🧵 6/6
As governments worldwide review online safety frameworks, this study underscores the urgency of building protections before abuse occurs.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingawareness #onlinegroomingprevention
🧵 5/6
Monique St. Germain, general counsel for the Centre, notes that relying on criminal law after harm has occurred is no longer enough.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingawareness #onlinegroomingprevention
🧵 3/6
Many interactions started on public platforms before being moved into private messaging, making detection & intervention far more difficult.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingawareness #onlinegroomingprevention
🧵 2/6
4 in 5 teens reported unwanted sexual talk online.
Half said they had been sent unwanted nude images.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingawareness #onlinegroomingprevention
🧵 1/6
Surveying more than 1,200 teenagers (ages 13–17) who had experienced online sexual victimisation, the research highlights trends that policymakers, educators & tech companies cannot ignore.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingawareness #onlinegroomingprevention
A new study from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection offers an urgent look at the digital risks facing young people today — & the findings are concerning.
🔗 tinyurl.com/yj3ftez6
🧵👇
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingawareness #onlinegroomingprevention
🧵 4/8
Kids don’t think it’ll happen to them. Manipulation often feels like kindness, not danger. Red flags are easy to ignore when a relationship feels special.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms#Roblox #Minecraft #Fortnite #onlinegaming #onlinegroomingprevention #onlinegroomingawareness
🧵 3/8
Love bombing works. Predators use flattery, attention, gifts, & emotional investment to build trust. To a child, this can feel like the most genuine connection they’ve ever had.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #Roblox #Minecraft #Fortnite #onlinegaming #onlinegroomingprevention
🧵 1/8
The piece offers an honest & nuanced look at what it feels like to grow up inside online gaming worlds & why staying safe is far more complicated than simply switching off.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #Roblox #Minecraft #Fortnite #onlinegaming #onlinegroomingprevention
A powerful new article - written from a young person's perspective - challenges the assumptions adults make about online gaming, grooming, & why children stay silent.
🔗 tinyurl.com/jpstwfc8
🧵👇
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #Roblox #Minecraft #Fortnite #onlinegaming #onlinegroomingprevention
🧵 5/5
🛡️ If we are serious about protecting children, we must focus on solutions — not just statistics.
The technology exists. The research exists. The urgency is unmistakable.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingawareness #onlinegroomingprevention #NSPCC
🧵 4/5
Our research underpins tools and training designed to prevent harm and support practitioners, parents, and law enforcement.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingawareness #onlinegroomingprevention #NSPCC
🧵 2/5
The message is clear: we need multiple, coordinated safety measures across the entire grooming cycle. No single intervention is enough — but together, they can meaningfully reduce harm.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingawareness #onlinegroomingprevention #NSPCC
🧵 3/3
The @iwf.org.uk echoed these calls, reminding platforms that, “Safety should be built into all services and platforms from the bottom up, not tacked on as an afterthought.”
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingawareness #onlinegroomingprevention
🧵 1/3
Across the UK, police recorded 7,263 offences in total.
Where the platform was identified:
📱 40% of cases involved Snapchat.
💬 9% each involved WhatsApp and Facebook.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingawareness #onlinegroomingprevention
🧵 3/3
As Roblox sits on the line between gaming & social media, it’s crucial that safety measures evolve as fast as the technology itself.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #digitalsafeguarding #digitalharms #childsafeguarding #childsafety #onlinegroomingprevention #onlinegroomingawareness
🧵 3/4
While some responses aim to de-escalate or maintain rapport, others assert boundaries or reject advances outright.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #linguistics #langsky #forensiclinguistics #onlinegroomingprevention #onlinegroomingawareness #childsafeguarding #childsafety
TLDR (4/5):
Online safety groups, including @internetmatters.bsky.social & @mollyroseorg.bsky.social argue that child protections should have been baked in from the start.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingprevention #childprotection #childsafety #childsafeguarding
TLDR (3/5):
While the platform’s CEO has framed the changes as part of an effort to “build the safest AI platform on the planet”, experts say the move came too late.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingprevention #childprotection #childsafety #childsafeguarding
TLDR (2/5):
The decision follows intense criticism & multiple lawsuits in the US from parents who claim the platform failed to protect young people from harmful & manipulative interactions.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingprevention #childsafety #childsafeguarding
TLDR (1/5):
Instead, teenagers will only be able to use the site to create videos & other content, cutting off the conversational feature that has sparked serious concern among parents, campaigners, & regulators.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingprevention #childsafeguarding
In a move for online safety, Character.AI has announced that from 25 November, users under 18 will no longer be able to chat with its virtual characters.
🔗 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
TLDR 👇
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingprevention #childsafety #childsafeguarding
🚨 Tomorrow's the day! 🚨
Register here: tinyurl.com/3avpdvm3
Feel free to share with your networks.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #childprotection #childsafeguarding #onlinegroomingawareness #onlinegroomingprevention
Next week!
Join us in Swansea for our Festival of Social Science event where we'll explore how parents & caregivers can confidently support children's online safety.
👉 Register: tinyurl.com/3avpdvm3
#DRAGON #FestivalofSocialScience #ESRC #onlinesafety #childsafeguarding #onlinegroomingprevention
Whether you’re a parent navigating the challenges of the digital world, or simply passionate about making the internet a safer place for young people, this event is for you! 🌐
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinesafeguarding #onlinegroomingawareness #onlinegroomingprevention
This workshop is part of a nationwide festival celebrating how social science research is making a real difference in people’s lives — connecting research, community, & everyday experience.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingprevention #onlinegroomingawareness
What to expect:
- Discover how to start open, non-judgmental conversations about online risks & relationships.
- Collaborate with researchers & other parents to co-create meaningful, real-world resources.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #onlinegroomingprevention #onlinegroomingawareness
Key information:
📅 Date: Thursday 30 October 2025.
🕑 Time: 2–4pm.
📍 Venue: Volcano Theatre, Swansea.
🎟️ Free to attend – registration required.
#DRAGON #FoSS #onlinesafety #onlineharm #onlinegroomingprevention #onlinegroomingawareness #safeguarding #childsafeguarding
Hosted by Swansea University's DRAGON team, this free, interactive workshop will explore the real challenges families face in a digital world — & co-create practical tools to help parents protect & empower their children online.
#DRAGON #ESRC #FestivalofSocialSciences #onlinegroomingprevention
TLDR (2/4):
Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material rose 1,325% between 2023 and 2024 — including deepfakes placing children’s faces onto explicit images.
#DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlinegroomingawareness #onlinegroomingprevention #childprotection #safeguarding
