he had no friends at school and said other kids called him a loser and didn’t want to play with him.

‘Sam’ also told Jack that his parents had told him not to make friends with anyone he doesn’t really know, but Sam felt like that would mean he didn’t have any friends at all. ‘Sam’ was hoping Jack would be his friend and said that if Jack was his friend, they could play any games Jack wanted to.

Jack felt a little bit sorry for ‘Sam’ so he agreed to be friends.

Jack is kind and trusting and his parents are very proud of this.

However, we know that Jack broke the rules that he had agreed to at school and at home. Jack didn’t think that those rules applied to his interaction with ‘Sam’ because he thought ‘Sam’ and he were the same age.

The reality

Unfortunately for Jack, ‘Sam’ is not 7 years old. ‘Sam’ is much older and knew what he needed to say to convince Jack to let down his guard and how to get over the hurdles that Jack and the people in his safety circle had put in place.

Jack’s story

Jack is 7 years old. He knows he is not supposed to talk to people online he hasn’t met before. He has spoken about this at school with teachers and at home with his parents.

He has learnt to not give out information about himself like his phone number, address or the school he attends. He generally only plays games online with people like his friends from his school or neighbourhood that he knows outside of the games he’s playing.

Recently, Jack started being messaged by a boy the same age as him called ‘Sam’ through an online game he was playing. He told Jack he had no friends at school and said other kids called him a loser and didn’t want to play with him.

‘Sam’ also told Jack that his parents had told him not to make friends with anyone he doesn’t really know, but Sam felt like that would mean he didn’t have any friends at all. ‘Sam’ was hoping Jack would be his friend and said that if Jack was his friend, they could play any games Jack wanted to.

Jack felt a little bit sorry for ‘Sam’ so he agreed to be friends.

Jack is kind and trusting and his parents are very proud of this.

However, we know that Jack broke the rules that he had agreed to at school and at home. Jack didn’t think that those rules applied to his interaction with ‘Sam’ because he thought ‘Sam’ and he were the same age.

The reality

Unfortunately for Jack, ‘Sam’ is not 7 years old. ‘Sam’ is much older and knew what he needed to say to convince Jack to let down his guard and how to get over the hurdles that Jack and the people in his safety circle had put in place.

Jack’s story

Jack is 7 years old. He knows he is not supposed to talk to people online he hasn’t met before. He has spoken about this at school with teachers and at home with his parents.

He has learnt to not give out information about himself like his phone number, address or the school he attends. He generally only plays games online with people like his friends from his school or neighbourhood that he knows outside of the games he’s playing.

Recently, Jack started being messaged by a boy the same age as him called ‘Sam’ through an online game he was playing. He told Jack he had no friends at school and said other kids called him a loser and didn’t want to play with him.

‘Sam’ also told Jack that his parents had told him not to make friends with anyone he doesn’t really know, but Sam felt like that would mean he didn’t have any friends at all. ‘Sam’ was hoping Jack would be his friend and said that if Jack was his friend, they could play any games Jack wanted to.

Jack felt a little bit sorry for ‘Sam’ so he agreed to be friends.

Jack is kind and trusting and his parents are very proud of this.

However, we know that Jack broke the rules that he had agreed to at school and at home. Jack didn’t think that those rules applied to his interaction with ‘Sam’ because he thought ‘Sam’ and he were the same age.

The reality

Unfortunately for Jack, ‘Sam’ is not 7 years old. ‘Sam’ is much older and knew what he needed to say to convince Jack to let down his guard and how to get over the hurdles that Jack and the people in his safety circle had put in place.

Charlotte’s story

Charlotte is 12 years old. She loves dogs and has three at home. She loves looking at and sharing photos of puppies with her friends online – especially when they are dressed in cute outfits.

Whenever Charlotte sees a dog in her neighborhood, she stops and plays with it for a little while, as long as the owner says it’s OK.

Charlotte spends a lot of time scrolling through Instagram searching for posts of dogs. Because of this, Charlotte’s mum made sure all privacy settings were in place to protect her from strangers following or contacting her.

These privacy settings give Charlotte control over who followers her, and she often gets requests from people she doesn’t know outside of Instagram to follow her. Charlotte rarely declines these new follow requests, even though she knows she is supposed to.
One day, Charlotte was outside of her house and saw a puppy. She starting playing with it as she usually would. The owner introduced herself and said that her name was Ava. They talked for a little bit about dogs and Ava asked Charlotte if she was on Instagram. Charlotte said that she was and shared her Instagram handle with Ava so she could request to follow her.

As soon as she saw the request, Charlotte accepted. She felt it was ok because she had met Ava and they had a shared interest in dogs.

Our take?

Of course, this situation might be OK. We don’t want to scare our kids and over-emphasise the dangers of social media and the internet because we know that won’t help. As adults what we need to be able to do is see the risks, understand how they may play out and manage them to support and protect children and young people.
For Charlotte, there were risks because she was convinced by a stranger to break the rules that she and her mum had agreed on. She did that easily because:

Reason 1

Ava was not a stranger because they met in person

Reason 2

Ava was nice to her

Reason 3

They had dogs in common so they were starting to be friends

Perpetrators know how to get children and young people to let their guard down. They study kids and learn from other perpetrators. They learn how kids behave and try little tests to see how their tactics work.

