Childline: There are better ways than a ban to keep children safe when online
Last year, our Childline teams across the country delivered more than 3,300 counselling sessions about online-related issues, including online sexual abuse and exploitation, online bullying, and online safety.
Social media is a huge part of modern society, but the NSPCC has serious concerns about how it puts children in harm’s way.
Last year, police recorded 7,263 sexual communication offences with a child, and forces across England and Wales recorded an average of around 100 child sexual abuse image offences every day in 2024-25.
A consultation is currently under way on whether children should have access to social media and while a ban may seem like a neat solution, the NSPCC believes there are better ways to keep children safe online.
Firstly, minimum age limits should reflect the safety and risk of harm on a platform. We set age-appropriate age limits for films and gaming, and online platforms should be the same.
Second, platforms must stop using addictive design features that keep teenagers endlessly scrolling and include algorithms that push extreme content.
And third, the Government must use the full force of the law to block illegal and harmful content at the source to help prevent it ever reaching young peoples’ feeds across the platforms they are using – including AI chatbots, gaming, and messaging services.
A ban for under-16s would be better than the status quo, and the longer the Government accepts the inaction of tech firms, the greater the number of young people who will experience harm online.
But there is a safer, smarter and bolder approach which would tackle the root causes of online abuse, harm and addiction that is causing so much disruption and damage to children’s lives.
However the consultation ends up, our Childline counsellors will be available to support any young person who has experienced something upsetting online.
Almost three quarters of Childline’s counselling sessions take place online, and we know that for some young, that is the most convenient and safe way for them to get in touch.
But we are also available around the clock on 0800 1111 to offer safe and confidential support to any young person who needs it.