Online Sexual Abuse

If your child was abused online, you may be thinking about what action you can take to prevent further contact from the abuser and to make your child safer online.

This could include:

• Supporting their online use. Your child may not want to return to online use, however they should be supported to return to a normal online experience, if they do want to. They may need your help to set up new accounts and privacy settings.
• Having an ongoing conversation about what they are doing online and who they are talking to - it's an important part of their confidence that they can approach a parent if something goes wrong online.
• Parental controls. These are extremely important for limiting ‘adult’ content, but overall, open talking often is the most important thing.
• Remember, once your child tells you about abuse it is likely that both you, and your child will benefit from ongoing support.