Concerned about your child’s online safety? Our digital investigations team can help families preserve evidence, understand online threats, and guide them through reporting cyberbullying, grooming, and other forms of online abuse.
Most children grow up today with no experience of life without the internet. In 2021, roughly 97% of children in the United States had access to at-home internet. They conduct schoolwork, play games, and connect with friends online. However, there are also potential dangers lurking around the digital corner. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 21.3 million reports of child sexual exploitation in 2025, including cases involving online abuse. It’s important for parents to be aware of these threats and understand how to respond to them, so continue reading to learn what to do if your child is targeted online.
Common Online Threats Facing Children Today
As young people begin exploring the internet independently, there is a wide range of potential pitfalls they will need to navigate. Unfortunately, cybercriminals may target children due to their inexperience with digital interactions. While online threats to children can come in different ways, the risk of emotional harm and psychological manipulation remains the same.
Children can face a wide range of abuse online. It’s important for parents to understand how to protect their children from online threats, and this starts with awareness. The following are some of the most common digital harms that young people face:
- Cyberbullying. Bullying and harassment can transcend from in-person to digital abuse. Harmful content such as mean comments, embarrassing posts, and threatening messages can be delivered through online platforms. Not only does this expand the bully’s reach, but it can also allow them to conceal their identity.
- Online grooming. Online predators and suspicious strangers use a variety of tactics to establish trust with young victims that they can later exploit. They often inhabit spaces that are popular for children, such as gaming platforms, social media, and messaging apps. They use available information to appeal to their target’s interests.
- Scams, blackmail, and sextortion. Threat actors may also try to profit from children’s fear or naivety. Commonly, cybercriminals will establish false relationships to extract sensitive information that can later be used as leverage. When intimate photos are involved, this is known as sextortion.
- Privacy and identity theft. While not always cybercrime related, a large portion of a child’s online activities are recorded by internet service providers and used for various reasons. However, if this data is breached and reaches the wrong hands, it can be used to commit fraudulent activities in your child’s name.
Children may be targeted by scammers looking to collect personal information because they may be viewed as more susceptible to manipulation tactics. Additionally, children face the risk of data being collected by internet service providers and website operators, often without being fully aware of how that information is collected or used.
How Cyberbullying Affects a Child and a Family
We’ve all heard the horror stories about cyberbullying. Online bullies, often acting anonymously, pick a target and never let up. They harass, they make threats, they spread rumors on social media.
They make their targets feel rejected, isolated, excluded. It can lead to despair, depression and anxiety, which sometimes can contribute to suicidal behavior.
It is hell to deal with, and too many families know this pain all too well. Many families find themselves wondering how to avoid cyberbullying.
How common is cyberbullying in the United States? Here are some statistics from stopbullying.gov:
- About 9 percent of students in grades 6 through 12 reported they had experienced cyberbullying in a National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics study.
- About 15 percent of high school students were electronically bullied within a year covered by a 2001 study.
- The numbers go way up for LGBTQ students: 55.2 percent experienced cyberbullying, according to the 2011 “National School Climate Survey: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in our nation’s schools.”
At Digital Forensics Corp., we’ve helped clients identify anonymous online bullies, document the cyber harassment and win restraining orders. Some cases can even lead to criminal charges. We’ve heard the anguish from parents, teens and children dealing with online bullies, and want to do our part to help.
How Can You Tell If Your Child Is Being Bullied Online?
One obstacle to finding solutions to cyberbullying is the silence of the victims. Young people sometimes do not want to talk about the situation, even with a parent or other trusted person. Maybe they are embarrassed. Maybe they are afraid. Maybe they have some other reason. Regardless, many children do not want to talk about what is going on, leaving parents unaware of the true extent of the bullying.
Even when children or teens don’t want to talk, however, there are some signs that they might be victims of online bullying, or might be bullying others:
- Noticeable change in their time spent online. Your child may avoid online activity out of fear. In other cases, they may seem to be glued to their device in anxious anticipation of the next harmful message. Take note of any abnormalities in your child’s online behavior.
