Introduction
The web is a source of support, information and learning. Unfortunately, it is also a place of grooming, exploitation and bullying. Teachers, social workers and other professionals working with children and young people play a key role in supporting children to learn about how to stay safe online. This 'cyber world' offers knowledge, personal growth, extensive friendships and fun. But there are also new, exclusive dangers and challenges, particularly for children and young people. There are many concerns, such as:
- bullying
- addiction
- health risks
- gambling and debt
- child sexual abuse
- desensitising children to violence and intimacy.
Everyone who is responsible for children's welfare needs to understand the strengths and the dangers of cyber world. The constant developments in digital technology, and the emergence of new trends, means that those responsible for young people are unable to be complacent with the potential safeguarding issues that could arise. The way in which the internet is being embedded into young people’s lives, as the variety of devices through which they can access material increases, means that professionals working with children and young people need to be informed of the possible risks that they face. Additionally, with the growth in popularity of social networking, professionals need to consider their own digital presence.
Sexting
Sexting means sending indecent images (pictures and/or videos) of yourself or others or sending sexually explicit messages. Sexting is commonly known as “trading nudes”, “dirties” or “pic for pic”.
Sexting and the law
Creating or sharing explicit images of a child is illegal, even if the person doing it is a child. A young person is breaking the law if they:
- take an explicit photo or video of themselves or a friend
- share an explicit image or video of a child, even if it’s shared between children of the same age
- possess, download or store an explicit image or video of a child, even if the child gave their permission for it to be created.
Sexting by young people will primarily be considered as a safeguarding issue. The police must, by law, record all sexting incidents on their crime system but as of January 2016, they can decide not to take further action against the young person if it is not in the public interest. This will be at the discretion of the police.
Sharing or threatening to share intimate images without consent
The Online Safety Act 2023 and the Sexual Offences Act 2003 make it a criminal offence to share or threaten to share intimate images or films of another person without their permission. This law is designed to protect victims, or potential victims, of what is commonly referred to as revenge porn. It also applies to the sharing of any intimate image/film without that person's consent.
Intimate can mean:
- nude or partially nude – even if covered by underwear
- sexual acts or private sexual poses
- AI-generated images, also known as deepfakes, that appear to be the person in an intimate state.
These offences overlap other offences such as upskirting or voyeurism.
The Online Safety Act 2023 creates an offence of creating deepfake explicit images without their consent. It also addresses the issue of AI-generated content. It now states that a person will commit an offence if:
- without the consent of the individual depicted or a reasonable belief that the individual consented,
- they intentionally create a purported intimate image that appears to depict another adult in an intimate state, even though it is not actually of the individual, and is made to appear so.
Creating and requesting the creation of intimate images
The Data Use and Access Act 2025 (DUAA 2025) addresses the source of intimate images. Section 138 covers the offences regarding creating and requesting the creation of intimate images of adults without their consent.
The creation offence applies when someone intentionally creates an image that appears to depict another adult in an intimate state, even if the image is not of that individual and is made to appear to be that individual, including AI-generated or synthetically manipulated images.
A separate offence covers requesting such images, whether the request is made publicly or privately, and applies regardless of whether the image is ultimately created.
These are serious offences that can cause untold harm, as a result punishment on conviction could lead to the following:
- A fine
- Prison
- Registration on the sex offenders register
- Or any combination of the three.
Shore
The Shore website, provided by the Lucy Foundation, offers reliable advice and support to young people to prevent harmful sexualised behaviour.
Shore – a safe space for teenagers worried about sexual behaviour (external website)
Stop it now
Stop it now provides advice and support to parents and cares to keep on line including what to do If your child gets into trouble for their online sexual behaviour:
Stop it now (external website)
Child Abuse Images
The Child Rescue Coalition work’s with local policing to remove child abuse material and support identification and prosecution of perpetrators.
Child Rescue Coalition website (external site).
Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)
The IWF supports the world wide removal of child sexual abuse images through digital finger print technology.
Eliminating Child Sexual Abuse Online on the IWF website (external site)
Online safety guidance
Much work has been done by agencies, such as Childnet and the Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre (CEOP), to provide resources to address potential dangers on the internet.
Childnet - Know it all (external website)
Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre (CEOP) (external website)
Think U Know - CEOP website (external website)
Safety Net and Skips Education Resources (external website)
Parent Line
Parent Line have created the following documents to help parents, carers and professionals support children and young people to be safer online:
The Children’s Society
The Children’s Society has a guide which explains the dark web, how young people might use it, and what to do if you have safety concerns:
Gambling and gaming: the risk to children and young people
Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure gambling facilities operate responsibly, so that children and other vulnerable people are protected from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
Gaming for most children and young people is a fun way to spend time with friends. However many games can be used by adults seeking to groom and harm children and young people, via in-game chat facilities, fan discussion groups, or associated online media platforms (such as YouTube or TikTok).
More information, advice, and support on gambling and gaming, can be found on the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust’s Ygam website:
Ygam - preventing gaming and gambling harms (external website)
Support for professionals
Think You Know is a site run by CEOP, a command of the National Crime Agency where you'll find resources and guidance.
UK Internet Safety Centre offers a helpline for professionals, resources, policies and online training sessions.
