The LSCP and partners have launched a new campaign to encourage parents to have simple conversations with their children, which could help to keep them safe when they go online.
The new campaign encourages parents to have conversations with their children, to understand who they are talking to and interacting with, and what they are doing.
The online world can be a great place for young people, when enjoyed safely, but some criminals can use online games and social media to contact and exploit them.
Child exploitation can include both Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE). It involves a number of crimes including grooming, sexual abuse, drugs, county lines offences, carrying and the possession of weapons, money muling and serious acquisitive crime.
There are lots of ways in which you can keep your child safe online, from having parental controls and security settings, to creating clear boundaries and having open and honest conversations.
Talking to your child about what they do online, is as important as asking them where they are going when they go out with their friends.
Encouraging your child to have these conversations could help them to talk to you about something they have seen online that could make them feel uncomfortable or if someone is talking to them that they don’t know.
Conversations can be around who they are talking to online, reminding them not to accept friend requests from people they do not know, not sharing their personal information such as home address, phone number or passwords to online accounts with others.
Detective Superintendent Paula Bickerdike of West Yorkshire Police’s Central Safeguarding Governance Unit, said:
“We know that children spend a lot of time online, playing games with their friends and on social media. Not everyone that your child speaks to online will have the best intentions.
“Having honest and open conversations with your child, speaking to them regularly about what they are doing online, could be crucial in giving your child the confidence to tell you if they have seen something that makes them feel uncomfortable or may highlight someone who is wanting to cause harm.
“People online may not be who they say they are, and it can be very easy for people to set up fake accounts, with fake names, photos and identities which could trick your child into thinking they are speaking with someone the same age or with the same interests.”
To support the campaign see our campaign page for social media posts and campaign assets.