When a child is targeted by, or exposed to, online abuse based on race, religion, disability, gender, or sexuality — how to recognise it, support your child, and report it in the UK.
Online hate speech is abuse that attacks someone because of who they are — their race, religion, disability, gender identity, or sexuality. Children can be targeted directly, dragged into it in group chats and games, or worn down by a steady stream of hateful memes and comments in their feeds. Where it is based on a protected characteristic it can be a hate crime under UK law. This is different from radicalisation (being drawn in to hateful ideologies) — here the child is the victim or the witness, and the harm is to their safety and self-worth.
Hate reaches children through replies and direct messages, comments on their posts, voice and text chat in games, memes and 'jokes' shared in group chats, and coordinated pile-ons. It can be a one-off slur or a sustained campaign. Because much of it is dressed up as humour or hidden inside gaming banter, children may not name it as abuse, and bystanders may laugh along rather than report it. The cumulative effect on a targeted child's mental health, sense of safety, and belonging can be serious, even when each individual message seems 'minor'.
1. Agree it is never their fault and never 'just banter'
Make clear that abuse based on who someone is is wrong, is not a normal part of being online, and can be a crime. Agree that they can always show you without you overreacting or taking their device away.
2. Set up blocking, reporting, and privacy together
Show your child how to block accounts, report hate on each platform, and keep profiles private. Practising it once makes them far more likely to use it when it matters.
3. Build critical thinking about hateful content
Talk about why some accounts and algorithms push divisive or hateful material, and that engaging or sharing spreads it. The Anti-Bullying Alliance and Childnet have good resources for this.
ตรวจสอบล่าสุด: 2026-07-04
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