Valentine's Day Online Safety for Teens

Talk about romance scams and catfishing

Romance scams rise sharply around Valentine's Day. Talk with your teen about people who fake a romantic interest to get money, gifts, or images — and the red flags: someone who avoids video calls, professes strong feelings very fast, or quickly asks for money or private pictures.

Reinforce the rules around intimate images

Valentine's can bring pressure to send 'nudes'. Remind your teen, calmly and without shame, that once an image is sent they no longer control it, that pressure is never okay, and — crucially — that they can always come to you if something goes wrong, without being in trouble. This is also prime season for sextortion targeting teenage boys.

Check who they are really talking to

New romantic contacts made purely online may not be who they claim. Encourage a healthy caution about people met through apps and social media, and talk about verifying someone is real before trusting them. Anyone pushing to move quickly to a private app is a warning sign.

Discuss what a healthy relationship looks like online

Controlling behaviour often shows up digitally: demanding passwords, constant location tracking, pressure to reply instantly, or monitoring who they talk to. Talk about these as red flags, not signs of love, so your teen recognises them early in their own relationships and their friends'.

Know the reporting and support routes

If a teen is being blackmailed over an image, the steps are: stop contact, do not pay, keep the evidence, and report to CEOP and the platform. Childline's Report Remove helps take images down for under-18s, and Childline (0800 1111) offers support. Save these before they are ever needed.