Taking action

What further action should I take to report incidents on a social networking site?

• Check your school's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), e-safety guidelines and anti-bullying policy and report the incident to the designated member of staff (eg the e-safety or anti-bullying co-ordinator) and a senior manager immediately.
• Use the ‘Help', ‘Customer Care' or ‘Report Abuse' buttons on the social networking site in question to report the incident to the provider. You can find contact details for the main UK social networking providers here. Many social networking providers offer guidance about whether you should also report an incident to your local police or a specialist law enforcement agency.
• To report any inappropriate or potentially illegal activity towards one of your students occurring online - for example, if someone appears to be making contact with them for sexual reasons - report it to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre.
• If the incident relates to illegal content, specifically child abuse images or content that is criminally obscene and/or an incitement to racial hatred, report it to the Internet Watch Foundation.
• Where there is evidence of an immediate threat to someone's safety, dial 999 for immediate police assistance.
• If the incident relates to someone being bullied, you can find further guidance here.
• Click here for our tips on privacy and personal safety.