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Your Child Received a Scary or Threatening Message

What to do when your child gets a frightening, threatening, or disturbing message online — how to assess it, preserve evidence, and decide who to tell.

สิ่งที่อาจกำลังเกิดขึ้น

Your child has received a message that frightened them — a threat, an aggressive or hateful message, a disturbing image, or a stranger saying something that made them uncomfortable. It might be from someone they know (a fallout, bullying), a stranger, or a scam/chain message designed to scare. Your first job is to work out, calmly, what kind of message it is and who it came from, because that decides the response.

เรื่องนี้ร้ายแรงแค่ไหน?

Most scary messages are not a physical threat — they are bullying, a scare-chain, or a one-off from a stranger who can be blocked. But some are serious: credible threats of violence, sexual messages, or contact from someone trying to build a relationship with your child. Take every one seriously enough to look at it properly, and treat threats of violence or sexual content as a matter for the police.

สิ่งที่ต้องทำก่อน

1

ขั้นตอนที่ 1

Stay calm and thank your child for showing you. Look at the message together rather than reacting to a second-hand description.

2

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Preserve it before blocking: screenshot the message, the username/profile, and note the app, date, and time.

3

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Block and report the sender on the platform once evidence is saved. Reassure your child that blocking is not rude — it is a normal safety step.

4

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Decide who else needs to know: the school (if it involves other pupils), or the police (101, or 999 for a credible threat of violence or sexual contact).

สิ่งที่ควรพูด

  • "You did exactly the right thing showing me. Let's look at it together."
  • "Getting a message like this isn't your fault, and you're safe."
  • "We can block and report this person — you never have to reply to someone who scares you."

การตั้งค่าที่ต้องตรวจสอบ

เมื่อใดควรขอความช่วยเหลือเพิ่ม

Call 999 for any credible threat of violence or if your child is in immediate danger. Report sexual messages or contact from an adult to CEOP (ceop.police.uk) and the police. For bullying involving classmates, tell the school's Designated Safeguarding Lead. Childline (0800 1111) can support your child.

Frequently Asked Questions

ตรวจสอบล่าสุด: 2026-07-13

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