- Emotional responses to what they see online. Online harassment can have significant ramifications on a child’s emotional well-being. Anger, fear, or anxiety in reaction to online activity could be a sign that harassment is occurring.
- Secrecy around their devices. If your child does not want you to see what’s going on online, it might indicate bullying. For example, a child may turn their screen away from you or close tabs when you enter the room. They may also remove applications, set passcodes, and use disappearing messages to hide what’s going on.
- Deleting or creating social media accounts. Victims of bullying sometimes delete social media accounts in an attempt to escape harassment, and open new ones. Bullies often set up anonymous accounts to use for harassment. They have been known to delete them suddenly if they are concerned about getting caught.
- Offline ramifications. Your child may also seem to withdraw from their real-world interests and activities. They might stop seeing their friends and seclude themselves to their room. Additionally, you may notice a change in their academic performance, sleep schedule, or other daily metrics.
You can find more tips at StopCyberbullying.gov and Cyberbullying.org.
Signs Your Child May Be Groomed Online
Like cyberbullying, online grooming can present a number of consistent warning signs. If you can identify these red flags, you may be able to disrupt the situation before it escalates into further danger.
If you notice any of the following, it may be a sign that your child is being groomed online:
- Unusual attention. If an online stranger is taking an abnormal interest in your child beyond a casual interaction, you should investigate further.
- Reception of gifts. Online groomers often send gifts or money to establish trust or manipulate behavior.
- Discussion of sensitive topics. Any conversations pertaining to personal information or inappropriate topics should cause concern.
- Isolation. A significant portion of a groomer’s power over a child comes from their ability to cut them off from their support system.
Instances of suspected grooming should be immediately reported to law enforcement and child protection agencies. Include any discussion of sexual topics, threatening messages, or attempts to coerce your child’s behavior as evidence to support your report.
When Online Conversations Turn into Blackmail or Sextortion
Blackmail and sextortion scams are not always as obvious to spot in the early stages. They often involve an initial phase of subtle grooming and other social engineering techniques. They may join an online community your child takes part in or follow profiles they have shown interest in. By doing this, they intend to build a foundation of trust before escalating their scam.
Eventually, the perpetrator introduces discussions around private details, such as personal or intimate topics. They manipulate victims into disclosing personal information or sharing sexual content. But once they get what they’ve sought, the tone changes completely. The friendly façade drops and is replaced with threats and demands.
Many minor victims suffer in silence because they fear public shame or potential consequences. This is often reinforced by the blackmailer through isolation tactics. As such, it’s critical that parents pick up on the early warning signs and take immediate action to combat the threat and mitigate the potential harm.
What to Do If Your Child Is Being Abused Online
The dangers of the internet will never go away entirely, but there are steps you can take to mitigate the harm if a threat arises. If your child is being targeted online, consider the following steps:
- Stay calm. Finding out that your child is facing online threats is a stressful situation, but you need to do your best to remain calm. Panicking can lead to irrational decisions that can make the situation worse. Furthermore, it’s important that you provide a safe, relaxed environment where your child feels comfortable opening up about what’s going on.
- Preserve evidence. Grab screenshots of the harassment, along with all the information about the account involved that you can. Document every new instance, such as harmful messages, mean comments, and posts intended to cause distress. This evidence can help support reports and action against the perpetrator.
- Report abuse. File a report with the online platform where the abuse is occurring. If appropriate, you should also notify law enforcement and child protection agencies. Include any evidence you’ve collected with your report. If you believe your child is in immediate danger, contact emergency services.
- Support your child. It’s important to be there for your child as you both navigate this difficult situation together. Avoid blaming your child or becoming upset with them. Instead, encourage them to discuss their experience and support them as they reclaim their digital independence.
- Get help. There are several resources at StopBullying.gov, including links to help you find mental health counseling and tips for how you can persuade schools to take bullying seriously.
With evidence of the abuse, you should report the incident to the platform, as well as the appropriate law enforcement agencies. You should also inform your child’s school so they can investigate and provide support, especially if you believe other students may be involved.
StopBullying.gov provides additional resources for parents and victims. Additionally, crisis hotlines and mental health professionals can help your child navigate the emotional ramifications. If you need assistance collecting and analyzing evidence, it may be beneficial to work with cybersecurity and digital forensics professionals to stop harassment legally..
