Research shows more education needed on how to report

Posted on: 2 June 2025

Category: Online safety Reporting Social media

Internet Matters’ recent report ‘Understanding & improving how kids report online harm’ shows that more education is needed for young people on how report harmful content. This is key learning point for young people. Every platform (social media, gaming and websites) have built-in tools to report:

Inappropriate or harmful content
Bullying or harassment
Fake accounts or impersonation
Violent or sexual content

Support for young people

Childline offers free, confidential support to children and young people in the UK. They can:

Talk to a trained counsellor
Help the child understand what happened
Guide them on how to stay safe
Support them through the process of reporting harmful content

Children can contact Childline by:

Calling 0800 1111
Visiting childline.org.uk and using the 1-2-1 chat or email

Report Remove Tool

If a child has had a nude image or video shared online, they can use the Report Remove tool (a partnership between Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation). This tool helps get the content taken down and provides support throughout the process