A collective concern: parent and carer views on the online blackmail of children and young people

Key findings

Around one in five parents and carers know and have supported a child who has been blackmailed online

One in ten parents and carers we surveyed said that their own child has been blackmailed online. This supports previous research showing online blackmail is a significant problem for UK children and young people.

Most parents and carers feel responsible for protecting their children from online blackmail

Parents and carers said they were taking active steps to protect their children, but these focused on online safety more generally rather than being specific to online blackmail. Two in five parents and carers said they rarely or never talk about online blackmail with their child.

Parents and carers face challenges when talking to or supporting their child

Despite reporting high levels of knowledge and confidence about online blackmail, parents and carers said they worried about how their child would react to a conversation on the topic and feeling uncomfortable themselves. The research also found some gaps in parents' and carers’ online blackmail knowledge, including around blackmail that occurs between children.

One in three parents and carers think the government and technology companies are not effective in preventing online blackmail

Parents and carers view online blackmail prevention as a collective effort but feel that the government and technology companies should be doing more.  

Next steps

This study provides insight on how to build up parents' and carers’ online blackmail knowledge, confidence and skills so when a child turns to them for help, they get the right support.

We are planning further research with children and young people about their experiences and views on the information and support needs of young online blackmail victims.

We will use the insights from this research to improve our campaigns and resources on online blackmail as well as the support offered by our local services, Childline and the NSPCC Helpline.

We will also share our research findings with other UK online safety organisations, policymakers and technology companies as part of our ongoing online safety campaigning.