Seeing inappropriate content at a young age can leave children feeling confused and unable to process what they have seen or experienced. Get advice on how to support them and help them recover.
By putting a few simple measures in place you can manage access to inappropriate content and help your child focus on experiencing the best of the internet. Here are some things you can do
Your home broadband is the root of your child’s internet access and you can access the parental controls to set acceptable limits on the content your child can view.
If your home broadband is used by your family, then you may want to set parental controls on just the search engines they use.
Make use of the parental controls available on your child’s device to manage what, and how, they share content online and interact with others.
Activate the safety measures offered by different sites; social media sites like Facebook have privacy settings that will help prevent your child seeing unsuitable advertising.
By talking to your child about their interests you can help them find suitable sites and apps to use. Review these sites as they get older.
Give your child the tools to know when and how to report any content that may be upsetting on the platforms they use. Organisations like CEOP and IWF can help remove and deal with reports of sexual images of children online.
If anyone or anything makes your child feel scared, confused or uncomfortable, empower them to report it. That might include using platform reporting functions or talking to you (or both).
Even if they are unsure about a person’s intention, they should report. No one will know they took that action, and it could protect them and others from potential harm. It’s better to over report than under report.
If someone has acted inappropriately towards your child, particularly in a sexual way, you should report it immediately to CEOP.
If your child views inappropriate content — by accident or on purpose — remember to stay calm, especially if they brought it up themselves.
Let them think about their responses and lead the conversation. Although difficult, try not to jump to conclusions or react rashly. You want them to feel comfortable coming to you for future issues too.
Work out together how to remove content and make amends for any harm caused. And if they find it hard to talk to you, let them know they can always contact a confidential helpline like Childline or The Mix if they need more support.
Regardless of what your child has viewed, you might need support for yourself. It’s important to remember that you’re not alone, and there are likely other parents dealing with similar issues.
You can explore our own parent stories or our list of resources for parents and carers to get support.
If your child comes across inappropriate content at school or via another student, it’s important to involve their school.
Mum, Emma, recounts a student sending her daughter a violent video on the bus. “Once they knew,” says Emma, “the schools were very good about it, and the bus company got involved. Also, the young people themselves were spoken to at school and there were consequences.” Read her full story here.
Involving the school will help you share the responsibility with other trusted adults. Additionally, they will likely have previous similar experiences to draw on and will know how best to proceed.
