Calm, practical guidance for urgent situations. Take a breath — you're doing the right thing by looking for help.
If a child is in immediate danger
Call 999 (UK), 911 (US), or your local emergency number immediately. These guides are for situations where you need practical next steps — not a replacement for emergency services.
Calm, step-by-step guidance for parents and carers when a child has been exposed to sexual or pornographic content online.
What to do if an unknown person has contacted your child through social media, gaming, or messaging apps. Practical steps to keep your child safe.
Supportive, practical guidance for parents and carers when a child is experiencing cyberbullying — including how to gather evidence, report, and support your child emotionally.
Guidance for parents when a child has shared a nude, semi-nude, or intimate image of themselves with someone online. Focuses on damage limitation and emotional support.
Urgent guidance for parents when a child is being threatened or blackmailed with intimate images. Includes steps to stop the cycle and report to authorities.
How to calm and support a child who is visibly distressed, anxious, or panicking after something that happened online.
What to do if you discover your child has a secret social media account, alternative profile, or hidden app. How to approach the conversation without damaging trust.
What to do when someone on the internet has obtained or shared your family's home address, school location, or other identifying information.
Emergency guidance for parents when a child has gone missing and there is reason to believe an online contact or relationship may be involved.
How to respond when a child tells you something concerning about their online experiences — whether abuse, exploitation, or another harmful situation.
How to support a child who has been exposed to violent, graphic, or deeply disturbing content online — including real-world violence, gore, self-harm content, or extremist material.
What to do if your child has formed a concerning relationship with someone through an online game — including signs of grooming through gaming platforms.
What to do when children are sharing harmful, distressing, or illegal content amongst themselves via group chats, social media, or messaging apps.
What to do when someone has created a fake account pretending to be your child on social media, gaming platforms, or messaging apps.
What to do when you discover apps on your child's device that may be unsafe, age-inappropriate, or designed to hide activity.
What to do if your child is posting, viewing, or sharing self-harm content online, or has expressed thoughts of self-harm through digital channels.
Guidance for parents who discover their child has been viewing, sharing, or engaging with extremist or radicalisation material online.
What to do if you discover your child has been gambling online, using betting apps, or has accumulated gambling debts.
What to do if your child's personal information has been stolen, their identity used to open accounts, or they are a victim of online fraud.
What to do if your child has made large unexpected in-app purchases on games or apps, and how to seek a refund.
Urgent guidance for parents who discover their child has arranged or attempted to meet someone they know only from the internet.
What to do if your child has been sent an explicit or sexual image without asking for it — covering how to support your child, preserve evidence, and report to UK authorities.
What to do if you believe someone online has been deceiving your child using a fake identity — practical steps to verify, protect, and report.
Urgent guidance for parents who believe their child is being targeted for gang recruitment online — including county lines, what to look for, and who to contact.
What to do if your child is posting hateful or extremist content online, or has been targeted by sustained hate speech — covering both sides of online hate involvement.
Immediate steps to take if your child has shared bank account details, card numbers, passwords, or other financial information online — including how to limit fraud and report to Action Fraud.