How can CEOP help me and the child concerned?

CEOP helps keep children and young people safe from sexual abuse and grooming online. We help thousands of children and young people every year, as well as their parents and carers who have been in a similar situation to you. CEOP are unable to respond to reports about bullying, fake accounts or account hacking.  

We are here to help and give you advice, and you can make a report directly to us if you are worried about online sexual abuse or something has happened to a child online which has made either you or the child feel unsafe, scared or worried. This might be from someone they know in real life, or someone they have only ever met online.

If you make a report to CEOP about sexual abuse and grooming online one of our Child Protection Advisors will get in contact with you on the phone number or email address that you give to us to talk about what you have reported, to make sure your child is safe and discuss what will happen next. Please try not to worry, your child has done nothing wrong and we will do all we can to help. 

We will work together with you and lots of other professionals whose jobs are also to make sure the child concerned is safe, this includes other police agencies. If a crime has been committed we will work together and use our specialist skills to identify the person or people responsible and bring them into the criminal justice system. Please note, if you have already reported your concern to your local statutory service, including children's social care or the police, you do not need to make a report to CEOP. 

CEOP are unable to respond to reports about bullying but if you're worried that a child is being bullied online, or want to discuss a concern or seek advice right now, you can call the NSPCC helpline for parents and professionals at any time on 0808 800 5000, or visit their website.

For further information and advice, the CEOP Education programme provides resources, training and support for professionals who work directly with children and young people to help them keep themselves safe online and from sexual abuse and exploitation.  

What can I expect from CEOP Child Protection Advisors?

A Child Protection Advisor is someone who:

• Will provide you with practical advice in relation to what you should do next.
• Will always act in the best interests of the child
• Will make decisions with you
• Will explain what happens next
• Is experienced in this field of work and has helped lots of other professionals