Online safety: Protecting young people from online abuse

With children and young people spending so much of their time online, it is important for professionals, parents, and carers to understand the protections that are in place for them, as well as where they may face risks.

While online, young people might face cyber-bullying, emotional abuse, sexual exploitation, and grooming.

The NSPCC has been a key player in campaigning for the safety of children online and has campaigned for the government to provide legislation so that children are afforded the same protection online as they are offine, with platforms held accountable for the prioritisation of child protection on their services.

Alongside a variety of partners and supporters, we were able to help secure a groundbreaking piece of legislation which passed into law in October – the Online Safety Act. Although this legislation marks real progress in the improvement of child safety measures online, there is still work to be done.

The Act puts the onus of responsibility for child safety on social media platforms, meaning they are responsible for removing harmful content that affects children. This could include bullying, content around self-harm and suicide, eating disorders or pornography. They must also protect children from grooming and sexual abuse.