Support after something's happened online

Why did Childline contact me?

The police think that you’ve been messaged by someone who’s been pressuring young people into sharing nudes, or doing sexual things. You’re not in trouble, and the police aren’t trying to find out who you are. But they’ve asked us to contact you to help you keep safe online.
We’re not able to say who it was, but the police will have dealt with them and they shouldn’t contact you again.

We want to help you to stay safe in the future, no matter what’s happening online. And you can talk to Childline confidentially about anything.

We're here to talk confidentially about anything. You can talk online, by calling 0800 1111 for free, or by creating an account to email us.

Get support

We're here for you on the phone or online. Or try getting support from other young people on our message boards.

Staying in control online

Lots of people meet friends or have relationships online. Sometimes it can feel easier to be honest about yourself or share how you're feeling, but it’s important to think about what people could do with what you tell them.

Try our tips on how to take control of your online relationships:

1. Check with someone you trust

Relationships and friendships shouldn’t have to be a secret. If you’re speaking to someone new, talk about it with an adult you trust. Remember you can always talk to Childline.

2. Ask yourself if something is too good to be true

Being told what you want to hear or getting gifts can feel good, but it’s not always real. People can sometimes appear genuine, even when they’re not. Get a second opinion if you’re not sure, and remember that it’s okay to say no if someone asks for something in return.

3. Be careful what you share

It’s natural to want to share things, especially when you think you can trust someone. But once you share something, you lose control of it. It’s easy for people to take little pieces of information to work out your identity, and pictures of private things you share online could be made public by anyone who has them.

4. Don't reply straight away

If someone's pressuring or threatening you to do something, take some time to think about who could support you and ways you can feel safer deciding whether to reply.

5. Check your privacy settings

Your privacy settings control who can see what you post, add you as a friend and what information is available to people who search for you. Every app is different, but we’ve got advice on changing your settings.

6. Let go of your guilt

If someone betrays your trust or does something to you online, it's not your fault. Telling someone can help you let go of the guilt, feel better and find a way to make what's happening stop.

7. Block and report

Reporting things you see online can help to keep you and other people safe. Even if you're not sure if something is wrong or abusive, you can still make a report.

Your privacy and what you share online

Every time you go online, you leave a footprint of where you’ve been and what you’ve done. Try our advice to protect your privacy and information.

Ways to get help

Tell an adult you trust

Telling an adult what's happened can be scary, but it can really help to make things better. If you're struggling to tell someone, there are ways to make it easier:

Write a letter
Telling someone face to face can be tough, if you don't feel able to you could write a letter and leave it in a safe place for them to find. That way they can start the conversation.
Pick a good time
Choose a moment when you know they've got a bit of time. If you're not sure, you could ask them when would be a good time for you to talk.
Test if they'd be a good person to talk to
Try showing the person you want to tell a news article about grooming to see how they might react. Or try saying a friend at school has been in a similar situation.
Practice saying it
Try practicing what you'd like to say out loud in front of the mirror or with a Childline counsellor. This can help you to feel more confident about talking to someone.
Show them this page
If you're struggling to explain what's happened, you could show them the message from us or this page.

Talk to Childline

Childline is a safe and confidential place for you to talk about anything that might be happening.

Our counsellors can talk to you about how you're feeling and help you to think about your options and ways of coping.

You can speak to a counsellor online via 1-2-1 chat, send them an email or you can call them for free on 0800 1111.

Speak to the police

The police are there to support you, and you won't be in trouble if you tell them what's happened.

They can help you:

find out more about who the person you were talking to is and why the police are speaking to them
get support and talk to an adult you trust
keep you safe if you're worried about something that's happened.

If you decide to talk to the police, they'll ask you some details about what's happened, but you’ll have your parents or a responsible adult there to support you. They'll want to tape this conversation to help use it as evidence if a crime has been committed.

'On your Side - Powered by Childline' was a project between Childline and Dyfed Powys police force. The project is no longer running, but you can still get support if you want to.

If you want to talk to the police, you can call them on 01267 222020. You'll hear a recorded message in Welsh and English from Dyfed Powys police. If you tell them you were contacted by “On Your Side” they can support you better.

You should be given the name of someone in the police to speak to if you have any questions about what's happening. The police can also help set up support for you so that you don't have to cope alone.

You can also speak to a Childline counsellor about telling the police, and they can pass on your details if you ask them to.

Getting help if you’ve shared something online

If you’ve shared something online and you’re worried about what’ll happen, you’re not alone. There are lots of ways to get support:

get a nude picture or video you’ve shared removed from the internet using Report Remove
tell an adult you trust about what’s happened
report what’s happened to CEOP
get confidential support from a Childline counsellor.

sent a pic and
worried
about everyone
finding out

We've got help and advice about sexting

What is grooming?

Many of the people the police arrest will have tried to groom a child online. This is when someone builds your trust so they can convince or pressure you into doing something, like sending a nude, sexual video or talking about sexual things.

Grooming can happen to anyone. And it’s not your fault if it does, people who groom children do everything they can to build trust.

If you think you, or someone you know, might have been groomed or pressured, then you don’t have to cope alone. It’s important to talk about what's happening - you can speak to an adult you trust or a Childline counsellor.

If you think someone might have groomed or tried to pressure you or someone you know, then you don’t have to cope alone. It’s important to:

talk to someone you trust, you can talk to Childline about anything
stop talking to the person, even if they threaten you or you’re missing them
use a Report Remove to stop any images or videos you’ve shared being posted online
remind yourself that you’ve not done anything wrong.

Message boards

Share your experiences, have fun and get support from other young people in similar situations.

'On your Side - Powered by Childline' is a pilot between Childline and Dyfed Poyws police force.

On Your Side – Powered by Childline