CHILDLINE: Young people’s lives are a blur of the real and the virtual

Their lives are a blur of the real and the virtual, with many hours spent on social media and online gaming and entertainment.

While social media and messaging apps help people stay connected, there is also the risk of them being groomed and suffering abuse.

New police data from Northumbria, Cumbria and Durham police forces shows that the number of recorded crimes relating to online child sexual abuse images increased by 14% in 2022/23, and in the last five years by 55%.

Childline counsellors speak to young people from the North East and across the UK every day who have been upset by an online experience, including some who have found themselves targeted by adults to share private images of themselves over social media.

One 14-year-old girl told counsellors: “One night I got chatting with this guy online who I’d never met and he made me feel so good about myself. He told me he was 15, even though deep down I didn’t believe him.

“I sent him a couple of semi-nudes on Snap(chat), but then instantly regretted it. I asked him to delete the pics, but he just kept on making me do stuff for him not to post them – like getting me to strip live on camera. I just want to block him, but if I block him he will just post the pictures.”

The NSPCC campaigned for five years to create the Online Safety Act, ensuring tech companies put children’s safety at the heart of their online platforms.

While that is being implemented, we can still help children stay safer online, starting with a simple conversation.

Having regular open and honest chats about how young people spend their time online helps them feel at ease discussing their online lives and makes them more likely to speak to you about anything they’re experiencing that doesn’t feel right.

Childline is available online and on the phone around the clock to young people, with advice on our website for children and on the NSPCC website for parents and carers about online safety.