How children encounter harmful content online and what parents can do to reduce exposure and respond supportively.
Harmful content includes material that is violent, sexual, promotes self-harm, eating disorders, or extremist views. Children can encounter it accidentally through search engines, social media algorithms, or deliberately through peer sharing. Even a brief exposure can be distressing, and repeated exposure can normalise harmful behaviours.
Social media algorithms can inadvertently recommend progressively more extreme content based on a child's engagement patterns. Harmful content can also be shared directly in group chats, on forums, or through links from peers. Some content is deliberately designed to appear in search results that children might use, and age verification on many platforms is easily bypassed.
1. Enable SafeSearch and content filters
Turn on SafeSearch in Google, Bing, and YouTube. Use built-in content restrictions on social media platforms. These are not foolproof but reduce the likelihood of accidental exposure.
2. Talk about what to do if they see something upsetting
Let your child know they can close the screen, leave the page, and come to you without getting into trouble. Normalise the idea that even adults sometimes see things online that upset them.
3. Use DNS-level filtering
Consider a family-friendly DNS service (such as CleanBrowsing or OpenDNS Family Shield) on your home router to filter harmful content across all devices on your network.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-19