Gypsy, Roma & Traveller Families
Online safety guidance for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families, recognising digital exclusion, mobile-first internet use, and the importance of community and privacy.
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) families are among the most digitally excluded groups in the UK — research by Friends, Families and Travellers has found significant gaps in reliable internet access and digital confidence. Where children do go online, it is often mobile-first and via shared devices, and families may have had fewer opportunities to build up online-safety knowledge. This guidance is designed to be practical and respectful of community life, not to assume a settled, always-connected home.
Why this matters
Digital exclusion is a safety issue as well as an access one: children who come online with less adult experience to draw on can be more exposed to strangers, scams, and harmful content, and families may be less aware of the reporting routes available. GRT children may also encounter online discrimination and hate. Building trusted, jargon-free online-safety knowledge helps families protect children without adding to the barriers they already face.
Quick wins
Turn on your mobile network's free parental controls and SafeSearch on the shared device
Time: 15 minutes
Show your child how to block and report on the apps they use
Time: 10 minutes
Agree a simple rule about not sharing your location or which site you are travelling to
Time: 10 minutes
Common challenges
Digital exclusion and lower access to reliable internet and devices
Focus on a small number of high-impact, low-cost steps that work on a single shared or mobile device — free parental controls from the mobile network, SafeSearch, and knowing how to block and report.
Mobile-first, shared-device use rather than a home computer
Prioritise mobile network parental controls and per-device settings over router-based controls, and set up a simple family agreement about what the shared device is used for.
Experience of online discrimination and hate against the community
Talk with children about online hate, how to block and report it, and that it is never their fault. Keep the door open so they tell you when it happens.