Could my child get in trouble with the police for sharing harmful content?

In some cases, yes. Sharing illegal content — such as child sexual abuse material — is a criminal offence regardless of the sharer's age. However, police take a safeguarding-first approach with children and will consider the context. If your child has shared illegal content, seeking advice from the NSPCC helpline is a sensible first step.

Should I tell the school about what happened?

If other children at the school are involved, informing the school's Designated Safeguarding Lead is important. Schools have a duty to investigate safeguarding concerns and can take steps to address the situation across the peer group. This is usually more effective than contacting individual parents directly.

Important

Harmful Content Being Shared Between Peers

You have discovered that your child — or a group of children — is sharing harmful content between peers. This might include violent videos, self-harm content, sexually explicit material, or other distressing imagery circulated through group chats, social media, or AirDrop.

Discovering that children are sharing harmful content with each other can be deeply upsetting. It is important to remember that children may share such content out of curiosity, peer pressure, or shock rather than malice. Your response should be calm, supportive, and focused on understanding what has happened and preventing further harm.

What to do now

Stay Calm and Assess

Take a moment to compose yourself before speaking to your child. Determine the nature of the content — is it violent, sexual, self-harm related, or illegal? This will guide your next steps.

✗ Do not: Do not shout, confiscate the device immediately, or punish your child before understanding the full situation.

Talk to Your Child

Ask open questions about what was shared, who sent it, and how your child felt about receiving or forwarding it. Listen without judgement. Many children share content because they felt pressured or did not understand the implications.

Preserve Evidence If Needed

If the content may be illegal (such as child sexual abuse material), do not save, screenshot, or forward it. Note the platform, usernames involved, and approximate date and time. Report it to the relevant authorities immediately.

Report the Content

Report the content to the platform for removal. If it involves illegal material, report to CEOP or the Internet Watch Foundation. If it involves children at your child's school, inform the school's Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Support Your Child

Explain why the content is harmful and why sharing it can cause real damage. Reassure your child that coming to you was the right thing to do. Discuss how to respond if they receive harmful content in the future — close it, do not share it, and tell a trusted adult.

What not to do

✗Do not view, save, or redistribute the harmful content — especially if it may be illegal.
✗Do not blame or punish your child before understanding the context. They may be a victim of peer pressure.
✗Do not contact other children's parents in anger. Work through the school or appropriate authorities.
✗Do not assume your child created or initiated the sharing — they may have received it unwillingly.

Preserving evidence

Why this matters

If you need to report to authorities or a platform, evidence can help.

•Note the platform, group chat name, and usernames of those involved without screenshotting the actual harmful content.
•Record the date, time, and your child's account of what happened using their own words.
•If the content is illegal, report directly to CEOP or the IWF rather than preserving it yourself.

How to talk to your child

✓Use phrases like 'I need to understand what happened so I can help' rather than 'Why did you do this?'
✓Acknowledge that seeing or receiving harmful content can be distressing, even if they did not ask for it.
✓Explain the real-world consequences of sharing harmful content, including potential legal implications for older children.