What should I do if the cyberbullying includes threats or blackmail?
If cyberbullying involves threats or blackmail, you should treat it as a serious safety issue. These types of threats should always be properly reported and investigated before any risk is ruled out. Remain calm and consider the following approach:
- Avoid further communication with the perpetrator while you document the threats.
- Report the incident to the platform, your child’s school, and local law enforcement.
- If intimate images are involved, contact the appropriate child protection agencies.
- If threats pose an immediate safety risk, they should be reported through emergency services.
- Address your child’s mental health and provide judgment-free guidance and support.
By taking prompt action, you can help protect your child and prevent the situation from escalating.
How to Report Online Abuse and Get Help
If your child is being attacked online, you should document the abuse and report it as soon as possible. Prompt action can improve your ability to preserve digital evidence, which supports reporting and investigative efforts.
You should save as much evidence as possible before reporting cyberbullying. This proof can help strengthen your report and support investigative efforts. Document account details, instances of abuse, and timestamps of each incident whenever this data is available. Avoid editing this data and save it in a secure location.
Report to the Platform
Begin by notifying the online platform where the harmful behavior was conducted. Most platforms have built-in protocols to report interactions that violate their terms of service. Your report may be reviewed and warrant further investigation. Furthermore, it helps the platform track trends and improve safety features. You can typically find instructions on how to submit a report on the platform’s help or support page.
When to Contact Schools
If classmates are involved, notify the school and provide the evidence you collected. This could include harmful conduct being perpetuated by peers or other students being targeted by the same online threat. Your child’s school may be able to help investigate the threat, monitor the situation, and provide support through the recovery process.
When to Contact Law Enforcement
Not every mean comment requires police involvement, but repeated harassment, threats, stalking, blackmail, or the sharing of private content may warrant reporting to law enforcement.
Consider escalating the situation when:
- The bullying includes threats of physical harm.
- Someone is stalking or repeatedly targeting your child.
- Private or intimate content is being shared or threatened.
- The bully is impersonating your child or publishing personal information.
- The harassment continues after being reported or blocked.
When Professional Digital Investigation Can Help
In some cases, digital evidence of online abuse exists, but it is not easily accessible with everyday knowledge and resources. A professional investigation can draw on specialized expertise and proprietary technology to collect, preserve, and analyze the digital artifacts that remain from the incident. This can help ensure that your digital evidence is handled carefully, and that findings are clearly documented to support recovery efforts.
Parents should consider professional help in cases involving complex digital evidence. Experts can extract data carefully and preserve it in its original form. They can then perform analysis and document findings clearly to support investigative efforts.
How to Keep Children Safe Online
In the modern world, there is a good chance that some portion of your child’s life will be spent online. It’s necessary for parents to take steps to safeguard their children, but protection from online abuse begins before a threat is active. You can begin by educating yourself and your family about safe online practices and common digital threats.
Create Family Internet Rules
Parents should set clear boundaries around acceptable online activities. Discuss which applications your child is using and set healthy limits on how much time they spend on their devices. You should also monitor their internet usage and employ parental controls while maintaining a level of trust. Discuss these rules openly with your child and explain why they are important.
It’s important for parents to be honest with their children when discussing online safety. Create an environment that encourages open dialogue and makes your child feel safe discussing their online activities. Establish clear rules for internet usage and check in with your children regularly. Utilize strong parental controls as your child begins using the internet and reassess them as they gain more online freedom.
Teach Children Safe Online Habits
While clearly established rules can help teach children what to avoid online, it’s also important to reinforce practices that can help improve their security. Explain the importance of keeping sensitive information private and help them strengthen their online privacy settings. Teach them the importance of strong, unique passwords and cover potential red flags that could help them identify a scam.
Encourage Open Communication
The most important thing to consider is how your message is being conveyed to your child. These conversations can be extremely delicate, and your child needs to feel comfortable discussing the topic openly. Make sure to select a safe, familiar environment where your child feels secure. Approach the discussion without judgment or strong emotions, and listen to what your child has to say with an open mind. Reassure them that you are there for them and that they can come to you for help.
