Professionals Guidance Digital Romance
Digital Romance was led by researchers Dr Ester McGeeney (Brook) and Dr Elly Hanson (NCA-CEOP), the research took place between January and May 2017 and used a mixed methods approach involving an online survey, in person focus groups and one-to-one interviews.

The project was motivated by the desire to evolve online safety education by providing an in-depth insight into young people’s views and experiences. The project was influenced by US research conducted by the PEW Research Centre (Lenhart, Smith & Anderson, 2015) that explored the digital romantic practices of young Americans. Arguably, up until now, much of the focus of online safety work has been narrow – exploring the risks of online communication such as the unsafe sharing of personal details, the loss of control of material (especially images), and the facilitation of abusive and bullying behaviours. At times this approach has been at the expense of acknowledging the positive role of digital technology in young people’s lives and the complicated ways in which young people experience and negotiate risk.

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It’s Anti-Bullying Week and the Duke of Cambridge has launched a nationwide action plan to tackle cyberbullying, supported by the UK’s largest media and technology firms including BT.

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The following information was accurate at the time of writing. (19 October 2017)

A purported social media challenge, labelled the ‘48 hour missing challenge’, has been reported on by some media, however the UK Safer Internet Centre is not currently aware of any evidence to directly link disappearances with an online challenge.

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It may feel awkward, but it's important to explain to children the risks of sexting, how to stay safe and remind them that they can talk to you if something ever makes them feel scared or uncomfortable.

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When your children go to secondary school, there's a big shift in how they use their phones and social media.
One mum felt "overwhelmed" but has found a way to keep her daughter's trust and to keep her daughter safe.

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Melissa Zimdars is an assistant professor of communication and media at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass. When she saw her students referencing questionable sources, she created and shared a document with them of how to think about sources, as well as a list of misleading, satirical and fake sites.

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