Key Stage 2 computing · Digital literacy and online safety

KS2 online safety: how to report concerns

A key part of online safety in Key Stage 2 is knowing what to do when something goes wrong. Children are taught to identify a range of ways to report concerns about content (what they see) and contact (who is in touch with them), from telling a trusted adult to using the report and block tools built into the sites they use. Knowing that reporting is normal and welcome makes children more likely to speak up.

Reporting concerns online, explained

The curriculum asks Key Stage 2 pupils to identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact. “Content” means things children see or hear, such as a frightening video, an unkind comment or a picture that is not meant for children. “Contact” means people getting in touch with them, such as a stranger sending a message in a game, a request from someone they do not know, or someone pressuring them to do something. Teachers use both words so that children know the difference.

The first and most important route is a trusted adult. Children are asked to name more than one: a parent or carer, a teacher or teaching assistant, another family member, or the designated safeguarding lead at school, who is the member of staff responsible for child protection. Having a list matters, because the person a child least wants to tell may be the one they are afraid of upsetting. Schools also explain that national helplines for children exist for times when a child does not feel able to talk to someone they know.

The second route is the tools inside the service. Most games, chat services, video sites and social platforms provide a way to report a post, a message or a user, and to block someone so they can no longer make contact. Children practise finding these buttons and learn what happens next: the service reviews the report, and the person who made it is not usually shown to the other user. Children are also taught to leave a game or chat that makes them uncomfortable, and that they are always allowed to say no.

Alongside the routes, children learn what to do in the moment: stop, don’t reply, don’t delete, tell. Saving messages or taking a screenshot of an upsetting chat can help an adult to see what happened, though children should not forward upsetting or inappropriate pictures to anyone. If someone sends a nude or sexual picture, children are taught not to save, screenshot or share it at all, but to close it and tell an adult straight away. They also learn that something online that frightens or confuses them is never their fault. Reporting works best when it feels normal, so schools often return to it several times a year. Your child’s school will explain its own process for pupils who report something.

Words your child will hear

Content: What you see, read or hear online, such as videos, pictures, comments and games.
Contact: Other people getting in touch with you online, for example through messages or game chat.
Report: To tell someone, or use a button in a service, so that a problem is seen and dealt with.
Block: To stop a person from sending you messages or seeing what you share.
Trusted adult: A grown-up a child can go to when worried, such as a parent, carer or teacher.
Safeguarding lead: The member of school staff who is responsible for keeping children safe and acting on concerns.
Evidence: Messages or screenshots that show what happened, which can help an adult to act.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 2 says:

Pupils should be taught to use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact
Aim: pupils are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: what to do when a stranger messages in a game

While playing an online game, your child gets a private message from a player they do not know: “You’re really good, add me on another app and I’ll give you free stuff. Don’t tell your mum.” What should they do?

Stop and don’t reply. A child doesn’t owe a stranger an answer. Any message that asks them to keep a secret from a parent, or to move to a different app, is a warning sign.
Say what type of concern it is. This is a concern about contact, because an unknown person has got in touch and is trying to move the conversation somewhere more private.
Keep the message. Don’t delete it. A screenshot or leaving the message in place shows an adult exactly what was said.
Tell a trusted adult straight away, even if the player seemed friendly. A good opening line is: “Someone I don’t know sent me a message and I’m not sure about it.” The adult should thank the child for telling them.
Use the tools together. Report the player using the game’s report button and block them so they can’t make contact again. If the message was threatening or the adult is worried the child may be at risk, they can seek advice from the school’s safeguarding lead or from a national reporting service for online harm to children. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.

Don’t reply, keep the message, tell a trusted adult at once, then report and block the player in the game. A request to keep a secret or to move to another app is a reason to tell an adult, not a reason to say yes.

Common mistakes and how to help

“If I tell, I’ll lose my device”

This is the most common reason children stay quiet. They worry that a parent will react to the problem by banning the game or app.

What helps: Agree in advance that telling you will not lead to a ban. Thank them for telling you, stay calm, and sort out what to do together before talking about rules.

“It must be my fault”

Children often feel embarrassed or think they did something to cause an upsetting message or picture, especially if they clicked a link or broke a rule.

What helps: Tell them that people who send unkind or inappropriate things are responsible for doing so. Even if your child made a mistake, you want to know, so you can help.

Thinking reporting is only for serious things

Children assume that reporting is for emergencies, so they stay silent about things that feel small, like a strange message or a nasty comment.

What helps: Explain that small worries are exactly what you want to hear about, because they are easier to deal with before they grow. “Does it feel odd?” is a good enough reason.

Believing that blocking solves everything

Blocking works for the person who is blocked, and it feels like a final answer, so children don’t mention the problem to anyone.

What helps: Block and tell. Blocking stops the contact, but a grown-up may need to report it, check other accounts, or deal with the same person contacting your child’s friends.

How to help at home

Name your trusted adults together. Ask your child to name three people they could go to if something online upset them. Include someone outside the home, such as a relative or a teacher, in case they find it hard to tell you.
Find the report button. Sit with your child in a game or app they use and find where to report and block. Practising on a calm day, without a problem to solve, makes it easier to do under stress.
Practise the first sentence. The hardest part is starting. Rehearse a simple line, such as “Can I show you something that’s bothering me?” so that the words are ready when needed.
Respond calmly when they tell you. Thank them, listen to the whole story and ask what they would like to happen. How you react in the first minute can shape whether they tell you next time.
Keep the conversation going. Ask lightly and often, for instance at tea: “Seen anything odd or funny online this week?” Regular, low-key chats work much better than one big talk.

Builds on

Key Stage 1: Keeping personal information private
Key Stage 1: Getting help when worried online

Leads on to

Key Stage 3: Online identity, privacy and security
Key Stage 3: Spotting and reporting online concerns