With the summer holidays underway across North Yorkshire, children may be spending more time online than usual, whether gaming, chatting with friends, watching videos or using social media. North Yorkshire Police is reminding parents and carers across the region that while the digital world offers real opportunities for fun and learning, it also creates opportunities for people who may seek to exploit young people.
Grooming can happen both online and offline, and isn’t always carried out by strangers — it can involve someone a child already knows and trusts, such as a family member, friend, teacher or community leader. Online, groomers often hide their true identity, sometimes posing as another young person to gain a child’s trust, offering attention, understanding, gifts or friendship that can gradually become manipulative and controlling.
Children can be targeted through social media, messaging apps, online games and video chats; groomers often take time to learn a child’s interests, and may encourage secrecy, try to isolate a child from family and friends, or use guilt, pressure and even blackmail to maintain control.
Because many children don’t realise they’re being groomed, and may feel loyalty or affection towards the person involved, it can be difficult for them to recognise the warning signs or ask for help.
Changes in behaviour
Parents and carers are encouraged to watch for changes in behaviour, including becoming secretive about online activity, spending significantly more or less time on devices, receiving unexplained gifts or money, appearing withdrawn or distressed, or spending increasing amounts of time away from home.
The force’s advice for keeping children safe online includes talking regularly about their online lives, so conversations about apps, games and social media become a normal part of family life; encouraging openness, so children know they can come to a parent if something worries or upsets them; knowing who children are talking to online, and reminding them that not everyone online is who they claim to be.
Parents are also advised to set age-appropriate privacy settings and parental controls; help children protect personal information such as passwords, locations, school details and photos; agree clear boundaries around screen time and online behaviour; and remind children never to keep secrets about online friendships or conversations that make them feel uncomfortable..
Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111. Parents and carers can find further advice from the NSPCC, Thinkuknow, Childnet and the UK Safer Internet Centre. Anyone concerned a child is at immediate risk should call 999.
