Online Safety – and Other Common Parental Concerns

The joys and rewards of parenthood and caregiving can be many.   

According to CALPOL®’s Joys of Parenting survey, around half of parents strongly agree that being a parent is the best thing that has ever happened to them¹.  

However, with unconditional love comes understandable concern. And NSPCC Helpline data has uncovered the most common worries of UK parents and caregivers, shedding light on the real need for support and advice.

Online Safety for Kids

Online safety is one of the biggest concerns for parents in the UK. While there are lots of benefits to children being online, many of us know that there are just as many potential dangers too.

When asked how often they worry about the time their children spend online, 40% of parents admit they worry ‘sometimes’, while 28% worry ‘often’. One mother expressed concern about her daughter spending hours on social media¹.

“I think it’s contributing to how she feels about her body, but she says this is normal for her age. Am I being controlling suggesting she reduce her scrolling time?”

Now more than ever, it’s important to understand the potential risks to children’s online safety. These include:

• Talking to strangers

• Sharing their location  

• Feeling pressure to look a certain way

• Being exposed to inappropriate content.

The NSPCC is here to help, you can find more advice and support about online safety.

Using social media and video apps can expose children to harmful material, and with more children using smartphones, tablets, and other technology, it can be difficult to supervise.  

“I thought I’d always been clear about online dangers with my daughters, but I’ve just found one of them accepting strangers on social media and having conversations with them! How can I address this without her hiding more things from me in the future?”

It can be useful to review the safety and privacy settings on the apps your child uses. Remind them that they shouldn’t share location information and gently talk through the dangers of talking to strangers.

The NSPCC offers advice on this subject often. You can find further resources from them covering online safety here.

Online Bullying

UK parents cited online bullying (or cyberbullying) as another major concern. According to recent data, only 26% of parents say they know ‘a lot’ about what their child gets up to online². This can sadly present opportunities for bullying and peer pressure and various types of abuse to occur.

Online bullying can happen across a range of cyberspaces, including:

• Emails

• Social media

• Online chats

• Texting apps

• Online gaming

• Live-streaming sites.

Bullying and online abuse can range from name-calling and rumour-spreading to threats and harassment. Children may experience online bullying from someone they know (for example, at school), or from total strangers.  

“I bought my son a VR headset, and I’m so concerned about what he’s been exposed to. So many of the games let you speak to unknown people, he’s had horrible messages, bullying, so much inappropriate language…”

Around 20% of 10 to 15-year-olds experienced at least one type of cyberbullying between April 2022 and March 2023ᵌ. And unlike in-person bullying, online bullying can follow a child anywhere on the internet.  

Children can be afraid to tell others they are being bullied due to embarrassment or fear of retaliation. Still, over half (56%) of kids told their parent or guardian about online bullying, while 48% confided in their friendsᵌ.

The NSPCC has more advice and support about online bullying

If your child ever reports online bullying, try to let them know they’ve done the right thing by telling you. Listen carefully and reassure them it’s not their fault. Consider reviewing their privacy settings and reporting any online abuse.

Offline Bullying

Even in the digital age, bullying away from social media and online gaming can be as much of an issue for children as it ever was. Indeed, it remains one of the most common parental concerns for the NSPCC helpline.  

Bullying can involve:

• Hitting or other physical attacks  

• Name-calling

• Spreading rumours

• Exclusion/shunning

• Exerting pressure to do things

• Threatening or undermining someone.

Offline bullying can occur at or outside of school and can be repeated over a long period of time. Unlike online bullying, offline or in-person bullying can directly harm a child physically, as well as emotionally.

“We’d noticed our daughter had become withdrawn over the last few months and turns out she’s being bullied. School has done some detentions, is there a way to get the school to address this seriously?”

When it comes to schools, 47% who’d experienced in-person bullying claimed their school didn’t handle bullying well at allᵌ.

The effects of bullying can impact a child’s mental health and lead to anxiety and self-esteem issues. It can also cause tension in the body, resulting in additional physical symptoms.  

The NSPCC is also here to help, with further support and advice to help you with bullying.

