This guide is for any adult who has a concern about a child — whether that child uses this platform or not. It explains what different types of abuse look like, what your responsibilities are, how to report a concern through this platform, and what happens when you do.
You do not need to be certain that abuse is occurring to make a report. If something feels wrong, that matters. It is always better to raise a concern that turns out to be unfounded than to stay silent about one that was real. Every concern reported through this platform is reviewed by a human being, not an algorithm, and treated seriously.
If a child is in immediate danger, call 999 now. Do not use this platform or any other reporting mechanism in place of an emergency call.
Section 1What is Abuse?
Abuse takes many forms. It does not always leave visible marks, and it is not always committed by strangers. The majority of abuse is carried out by people the child knows and trusts — family members, family friends, teachers, coaches, or older peers. Online environments have created additional pathways for harm that did not exist a generation ago.
The following descriptions are not exhaustive, but they cover the most common categories of abuse a child may experience.
Physical Abuse
Any deliberate act that causes physical harm to a child — including hitting, shaking, burning, poisoning or deliberately inducing illness.
- Unexplained or recurring injuries or burns
- Implausible explanations for injuries
- Wearing clothing to cover the body in warm weather
- Flinching at sudden movement or physical contact
- Fear of going home or seeing certain people
- Aggression or extreme withdrawal
Emotional Abuse
Persistent emotional maltreatment that damages a child's sense of self-worth and emotional development — including humiliation, threats, isolation and coercive control.
- Extreme lack of confidence or self-worth
- Continual self-depreciation — "I'm stupid", "I'm worthless"
- Excessive fear of making mistakes
- Developmental delays not explained by any medical condition
- Sudden speech disorders
- Extreme passivity or extreme aggression
Sexual Abuse
Any sexual activity involving a child — including contact and non-contact abuse, exposure to sexual material, and using a child to produce sexual images.
- Sexual knowledge or behaviour inappropriate for their age
- Unexplained physical symptoms in genital areas
- Sudden personality change — withdrawal, clinginess, fear
- Regression to younger behaviour
- Nightmares, bed-wetting, sleep disturbance
- Reluctance to undress or be alone with certain people
Neglect
A persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and psychological needs — including food, warmth, shelter, medical care, supervision and emotional support.
- Poor hygiene, inappropriate clothing for the weather
- Frequently hungry, tired, or unwell
- Untreated medical or dental problems
- Frequently absent from school without explanation
- Taking food without permission
- Left alone or unsupervised for long periods
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
Sexual abuse involving manipulation, coercion or control — often disguised as a relationship, and frequently involving gifts, money, affection or status as tools of grooming.
- Unexplained gifts, money or new possessions
- Secretive about a new older "friend" or relationship
- Going missing — especially at night
- Coming home dishevelled, intoxicated or distressed
- Withdrawal from family, friends and usual activities
- Reluctance to discuss a phone or online activity
Bullying and Cyberbullying
Repeated behaviour intended to intimidate, humiliate, exclude or control another child — including online harassment, threats, spreading rumours and sharing images without consent.
- Reluctance or refusal to attend school or social events
- Anxiety around devices — or sudden avoidance of them
- Changes in mood, particularly after being online
- Withdrawal from friends and social activities
- Unexplained loss of self-confidence
- Self-harm or talk of hopelessness
Section 2Online Warning Signs
Online environments present specific risks to children. Grooming, exploitation and abuse increasingly begin — or take place entirely — online. The following are indicators that something may be wrong in a child's online life. They are relevant whether or not the child uses this platform.
Secrecy about devices
Hiding screens, switching apps when someone approaches, or becoming distressed if a device is taken away.
Unknown contacts
Talking about new online "friends" you don't recognise, especially adults or much older peers.
Unexplained gifts
Receiving money, gaming credits, vouchers or gifts from someone they met online.
Excessive online time
Spending unusually long periods online, especially late at night, and becoming anxious when prevented from doing so.
Emotional changes after online activity
Coming offline upset, withdrawn, angry or frightened — but refusing to explain why.
Sexual language or images
Using sexual language or referencing sexual content in ways that are not appropriate for their age.
