STAYING SAFE ONLINE
You live a lot of your life online. You connect with friends, share your thoughts, learn new things, game, stream, and shop—it’s where everything happens. But just like in the real world, the online world has risks.
Staying safe online isn’t about hiding or avoidance; it’s about control. It means understanding how your data works, knowing who you’re really talking to, and keeping scammers and groomers out of your feeds and finances.
Here are some of the things to understand and look out for whenever you access the internet.
Grooming is when someone starts a relationship and builds trust with someone so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them. Grooming can be used for lots of different reasons like using someone for sex or sexual exploitation, crime or radicalisation. Sexual exploitation and some types of radicalisation are crime.
Grooming may happen in exchange for presents, money, alcohol or emotional attention. It can happen to young people from all different backgrounds and communities, all over the UK.
Grooming is never your fault.
Liking a mean post on Facebook or sharing an inappropriate photo of another young person over WhatsApp may feel pretty harmless. You’re not physically hurting anyone, right? But this is cyberbullying. If it is seen as threatening, it can be considered harassment and get you into trouble with the law. Everyone deserves respect and everyone should feel safe online.
You may feel that words on screen aren’t that big of a deal, but with the risk of causing someone to self-harm or even take their own life, it’s never worth it.
Bullying is not a crime specifically, but can be covered under other legislation such as protection from harassment and malicious communications.
What does it mean for me?
- If your online activity gets reported, the police may look at the content and messages you’ve been writing or sharing. They’ll then decide if anything criminal has taken place.
- You may have to make an apology to the person you hurt, and in more serious cases you could be arrested.
- If you get caught up in bullying, your friends may not want to hang around you anymore. Why would they risk spending time with someone who could start bullying them?
- Having to explain to your parents and grandparents that you’ve been bullying someone online is going to be really hurtful for everyone involved.
- Getting in trouble with the law can affect your job opportunities in the future, as employers may be less likely to hire someone with a criminal record.
- You may be stopped from travelling and going on holiday as countries like the USA and Canada may not allow someone with a criminal record to enter.
Cybercrime is a crime that’s carried out online using computers, laptops, phones, gaming consoles, phones and tablets. Cyber criminals look for weaknesses in technology and in people, so they can steal passwords, data, or money.
Anyone, no matter their age, can be a victim of cybercrime. Some things that can make someone more vulnerable include:
- Their age.
- Their faith.
- Their sexuality.
- Having mental health issues.
- Being shy.
- Feeling angry.
- Feeling under threat.
- Seeking identity, meaning and belonging.
- Looking for excitement or adventure.
Whatever the situation or worry, the police will help you.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please dial 999.
If there’s no immediate risk to life or property then call the police on 101.
There are also plenty of other people out there to help and support you.
Social media
We all love social media. We use it every day and barely give it a second thought. After all, it’s just hanging out with your mates and sharing stuff, right? True. But there’s a lot of nasty stuff on social media and it’s important to stay safe and keep your accounts private.
How do I stay safe using social media?
Keep it private
You don’t want a stranger or random person to be able to see your photos and videos; you never know what they may do with them. Take a look at your privacy settings and make them ‘Friends Only’ to keep things as secure as possible.
Only ‘friend’ your friends
Only friend people online that you know in real life. Random people and strangers that you ‘friend’ online may not be who they say they are, but they’ll have access to all the information and photos you share.
Delete. Block. Report
Know how to delete content you’ve posted should you need to, and be confident in clicking the ‘report’ button on other people’s stuff too. Blocking someone gives you a level of control if you’re uncomfortable with how someone is acting online. And you should deactivate your account if you stop using a social media site.
Gaming
Love playing FIFA? Maybe you’re more of a Fortnite fan? Whatever you prefer, there’s no doubt gaming is a fun way to spend some time and hang out with your mates. But it doesn’t come without risks and dangers. From bullying and grooming to viruses and scams, it’s important to stay safe while playing.
How do I stay safe gaming?
The main things to remember are to:
- Be respectful of other people, whether you know them in real life or not.
- Keep your personal information private.
- Play fair and stick to the game’s rules.
Choose a safe username and password
Make sure your nickname does not include your:
- Full name.
- School or college name.
- Date of birth.
- Address or area you live in.
- Mobile number.
When choosing a profile picture, go for something that doesn’t show your face, or give any clues as to where you are (like your school logo or street name).
When choosing a password, make sure it’s strong and not easy to guess.
More safety tips…
Think about what you share
Chatting to other gamers can also be fun, and you’ll often talk with people you’ve never met in real life. Spending more and more time with them, gaming and chatting can make you feel like you know them, but they may not be who they say they are. Don’t share details like your address, phone number or school with anybody you don’t know in real life.
Sometimes people may ask for sexual pictures or nudes, and they’ll ask you to keep it a secret or give you gifts and compliments. This is called grooming. It’s not your fault and there are ways to get help with this.
Be strict with your privacy settings
Every game and console is different, so have a good check and make sure your privacy settings are the highest they can be.
Take lots of breaks
If you’re getting angry or frustrated at the game or people you’re playing against, feel tired or hungry, or are ignoring things you need to do – like homework – it’s time to take a break. You don’t have to stop playing for ages, just a quick break will help you feel healthier and happier.
Watch for loot boxes and in-app purchases
Lots of games are free to play at the start, but they make their money by getting you to buy things – like new skins, items and lives. Before you make any in-app purchases check whether it’ll cost real-world money. Ask the person who’ll be paying before you click ‘buy’. Keep track of what you’re spending so it doesn’t start adding up to a huge amount, and only buy something from the game’s official app or website.
