Online harms

• Ask about online activity, relationships, platforms, accounts and changes in online behaviour 

• Do not rely solely on disclosure 

• Revisit online activity when concerns persist or circumstances change. 

• Ask specific, curious and non-judgemental questions rather than relying only on general questions about online safety 

• Explore how the relationship began, how it has changed and what the child understands about the other person 

• Consider whether trust or emotional dependency is being used to make demands or exert control 

• Explore pressure, threats, blackmail or demands relating to images, money or other online activity 

• Recognise that harm may remain online, coexist with abuse within or outside the family, or progress to contact and abuse offline 

• Consider repeated incidents and changes over time 

• Connect online activity with missing episodes, emotional distress and wider safeguarding concerns 

• Avoid treating image sharing, harassment or online contact as isolated events 

• Bring together information held by different agencies, family members and carers to identify patterns of risk 

Online abuse and exploitation can develop through relationships and communication over time. It may involve increasing demands, pressure, threats or blackmail; images, messages or personal information being used to control a child; demands for money; AI-created or altered images; or someone misrepresenting their identity. In some cases, online contact may progress to contact and abuse offline.  

Practitioners should: 

• explore what terms such as grooming, coercion and exploitation mean for the child’s actual experience 

• ask whether the child is experiencing pressure, threats, blackmail, control or demands 

• consider whether sexualised communication or image sharing may indicate exploitation rather than viewing incidents in isolation 

• preserve relevant digital evidence and share information promptly 

• agree coordinated action to protect the child and disrupt the harm 

• Explore whether harmful online content, including content encouraging suicide, interactions or relationships may be contributing to emotional distress, self-harm or suicide risk 

• Consider whether online influences are interacting with existing vulnerabilities 

• Include online activity in holistic assessment, safety planning and safeguarding responses 

• Recognise that risk may be hidden or change rapidly, including where a child appears settled or future-focused 

• Use ongoing and adaptable safety planning, recognising that restricting one route of internet access may not remove other routes 

• Consider online and offline experiences together 

• Consider trauma, emotional wellbeing, neglect, previous harm and changes in behaviour or relationships as part of the wider safeguarding picture 

• Recognise that a settled or positive presentation does not necessarily mean risk has reduced 

• Share information and build a joined-up understanding of risk across agencies 

• Include online concerns in assessments, safety plans and safeguarding responses 

• Act on emerging indicators rather than waiting for harm to escalate 

• Agree coordinated action to protect the child and disrupt harm 

• Keep safeguards under review as circumstances, relationships and routes of online access change