If you suspect your child is being bullied at school or elsewhere, consider sitting them down. Encourage them to express themselves and let them know you’re there for them. You can arrange a meeting with the school to discuss a possible solution.  

Of course, the NSPCC helpline is also here to help. Further NSPCC guidance on bullying can be found here.

Child Anxiety & Children’s Mental Health

Many callers to the NSPCC express concerns around their child’s mental, and emotional health, with anxiety, stress and unhappiness being among the common issues. There was a 77% rise in severe mental health cases between 2019 and 2021, among young people, demonstrating the growing need for children’s mental health support.  

“My youngest has always had a lot of anxiety, but recently she’s really struggled to regulate her emotions. It’s manifesting as physical headaches and stomach aches, and as anger against her siblings. I think it’s making my other children anxious too…”  

A child’s mental and emotional health can be just as important as their physical safety. Signs of anxiety and depression can sometimes seem like normal behaviour. But there are some signs to be aware of, such as:

• Lack of motivation

• Becoming withdrawn

• Regularly being tearful or upset

• Feeling nervous often

• Having panic attacks

• Change in sleeping or eating habits.

It’s important to know how to talk to your child about their mental health. If you think your child is struggling, you should first let them know you’re on their side. Reassure them that they can trust you, and consider teaching them coping strategies for dealing with stress and anxiety.

If you suspect your child has depression, is engaging in self-harm, or may be suicidal, seek professional help or call the NSPCC Helpline as soon as possible.  

You can also read more of the NSPCC’s guidance on children’s mental health here, for additional advice.

Sexuality & Gender Identity

Children and young peoples’ sexuality and gender identity is a key concern among parents.

It’s natural for children and young people to show curiosity about physical and emotional attraction as they grow. Younger children might question sex or the changes they experience during puberty. Teenagers might begin to express their sexuality in healthy ways – and some might feel unsure about who they’re attracted to.

A child or young person might also question their gender identity. This describes how someone feels about their gender, which may or may not match their sex assigned at birth. Gender identity is personal and can be expressed in several ways.  

It’s common for children and young people to feel uncomfortable to ‘come out’, regarding their sexuality or gender identity. The fear of rejection or not being taken seriously can prevent children and young people from expressing themselves freely.

"My teenager recently came out as gay and I said some pretty harsh things to him which I regret. I’m trying to mend things with him, but he doesn’t want anything to do with me right now. I just need someone to speak to about this to help me make it right again.”  

It can take a lot of courage for a child or young person to come out. If they do, listen to how they feel and let them know you’re there for them. On the other hand, if you suspect your child might be questioning their sexuality, try not to pressure them into talking. If you foster a supportive environment, they may eventually confide in you.

It’s important to approach the situation with sensitivity and understanding. For more information, see NSPCC’s guidance on sexuality and gender identity.

Keeping Children Safe

As a parent, or caregiver, you may face all kinds of challenges, but the important thing to remember is that you’re not alone.  

For help keeping children safe – whether it’s online safety, mental health or school troubles, check out the NSPCC’s support and advice for parents. Or if you need to talk something through, don’t hesitate to contact the NSPCC Helpline. A child protection specialist will be there to support you.

For the seventh year in a row, CALPOL® are supporting the NSPCC Helpline to help protect children across the UK. Check out our Don’t Bottle It Up campaign and FAQs page for more information.

Johnson & Johnson Limited will donate 5p to NSPCC per CALPOL® product sold in store & online: Tesco from 2nd April–13th May, Asda 12th June–6th August, Superdrug 23rd April–20th May, Well Pharmacy 15th May–18th June, Boots 21st May–15th July, Morrisons 4th June–1st July, Ocado 21st May–15th July, in 2025 in the UK. Johnson & Johnson Limited are helping the NSPCC Helpline respond to 20,000 people in 2025 through providing a total donation of £100,000. NSPCC is a registered charity (England and Wales 216401; Scotland SC037717; Jersey (384).CALPOL® Infant Original Oral Suspension for infants 2 months + (weighing over 4kg & not premature). Contains paracetamol. For pain and fever. Always read the label.