Best Practice

Safeguarding: Spotting the signs of online abuse and protecting young people

E-safety Safeguarding Pastoral issues Pupil wellbeing Mental health Legislation and guidance
The Online Safety Act is landmark legislation but the fight to keep young people safe online is not over. Richard Collard considers the provisions of the Act and looks at how schools can protect young people online and spot the signs of online abuse
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With children and young people spending so much of their time online, it is important for professionals, parents, and carers to understand the protections that are in place for them, as well as where they may face risks.

While online, young people might face cyber-bullying, emotional abuse, sexual exploitation, and grooming.

The NSPCC has been a key player in campaigning for the safety of children online and has campaigned for the government to provide legislation that children are afforded the same protection online as they are offline, with platforms held accountable for the prioritisation of child protection on their services.

Alongside a variety of partners and supporters we were able to help secure a ground-breaking piece of legislation which passed into law in October – the Online Safety Act. Although this legislation marks real progress in the improvement of child safety measures online, there is still work to be done.

The Act puts the onus of responsibility for child safety on social media platforms, meaning they are responsible for removing harmful content that affects children. This could include bullying, content around self-harm and suicide, eating disorders or pornography. They must also protect children from grooming and sexual abuse.

The Act takes several steps to protect children online – platforms must remove illegal content quickly or take steps to stop it from appearing in the first place. Children must also be prevented from seeing harmful content, one method of which is the use of age limits on certain sites. Options for reporting harmful content must also be made clearer.

The NSPCC works to tackle the sharing of nude photos online through its Report Remove tool in partnership with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). Young people can report nude images of themselves which have been shared online and we will work towards them being taken down.

The IWF also creates a digital fingerprint of the image or video, called a “hash”, which may prevent the redistribution of the images across online platforms.

An initial failure to comply can see tech companies facing significant fines. If they continually fail to take steps recommended by Ofcom, bosses could face jail time. The new laws hopefully make it easier for abusers and online offenders to be put behind bars, too.

This legislation’s importance was highlighted following the inquest into the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell in September 2022, which ruled that the self-harm and suicide content that had been recommended to Molly by her social media had contributed to her death.

 

How does this affect schools?

The Act covers many avenues of child protection, but it is not expected to directly change safeguarding responsibilities for teachers – although those teaching relationships and sex education (RSE) might want to consider the Act in their lessons.

The Act enhances the measures already put in place to protect children online. It is not there to replace the existing need for policies, procedures, and education at a school level.

If there are questions on what should be included on the curriculum in terms of online safety education, referring to the Department for Education teaching online safety guidance (DfE, 2023) will help further understanding.

 

How can schools help protect young people online?

It is critical that educational professionals feel confident that students understand how to keep themselves safe online. RSE teaching should include sections on how to maintain healthy and safe relationships online, as well as recognising possible harmful content.

The NSPCC offers a service which aims to ensure secondary-aged children can learn about relationships and sex in a safe and healthy way, including online relationships.

Talk Relationships includes e-learning courses, lesson plans and a dedicated helpline for secondary school teachers and aims to help schools to recognise and prevent abuse.

Primary school teachers, meanwhile, can also gain access to the Talk PANTS rule, which helps younger children to understand that their body belongs to them and what to do should they feel upset or worried.

Helping pupils to understand signs of potentially harmful behaviour from those they encounter online will also aid in keeping them safe, including grooming and exploitation techniques.

Unfortunately, it is simple for groomers to conceal their identity online – they may pretend to be younger than they are, and then chat and become “friends” with children.

It can be very difficult for a child to tell an adult about being groomed, and many children do not seek help. There are many reasons for this – they could be unaware they are being groomed, or afraid of the ramifications of speaking out.

If a child does confide in you, reassure them they have done the right thing in discussing their concerns before following the correct safeguarding procedure.

Many pupils may behave in a way online that they would not in real life. It is important to encourage them to carry out the same behaviours online as they would in person. You might want to explore why it is that they are behaving differently in a virtual world

Young people should also be aware of the support available to them if they do come across content online that makes them upset or uncomfortable. Childline, the NSPCC’s child counselling service, is available for children with these concerns (see further information).

 

What are the signs of online abuse?

Although every child is different and will deal with the effects of online abuse in a variety of ways, there are certain signs that could signal that something is wrong. The list below can be used by education professionals and given as advice to parents who may have concerns.

  • A change in behaviour, including being nervous, losing confidence, or becoming distressed and withdrawn.
  • A change in eating or sleeping habits.
  • A change in how they are performing in school, such as a dip in grades.
  • Spending a lot more or a lot less time than usual online, texting, gaming, or using social media.
  • Seeming distant, upset, or angry after using the internet or texting.
  • Being secretive about who they are talking to and what they are doing online or on their mobile phone.
  • Having lots of new phone numbers, texts or email addresses on their mobile phone, laptop, or tablet.

If you notice these signs or a marked change in behaviour in a young person, a great first step is trying to open up channels of communication for them to share their concerns.

If you have worries about a student, the NSPCC has a Helpline service dedicated to supporting adults with concerns (see further information). Specialist advisors will then provide recommendations and take action if needed.

Childline hears from children who are being abused and bullied online. These young people often stress the importance of needing support from adult support systems, such as teachers.

One boy, 14, told Childline: “A group of boys at school used deepfake to make a video of me saying I’m gay. They’ve made fake chat screenshots of me saying I want to do sexual things to them as well. I have questioned my sexuality but haven’t come out to anyone, that doesn’t stop the bullies though. I want to tell a teacher but it’s my word against all these other boys.”

The NSPCC has recently created a youth taskforce dedicated to improving online safety for young people. This taskforce follows the work of the NSPCC Young People’s Board for Change, which influenced the charity’s lobbying and campaigning and became a powerful voice in the argument for better protections for young people online.

* Snapshots are based on real Childline service users but are not direct quotes. All names and potentially identifying details have been changed to protect the identity of the child or young person involved.

  • Richard Collard is the associate head of child safety online at the NSPCC.

 

Further information & resources

NSPCC Childline and Helpline

  • The NSPCC Helpline service is currently available for professionals from 10am to 8pm Monday to Friday. Call on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk
  • For children and young people, Childline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 0800 1111.