Need help?

If you need help there are a number of organisations that can help. Also see our Advice and Resources section for more information and advice about internet safety issues.

Grooming or other illegal behaviour:

If you want to report someone who is behaving suspiciously online towards a child, you should in an emergency contact the emergency services by calling 999, or otherwise make a report to CEOP, the Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre, see www.ceop.gov.uk

Criminal content online:

If you stumble across criminal content online, you should report this to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), at www.iwf.org.uk/report

Criminal content in the UK includes child sexual abuse images, criminally obscene adult content as well as non-photographic child sexual abuse images. 

Online content which incites hatred on the grounds of race, religion and sexual orientation should now be reported to True Vision, which tackles all forms of hate crime, including those on the grounds of disability and transgender identity. True Vision, at www.report-it.org.uk, will give you information on content which incites hatred and how to report it.

Media content inappropriate for children:

If you want to make a complaint about an advert, television or radio programme, film, newspaper, magazine, video game or other type of content that you think is unsuitable for children to see or hear, you can report it through ParentPort at www.parentport.org.uk. Click on Make a Complaint and ParentPort will take you straight to the right place to complain to.

Scams:

If you have been ‘scammed, ripped off or conned’ you can report to Action Fraud, www.actionfraud.org.uk, or on 0300 1232040. It is a 24/7 service This service is run by the National Fraud Authority, the UK’s government agency that helps coordinate the fight against fraud.

ChildLine:

Is free 24/7 helpline for children and young people. You can call 0800 1111 or visit www.childline.org.uk Childline is run by the NSPCC.

Cybermentors:

For bullying issues, go online and talk to other children to get help and support. www.cybermentors.org.uk Cybermentors is run by Beatbullying.

Youth 2 Youth:

Young persons helpline which offers confidential peer support via telephone, email and online chat. www.youth2youth.co.uk

Get Connected:

A free confidential helpline for young people, open 1pm-11pm every day. Tel 0808 8084994

Family Lives:

Charity providing help and support in all aspects of family life. They have a 24/7 free Parentline on 0808 8002222, or visit www.familylives.org.uk

Kidscape:

Is a leading anti-bullying charity, which provides a helpline for parents of children who have been bullied. From 10am to 8pm, on 08451 205204. www.kidscape.org.uk/helpline/index.asp

Professionals online safety helpline:

Helpline operated by the UK Safer Internet Centre offering professionals who work with children across the UK support, advice and mediation with online safety issues. The helpline can be contacted by email: helpline@saferinternet.org.uk or telephone on 0844 3814772 (calls on this number are charged at local call rate).

School Employee Unions and Professional Associations:

Details of these can be found on p7 of Childnet's cyberbullying guidance document. 

Teacher Support Network:

See teachersupport.info
England: 0800 0562561 
Scotland: 0800 5642270 
Wales: 0800 0855088