It is easy to share things online that you wouldn't face to face. Some of the most popular sites and apps are designed to enable people to share information, pictures and videos. This is part of their popularity but it can make it easy to share things we later regret.
If you think your child has shared too much about themselves don’t panic. It’s rare that things get out of control, but even if they do there are ways you can respond and organisations who can help.
What are the risks?
- Once information has been shared online, particularly pictures and videos, you can never be sure who has seen it, saved it or shared it.
- Personal or embarrassing information in the wrong hands can lead to bullying.
- Knowing that others have seen embarrassing things about them can cause stress and anxiety, and affect a child’s confidence and self-esteem.
- Unwanted information online could affect educational and job opportunities later in life.
- People with a sexual interest in children can use personal information online to work out if a child might be vulnerable or ways to attempt to groom them.
- Sharing images, particularly sexualised images, can increase the likelihood of a child receiving inappropriate sexual contact from strangers online.
What can you do?
If you find out your child has shared too much personal information online you should first assess the risks by considering the following questions:
- What did they share? Was it a picture, video or personal information when chatting? Are they embarrassed by the content and if so why? Could the information be used to locate them?
- Who did they share it with? Many apps allow you to share with an individual or a small or large group of contacts. Find out how many people might be able to see the content your child has shared.
- Do they know the people they’ve shared it with? Have they met them face to face? If they’ve shared something with school friends are they worried about what they will do with the information?
- Was it shared with someone they don’t know? If they have never met the person face to face,find out what else your child knows about them and whether they have been in contact since. Ask if they have at any point, felt threatened in any way. Have they been asked to share inappropriate images? If so, this is a matter for the police. You can either contact your local police or report to CEOP