Switching off or deleting
Quickly deleting messages, clearing history, or turning off notifications when you are near.
Arranging to meet someone
Any suggestion of meeting an online contact in person — regardless of how innocent it is presented.
Section 3Recognising Radicalisation
As a parent or carer, you are better placed than almost anyone to notice the gradual changes that signal a young person is being targeted. A teacher sees a child for an hour a day. You see them at breakfast, when they come home, when they go quiet at the dinner table. That proximity matters.
Radicalisation is a safeguarding concern — not a political one. This section is not about policing your child's opinions or beliefs. We are concerned with behaviour, not thought. The question is never what a young person believes — it is whether someone is leading them towards hatred and then towards harmful action directed at others.
The distinction that matters
Hate is a feeling. Harmful action is a behaviour. A person who privately holds views we strongly disagree with but does nothing with them is not a safeguarding concern. The moment that hate is directed outward — in threats, recruitment, incitement or violence — that is where safeguarding begins.
Radicalisation happens across every ideology, religion, political position and community. No group has a monopoly on it and no group is immune from it. The mechanism is always the same — and it looks a great deal like grooming.
How radicalisation works
Radicalisers are patient, skilled and deliberate. They do not begin with extreme views — they begin by making a young person feel understood, valued and part of something. The escalation is gradual and carefully managed.
The radicalisation process — what to understand
The radicaliser identifies a young person who feels left out, angry, unfairly treated or in search of identity — and offers them a simple, compelling explanation for why. From there:
- They build trust gradually — presenting themselves as the only person who truly understands
- They introduce an "us and them" view of the world — a group to belong to and a group to oppose
- They gradually introduce more extreme ideas, testing what the young person will accept
- They move conversations to private, encrypted or hidden platforms away from family oversight
- They use gaming platforms, forums and social media to find and target young people
- They systematically undermine trust in family, friends, teachers and other authorities
- They make leaving the group feel like betrayal — and staying feel like the only option
- They eventually normalise the idea that violence or illegal action is justified — even necessary
Signs to watch for in your child
No single sign confirms radicalisation — and many of these overlap with ordinary teenage behaviour. What matters is a pattern of change, or a sudden shift from who your child was. Trust your instincts.
Behavioural indicators
- Increasingly describing a group of people as enemies, inferior or deserving of harm
- Expressing the view that violence against certain people is justified or necessary
- Becoming secretive about who they are talking to online or on gaming platforms
- Withdrawing from family, existing friends and activities they previously enjoyed
- Becoming angry, defensive or aggressive when their new views are questioned
- Expressing admiration for people who have committed violent or extremist acts
- A sudden change in dress, appearance or language associated with a particular group
- Accessing or sharing extremist content, symbols or propaganda online
- Talking about a cause or group as though it is the only thing that matters
- Showing contempt for people of a different religion, ethnicity, sexuality or political view
- Talking about wanting to travel somewhere or meet people connected to an extreme group
- Having several online profiles or aliases — particularly ones you are not aware of
Section 4Your Responsibilities
If you have a concern about a child's safety or wellbeing, you have a responsibility to act on it. That does not mean investigating, confronting anyone, or resolving the situation yourself. It means making sure the concern reaches people who can act on it properly.
If you are a parent or carer
- 1If your child tells you something has happened, stay calm. Believe them. Thank them for telling you. Do not promise to keep it secret — tell them you will need to get help.
- 2Do not confront the alleged perpetrator. This can put the child at greater risk and compromise any investigation.
- 3Write down what your child told you, in their exact words if possible, with the date and time. Do not try to question them further.
- 4Report the concern — through this platform if it involves activity here, or directly to the police or social services if you believe a child is at immediate risk.
If you are a teacher or school professional
- 1Follow your school's safeguarding policy. Report your concern to your Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) immediately.
- 2If the DSL is unavailable and you believe a child is at immediate risk, contact children's social services or the police directly.
- 3Record what you have observed or been told accurately and factually. Do not add interpretation or opinion.
- 4If the concern involves activity on this platform, you or the DSL may also report directly through the platform's safeguarding team.
