Check kids' social media for red flags

Sudden concealment is one of the strongest early signals of contact the child knows an adult would stop.

Groomers push contact into private hours when a trusted adult won't interrupt.

Emotional swings tied to one platform often mean coercion, threats, or a fall-out that a safer friendship wouldn't cause.

Language absorbed from an older contact is a common early tell.

'Our secret' is the grooming script. Vagueness about age is deliberate.

A secondary account is where the risky content and DMs usually live.

Any one of these lets a stranger geolocate and personalise contact within minutes.

Uniforms identify the school; bedroom shots are actively sought by offenders.

Under-13s on adult platforms lose the child-safety defaults the app would otherwise apply.

A healthy child account's follower list is almost entirely peers and family.

Flattery-then-isolation is stage 1 and 2 of the grooming pattern.

Offenders move victims off moderated platforms as fast as possible.

Removes the evidence trail. Legitimate friendships rarely need this.

Gifts create obligation — the setup for a later 'now you owe me' demand.

This is a criminal act regardless of the child's response. Report to CEOP immediately.

Textbook sextortion. There is a clear response — do not pay, screenshot, report.

Algorithmic funnels can push a struggling child deeper. This needs breaking, not just blocking.

Radicalisation pipelines target lonely teens with humour first, ideology second.