Parent Online Safety Checklist
- Enable privacy settings. Set your child’s online profiles to private and employ heightened settings to limit who can interact with them. Enable multi-factor authentication when available for an added layer of protection and disable any unnecessary permissions.
- Use parental controls. In addition to regular privacy settings, many platforms offer parental controls on minor accounts that can limit screen time, determine appropriate content, and monitor online activities.
- Conduct regular updates. Make sure your child’s devices and programs are updated with the most current security patches. These updates help fix known vulnerabilities and improve user safety.
- Discuss online safety regularly. It’s important to discuss these topics regularly and stay up to date with the latest advisories from cybersecurity experts. Start the dialogue early on and reassess your internet usage rules as your child becomes more digitally independent.
- Never share passwords. Teach your children the importance of protecting sensitive account information, such as passwords, verification codes, and recovery contact details. Additionally, make sure their accounts use strong, unique passwords and save them in a secure location.
- Verify online friendships. Review your child’s followers and online contacts and discuss whether they are people your child knows and trusts in real life. If the account is suspicious or its owner is unknown, consider removing their ability to reach your child.
- Monitor online activity. Find natural ways to be involved in your child’s online activities. Take part in online interests such as online games, follow their profiles to see what they post, and ask them honest questions about their online interactions.
Emergency Action Plan for Parents
Your immediate response to an online threat can have a significant impact on your ability to protect your child. Take a deep breath and approach the situation rationally.
- Document any relevant evidence that is available, including usernames, abusive content, and timestamps.
- Report the incident to the platform involved and determine if the situation warrants the involvement of law enforcement and child protection agencies.
- Secure your child’s devices and accounts and assess them for any indications of compromise.
- If intimate material or sensitive private information was shared, utilize reputable content monitoring and removal tools.
How Digital Forensics Corp. Helps Families Respond to Online Abuse
When an online threat targets your child, collecting evidence on your own may not always be enough. Accessing this data often requires specialized tools and expertise, and improper handling of digital evidence can jeopardize its integrity and potential use in legal proceedings.
In these cases, Digital Forensics Corp. can help preserve online evidence, analyze digital activity, and investigate anonymous accounts. Depending on the case, analysts may be able to identify IP addresses and other indicators that allow them to connect multiple fake accounts. This information is then carefully prepared in forensic reports that can support schools, law enforcement, or legal proceedings.
The goal is simple: help disrupt the harassment, protect your child, and give your family peace of mind as quickly as possible. After the initial investigation concludes, DFC can provide ongoing monitoring and guidance on improvements you can make to your security practices.
Online abuse can be devastating, and it’s even more difficult when it’s targeting your child. However, your family does not need to approach this issue alone. Contact DFC today to speak with a specialist and begin a free consultation.
FAQ
What are the most dangerous online games for children?
Unfortunately, any game can potentially provide an entryway for a threat actor to contact your child. In particular, games that allow chats between players can enable other users to employ manipulation tactics. It’s important to monitor your child’s online gaming activity and evaluate the people they play with.
Can cyberbullies be identified if they use fake or anonymous accounts?
Anonymous cyberbullies can sometimes be identified through digital evidence. Even fake profiles leave digital footprints that platforms and investigators may be able to trace back to the true owner of the account. For example, files shared could contain metadata that may provide clues about the perpetrator’s devices and location. Saving profile links, shared content, and other evidence can improve the chances of identifying the person responsible and holding them accountable.
Should my child block the cyberbully immediately?
Blocking the cyberbully is usually appropriate, but only after important evidence has been preserved. If you block the perpetrator or delete the exchange too early, you could lose critical evidence that exists within these interactions. Before blocking, make sure to save screenshots of abusive messages, comments, and account details. Once the evidence is secure and properly analyzed, blocking and reporting the account can prevent further contact while allowing schools or authorities to review the documentation.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Dr. Viktor Sobiecki
Currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Digital Forensics Corporation, where responsibilities span the leadership of advanced cybersecurity initiatives, data breach incident responses, and corporate strategic planning.
