• Access and exposure to inappropriate /disturbing images and content
•  Access and exposure to racist or hate material
•  Sexual grooming, luring, abuse and exploitation by/with strangers
•  Sharing personal information with strangers that could identify and locate a child offline
•  Online bullying (cyber bullying) by peers and people considered ‘friends’
•  Being encouraged take part in violent behaviour such as ‘happy slapping’
•  Sending or receiving sexually explicit films, images or messages of themselves or others (this is known as sexting when sent by mobile phone)
•  Glorifying activities such as drug taking or excessive drinking
•  Physical harm to young people in making video content, such as enacting and imitating stunts and risk taking activities
•  Leaving and running away from home as a result of contacts made online.

• Educate yourself, children and young people about the risks online
• Tell children and young people what they should do if anything goes wrong online or upsets them i.e. tell someone about it
• Explain that anything shared online or by mobile phone could end up being seen by anyone
• Ensure computers and laptops are used where you can see and not out of sight in a bedroom
• Use parental settings, filtering software and privacy setting to block inappropriate sites and content.

Thinkuknow  is an award winning online and offline safety programme for children and young people, professionals and parents that has been developed by the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Command.

The programme’s innovative and engaging films, cartoons, websites and lesson plans aim to help teachers, youth workers, police officers and health professionals to explore difficult and sensitive issues safely with children and young people.

NSPCC: Keeping children safe online, tips and guides.

Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online | NSPCC

Share Aware resources for schools and teachers | NSPCC Learning

CEOP - Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre: Organisation that works to stop child abuse on the internet.

Childnet: Information on benefits, risks and safety on the internet.

UK Safer Internet Centre UK Safer Internet Centre is a partnership of three leading charities with a mission to make the internet a better place for children and young people.

Parent Club Parent Club offers up-to-date guidance from the Scottish Government on children’s health and education.

Mind.org Information, support & tips for everyday living online, explains the benefits and challenges to your mental health of being online and gives ideas for looking after yourself online and getting support.

Connecting Scotland Staying Safe Online Information, tools & resources to support staying safe online.

Internet Matters - Gaming Advice Latest advice to understand the world of online  gaming

Stop it Now! Scotland Cyber resilience & online safety, suite of learning resources.

Video Links

Hanni and the Magic Window | Childnet Written for children aged 3 years and up, this story is about speaking up and getting help.

Buddy the dog internet safety story

NSPCC Share Aware

NSPCC Meet Pantosaurus! He's a friendly dinosaur who has an important song to sing for you, which conveys an important message.