Search if you hear something you don’t know

If a young person talks about a digital risk and you don’t recognise the word or phrase, you can use the online risk guide to search for it.

The online risk guide includes other names that digital risks might be known as. This can help you link the language that young people use with your knowledge as a practitioner.

Install the site on your phone

If you are using the online risk guide on your phone you can add a shortcut to your home screen.

• open the site in a browser on your mobile phone
• tap on the arrow symbol next to the link in the top right corner
• select 'Add to Home Screen'

You will see an icon appear on your mobile phone home screen. You can access the site directly from there in the future.

Use the online risk guide to inform sessions

You might run individual, group or parent sessions as part of your role. The ‘what you can do’ section can help you to identify relevant discussion points.

You can use the ‘in their words’ section to show how young people:

• feel about an issue
• want to be spoken to about an online risk

Share information with other professionals

You can use the online risk guide as part of best practice and share links and articles with:

• practitioners
• other professionals, like teachers
• parents and carers

You can also share information about your own professional experience (opens in a new tab). We would love to hear from you if there is information that you think is missing from the guide, or any emerging online risks that we should be looking into.

Maintain professional curiosity

The internet is always changing and apps and tools you’re familiar with bring out new features regularly. You can use the online risk guide, alongside other resources, to help with any research.

You can use the ‘read more about’ links in articles to find out about digital risks in more detail.

Think about young people as individuals

When you’re reading about online risks, it’s important to balance the risk in the context of a young person’s lived experience. Use your knowledge with an individual’s risk and protective factors.

If you’re not sure about a situation, you should follow your organisation's safeguarding procedure.

Stay balanced with the positives online

Everything has risks associated with it, and online spaces are no different. They can offer benefits to young people.

As a professional practitioner, you’re familiar with how to respond to risks. Use your common sense and take time to understand and balance the benefits and risks of online spaces.

Reflect age and stage in conversation

The information in the online risk guide is useful. You can use it alongside your professional knowledge to help young people to:

• develop healthy habits online
• become digitally resilient

When you talk to young people, do so in a way that’s appropriate for their age and stage of life.

Balance digital risks with the rights of the child

Barnardo's online risk guide is a tool and does not replace any existing policies and procedures that you follow.

It's designed to work to help you make appropriate decisions to support the safety of the young people in your care.