Charlotte’s story

Charlotte is 12 years old. She loves dogs and has three at home. She loves looking at and sharing photos of puppies with her friends online – especially when they are dressed in cute outfits.

Whenever Charlotte sees a dog in her neighborhood, she stops and plays with it for a little while, as long as the owner says it’s OK.

Charlotte spends a lot of time scrolling through Instagram searching for posts of dogs. Because of this, Charlotte’s mum made sure all privacy settings were in place to protect her from strangers following or contacting her.

These privacy settings give Charlotte control over who followers her, and she often gets requests from people she doesn’t know outside of Instagram to follow her. Charlotte rarely declines these new follow requests, even though she knows she is supposed to.
One day, Charlotte was outside of her house and saw a puppy. She starting playing with it as she usually would. The owner introduced herself and said that her name was Ava. They talked for a little bit about dogs and Ava asked Charlotte if she was on Instagram. Charlotte said that she was and shared her Instagram handle with Ava so she could request to follow her.

As soon as she saw the request, Charlotte accepted. She felt it was ok because she had met Ava and they had a shared interest in dogs.

Our take?

Of course, this situation might be OK. We don’t want to scare our kids and over-emphasise the dangers of social media and the internet because we know that won’t help. As adults what we need to be able to do is see the risks, understand how they may play out and manage them to support and protect children and young people.
For Charlotte, there were risks because she was convinced by a stranger to break the rules that she and her mum had agreed on. She did that easily because:

Reason 1

Ava was not a stranger because they met in person

Reason 2

Ava was nice to her

Reason 3

They had dogs in common so they were starting to be friends

Perpetrators know how to get children and young people to let their guard down. They study kids and learn from other perpetrators. They learn how kids behave and try little tests to see how their tactics work.

Charlotte’s story

Charlotte is 12 years old. She loves dogs and has three at home. She loves looking at and sharing photos of puppies with her friends online – especially when they are dressed in cute outfits.

Whenever Charlotte sees a dog in her neighborhood, she stops and plays with it for a little while, as long as the owner says it’s OK.

Charlotte spends a lot of time scrolling through Instagram searching for posts of dogs. Because of this, Charlotte’s mum made sure all privacy settings were in place to protect her from strangers following or contacting her.

These privacy settings give Charlotte control over who followers her, and she often gets requests from people she doesn’t know outside of Instagram to follow her. Charlotte rarely declines these new follow requests, even though she knows she is supposed to.
One day, Charlotte was outside of her house and saw a puppy. She starting playing with it as she usually would. The owner introduced herself and said that her name was Ava. They talked for a little bit about dogs and Ava asked Charlotte if she was on Instagram. Charlotte said that she was and shared her Instagram handle with Ava so she could request to follow her.

As soon as she saw the request, Charlotte accepted. She felt it was ok because she had met Ava and they had a shared interest in dogs.

Our take?

Of course, this situation might be OK. We don’t want to scare our kids and over-emphasise the dangers of social media and the internet because we know that won’t help. As adults what we need to be able to do is see the risks, understand how they may play out and manage them to support and protect children and young people.

For Charlotte, there were risks because she was convinced by a stranger to break the rules that she and her mum had agreed on. She did that easily because:

Reason 1

Ava was not a stranger because they met in person

Reason 2

Ava was nice to her

Reason 3

They had dogs in common so they were starting to be friends

Perpetrators know how to get children and young people to let their guard down. They study kids and learn from other perpetrators. They learn how kids behave and try little tests to see how their tactics work.

How to stay on top of things
Keep children safe

Before we consider the risks that children and young people may face on the internet, let’s talk about what keeps them safe and where you might sit in their safety circles.

Understand the safety circle
Know the signs

The signs of online child sexual abuse and exploitation are not always easy to identify. Children and young people may not understand the risks, but by knowing the signs we can support their understanding.

Teach me the signs
Take action

Everyone in the safety circle of a child or observing a child at risk of online sexual abuse can take some actions to prevent, report or help with next steps of recovery of exploitation. Let’s have a look at these simple actions and resources to help.

Take action
How to stay on top of things
Keep children safe

Before we consider the risks that children and young people may face on the internet, let’s talk about what keeps them safe and where you might sit in their safety circles.

Understand the safety circle
Know the signs

The signs of online child sexual abuse and exploitation are not always easy to identify. Children and young people may not understand the risks, but by knowing the signs we can support their understanding.

Teach me the signs
Take action

Everyone in the safety circle of a child or observing a child at risk of online sexual abuse can take some actions to prevent, report or help with next steps of recovery of exploitation. Let’s have a look at these simple actions and resources to help.

Take action
How to stay on top of things
Keep children safe

Before we consider the risks that children and young people may face on the internet, let’s talk about what keeps them safe and where you might sit in their safety circles.

Understand the safety circle
Know the signs

The signs of online child sexual abuse and exploitation are not always easy to identify. Children and young people may not understand the risks, but by knowing the signs we can support their understanding.

Teach me the signs
Take action

Everyone in the safety circle of a child or observing a child at risk of online sexual abuse can take some actions to prevent, report or help with next steps of recovery of exploitation. Let’s have a look at these simple actions and resources to help.

Take action