Be careful of downloads
Downloads aren’t always safe. If they’re from unofficial websites they can contain viruses that could cause damage to your computer or mobile. They could also give hackers access to your personal information. Always use your phone’s app store or the game’s official website to download anything.
WHAT IS RADICALISATION?
Radicalisation is the process through which a person comes to support or be involved in extremist ideologies that undermine or reject the commonly held values of society. These ideas may be political, social or religious and can result in a person becoming drawn into terrorism.
Being radicalised is different for every individual and can take place over an extended period or within a very short time frame. Violent extremists can be so persuasive that even the least likely young person can get swept up and attracted to their cause. These extremists groom young people by building up trust and a relationship with them.
You might become vulnerable to radicalisation for various reasons, often linked to personal distress or a search for belonging and purpose.
If you have any concerns about radicalisation or suspect that a mate is being radicalised, contact Leicestershire Police Prevent for advice and support.
I need help and support
Information and advice on staying safe online can be found at:
NSPCC shares advice and support on abuse and cyberbullying.
NSPCC shares advice and support on grooming.
NSPCC shares advice and support on child sexual exploitation.
Childline is a great place to go to for advice and support.
ACT Early help to prevent radicalism by talking with you in confidence.
Leicester Police are there to listen if you’re worried about someone being radicalised.
Childline is a great place to go to get advice and support on how to stay safe while gaming.
Thinkuknow has lots of tips and advice for playing safe.
NCSC website for individuals and families has cyber security advice.
Cyber Choices website relates to the law (Computer Misuse Act) and to prevent people from becoming cyber criminals or being exploited to commit cyber crime.
Cybercrime victim support can be found here.
The facts about sexting
‘Sexting‘ is sharing sexual images (including texts), photos or videos with another person.
Know the law:
The law is clear – taking or sharing photos or videos of under 18s (this includes yourself) is illegal.
If you are considering sending a nude image to someone, make sure that you trust them and are aware of the risks:
- Remember the law is there to protect you.
- Once you click send, you have no control over how that image is being used.
- At best, this can leave you feeling worried and embarrassed.
- At worst, you might get unwanted attention, and find that some people use these images to bully and harass you.
- Images sent on sites like Snapchat can be saved and screenshotted.
- You have no control over who sees the image.
- If the image is shared around peer groups, this could lead to bullying and isolation.
Before making a decision, try talking to someone you trust.
In a healthy relationship you should not feel pressured to send a nude, but Childline have some tips on how you can deal with it.
Already sent a nude image and worried about it?
Take action!
Try talking to the person you’ve sent it to, and ask them to delete it. Explain why you’re worried.
If someone has done something online to make you feel worried or unsafe, you can report it to CEOP – The National Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. CEOP works across country to keep children and young people safe. They can provide you with advice and support.
For more information, watch the video below:
What to do if yours or a mate’s nude is being shared?
If your mate is under 18, follow the guidance below:
- If via social media, you can report the nude image and any abusive comments to the app or website. Social media sites do not allow nude images of under 18s online.
- Report it to CEOP. If the person in the image is under 18, CEOP will work with professionals to help keep the young person in the image safe.
- Report Remove. Tell the person in the image they can use Childline and IWF’s Report Remove tool.
If you are over 18:
- Try speaking to someone you trust for advice. This might be a family member, an education leader, or a friend or colleague.
Help and support
For more info and support around sexting, visit Childline, ThinkUKnow-Sexting or CEOP.
Porn
Pornography, often shortened to porn, can be defined as sexually explicit pictures, videos, or written material intended to cause sexual arousal or gratification in the viewer.
Today, most pornography is found online and can be accessed on phones and other devices. You may stumble across it accidentally, or may seek it out as you start to think about sex and sexuality.
It’s normal to be curious about porn, so let’s look at some key information and facts.
Facts about porn
- Porn is not the same as reality and usually involves paid actors.
- Some types of porn are illegal.
- Nobody is allowed to pressure you to watch porn.
- Watching porn when you’re under 18 isn’t against the law, but it is illegal for someone to show you porn or give you access to it if you’re under 16.
Watching porn is a choice and only you can decide if watching porn is something you feel comfortable about.
Remember that it’s always your decision and nobody has the right to pressure you to watch it.
Most people in porn are paid actors deliberately doing things to entertain the people watching it.
The actors will behave a certain way for the film and may have had surgery to portray a particular type of body.
Typically, a porn actor will be seen to portray the ‘ideal’ sexual body, e.g. no body hair, large and symmetrical genitalia.
Body image can be affected by viewing porn, and this can impact a relationship due to unrealistic expectations. It’s important to remember that porn is based on gender stereotypes and not a reflection of real life.
If watching porn is affecting how you feel about your body, try:
- Reading Childline’s tips on building confidence and self-esteem.
- For more support around body image, see Mind.
It’s important to remember that porn doesn’t show what sex is really like:
- Porn is a show for the viewer – it is not real life.
- Porn is often for the benefit for men and can be degrading for women and girls.
- Sex can sometimes be awkward.
- Lots of things you see in porn make people uncomfortable in real life.
- Sex should always be consensual.
(Explicit language warning.)
Not all porn is legal. It’s illegal for anyone to watch porn involving:
- Nude videos or images of under 18s or anything involving under 18s doing something sexual, including sexting.
- scenes of rape, even if people are just pretending.
- Sexual acts with animals or dead people.
- Anything that might put someone’s life in danger, or risk hurting the sexual parts of their body.
