Contact: Harmful online interactions

A key online safeguarding risk is children and adults at risk can be contacted easily, quickly and anonymously by those seeing to harm or exploit them. Because this can occurring places they feel safe e.g. at home, they may be less alert to danger and carers may not realise what is happening.

Churches, charities and community groups need to ensure that all online contact as part of community life is transparent, accountable and in line with good safeguarding practice.  

Safeguarding responsibilities in terms of contact include:  

• Having clear policies and procedures around:

- Contacting vulnerable groups

- Safe storage

- Sharing and use of personal data

- Management of social media groups.

• Risk assessing online activities in terms of the opportunity for unsafe online contact and putting measures in place to reduce these risks.
• Providing guidance, support and accountability for staff and volunteers in terms of online contact.

Children 

Children are vulnerable due to their age, relative lack of experience, and dependence on adults. Risks of online contact for children include: 

• Grooming - when a person contacts a child online to build a relationship and then harm, abuse or exploit them. 
• Sharing personal details or photos that could be used to harm or control the child. 
• Blurred boundaries in relationships with adults in positions of trust. 
• Modelling unsafe behaviour e.g. thinking all adult contact online is safe if adult. 
• Exposure to harm from other children in group chats.

What can organisations do?

• Have a clear purpose for any online contact with children. Only contact a child online if it is necessary and have procedures for how this will be transparent and accountable. 
• Obtain parental consent for online contact with children with clear boundaries and expectations for this contact. 
• Ensure children know how they can report any concerns about online contact from someone in your organisation or someone outside it. 
• Avoid one-to-one online contact with a child, just as you would avoid being alone in a room with a child during in-person activities. 
• Workers should use organisation email or social media accounts, rather personal, if contacting children. 
• Communicate during agreed hours so it is clear that contact is part of your organisation’s activities. 
• Restrict access to group messages or online communities - remove those no longer volunteering or part of groups, avoid having unchecked adults e.g. other parents in groups with children 
• Consider how you will limit personal data sharing e.g. use blind carbon copy (bcc) when emailing a group so personal email addresses don’t show, WhatsApp Communities restricts who can share what. 
• Consider using a work device if appropriate. 
• Ensure any social media platform or messaging service you are using with children is age-appropriate. 

Adults at Risk 

Many of the same safeguarding considerations apply for contacting adults at risk as for children. Age is not a factor, but capacity to give informed consent to be contacted online or be part of a group may be. You may also need to consider the accessibility of your online contact. 

What can organisations do?

• Ensure any online contact with an adult at risk is necessary, purposeful and something the adult wants to happen. 
• Ensure adults at risk know how they can report any concerns about online contact from someone in your organisation or someone outside it. 
• If contact between a worker and adult at risk is one-to-one, maintain clear boundaries and have procedures for how this will be transparent and accountable. 
• Communicate during agreed hours so it is clear that contact is part of your organisation’s activities. 
• Restrict access to group messages or online communities - remove those no longer volunteering or part of groups 
• Ensure there is a shared understanding of what any group chats are for and what is and isn’t appropriate in terms of contact, content and conduct. 
• Consider how you will limit personal data sharing e.g. use blind carbon copy (bcc) when emailing a group so personal email addresses don’t show, WhatsApp Communities restricts who can share what etc. 
• Consider using a work device if appropriate. 

Reporting Harmful Online Contact: 

• Talk to your Safeguarding Lead about any inappropriate or unsafe contact, including where there is potential risk, so your organisation can act before harm occurs.  
• Report crimes to the police. 
• If you are a Safeguarding Lead and you are concerned that harmful contact is exposing a child or an adult at risk to harm or abuse, refer to statutory agencies. 
• Report online harm and abuse of children or the way a person has been communicating with a child online to CEOP Safety Centre .