If you are any other professional
- 1Follow the safeguarding procedures of your own organisation and the statutory guidance applicable to your profession.
- 2If you encounter a concern through this platform — through content, a report, or information disclosed to you — refer it to the platform's safeguarding team as well as following your own procedures.
- 3If you believe a child is at immediate risk, contact the police directly. Your professional obligations do not override the priority of a child's immediate safety.
You do not need proof. You need a genuine concern.
The threshold for making a report is not certainty — it is reasonable concern. Safeguarding professionals are trained to assess concerns and decide the appropriate response. Your role is to surface the concern, not to resolve it. If you report something that turns out to be unfounded, no harm is done. If you stay silent about something real, the harm may be irreversible.
Section 5How to Report a Concern
There are several ways to report a concern, depending on the nature and urgency of what you have seen or been told. Use whichever route is most appropriate. If in doubt, use more than one.
Call 999
If a child is in immediate danger, call 999 now. This is always the first step when a child's safety is at immediate risk. Do not use any other reporting method in place of this.
Use the Report Button
Every piece of content and every profile on this platform carries a report button. Use it to flag any content or behaviour that concerns you. Your report goes directly to the human review queue — it is not filtered by an algorithm. Every report is seen by a trained member of safeguarding staff.
Contact the Safeguarding Team Directly
For concerns that are serious, complex, or require a conversation, contact the platform's safeguarding team directly at safeguarding@vmlkids.com. This address is monitored by qualified safeguarding professionals. You will receive a response, not an automated acknowledgement.
NSPCC Helpline
The NSPCC helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for adults who are worried about a child. Call 0808 800 5000 (free) or email help@nspcc.org.uk. You do not need to be certain abuse has occurred to call.
Children's Social Services
Contact your local authority's children's social services if you have a concern about a child's welfare that does not require an immediate emergency response. You can find your local authority's contact details at gov.uk.
CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection)
If your concern involves online sexual exploitation or grooming, you can report directly to CEOP — the specialist police command for child online protection — at ceop.police.uk.
Section 6What Happens When You Report
When you make a report through this platform, the following process applies. You will not be left wondering what happened — we will acknowledge your report and keep you informed of the outcome where we are lawfully able to do so.
Your report is received
Every report made through the platform — via the report button or by email — is received by the human review queue. No report is filtered, ranked or deprioritised by an algorithm.
A trained reviewer assesses the concern
A trained member of safeguarding staff reviews your report, has access to the relevant account data, and assesses the appropriate response. This is a human decision, not an automated one.
The concern is escalated if the threshold is met
Where the review indicates a safeguarding concern, the matter is referred to the platform's independent safeguarding panel. The panel has authority to act without requiring approval from platform management.
Statutory authorities are involved where required
Where the concern involves potential criminal conduct — including grooming, sexual exploitation, document fraud or violation of a court order — the safeguarding panel will escalate to the appropriate child protection authority, which will include the Police and CEOP where relevant.
You are informed of the outcome
Where we are lawfully able to do so, we will inform you that your report has been reviewed and what action was taken. Confidentiality obligations may limit what we can share, but you will not simply hear nothing.
No concern raised through this platform is ever dismissed without review.
Where a child's immediate safety is at risk, the escalation is made without waiting for any internal review process to conclude. Speed of response is never sacrificed for process.
Section 7Key Contacts
Keep these contacts accessible. If you are ever unsure what to do, start with a call.
Emergency
If a child is in immediate danger. Always the first call in an emergency.
Childline
Free. For children and young people. Available 24/7.
CEOP
Online child sexual exploitation and grooming — report directly to specialist police.
VML Kids Safeguarding
For concerns related to this platform. Monitored by qualified safeguarding professionals.
Section 8Version Control and Review
| Document Reference | VML-KIDS-AGA-001 |
| Version | 1.0 — Initial Issue |
| Date of Issue | April 2026 |
| Mandatory Review Date | April 2027 |
| Triggered Review | Immediate, on any relevant legislative or statutory guidance change |
| Owner | Teravoxus Holdings Limited — Senior Leadership |