Grandparents
Plain-language guidance for older generations who want to understand games, apps, devices, private messages, online friends, and warning signs without feeling overwhelmed by technology.
Grandparents GuideParents cannot carry online safety alone. Children are safer when grandparents, carers, teachers, coaches, aunties, uncles, older siblings, family friends, youth workers, and babysitters understand the same warning signs, use the same calm language, and know what to do when something online feels wrong.
A child’s online life does not stay neatly inside one house, one device, one app, or one adult’s supervision. Children move between homes, schools, grandparents’ houses, sports clubs, sleepovers, gaming groups, group chats, and family networks.
Sometimes the first adult to notice a problem is not the parent. It might be a grandparent who notices a child becoming withdrawn. It might be a teacher who sees behaviour change at school. It might be a coach who hears something concerning. It might be an older sibling who sees a younger child hiding messages.
POSH trains every safe adult to recognise patterns earlier, respond calmly, and help children stay connected to protection instead of secrecy.
Every safe adult does not need to become a technology expert. But every safe adult should know the same basic response pathway.
The first goal is not to interrogate the child. The first goal is to keep the child safe enough to keep talking.
Different adults need the same core safety message explained through their own role. A grandparent, teacher, coach, carer, and older sibling should not be given the same page. They need guidance that fits what they are likely to notice and what they are responsible for.
Plain-language guidance for older generations who want to understand games, apps, devices, private messages, online friends, and warning signs without feeling overwhelmed by technology.
Grandparents GuideTraining for building the home safety system: family rules, device visibility, conversations, routines, safety checks, platform awareness, and early action.
Parent TrainingGuidance for kinship carers, foster carers, guardians, and adults supporting children who may already have trust, trauma, attachment, secrecy, or device-risk patterns.
Carer TrainingSchool-focused guidance for recognising behaviour changes, friendship pressure, hidden online conflict, disclosure signs, device issues, and when to escalate through the right pathway.
Teacher TrainingGuidance for sport, dance, martial arts, youth groups, clubs, and community activities where adults may become trusted figures around children.
Coach TrainingGuidance for trusted adults who may not be the parent but may still notice secrecy, device changes, emotional pressure, or a child acting differently.
Family Network GuideA careful guide for older siblings. They are not responsible for fixing adult problems, but they can learn when not to hide unsafe secrets and when to tell a safe adult.
Older Sibling GuideGuidance for adults working with young people who may disclose online pressure, harassment, threats, sexualised contact, bullying, isolation, or exploitation.
Youth Worker TrainingSimple supervision guidance for adults responsible for children during sleepovers, babysitting, school holidays, family visits, and device-heavy environments.
Babysitter GuideThe online world can feel confusing because the apps change constantly. But the safety patterns underneath are more consistent than they look.
A child may not say, “I am being groomed,” “I am being manipulated,” or “I am being blackmailed.” They may say someone is annoying them, someone keeps messaging, someone told them not to tell, someone has screenshots, or someone will be angry if they block them.
Risk does not always begin with obvious threats. It can begin with attention, compliments, gifts, gaming help, emotional support, private jokes, secret chats, or someone making the child feel special and understood.
Hiding a phone, deleting messages, switching screens quickly, using hidden accounts, staying up late, or becoming panicked when a device is checked does not prove danger by itself, but it does mean adults should slow down and look closer.
If a child thinks telling the truth will mean yelling, punishment, embarrassment, or losing all devices forever, they may hide the situation longer. Calm adult language helps keep the door open.
One sign on its own may not prove anything. Several signs together mean the adults around the child should pay attention, stay calm, and reduce private risk.
The first response matters. A child who feels blamed may shut down. A child who feels safe may keep talking.
“You are not in trouble for telling me. I am glad you said something. We can slow this down together.”
“The device is not the main issue right now. Your safety matters more. I need to understand what happened.”
“You do not have to explain it perfectly. Start with what you can. I will stay calm and listen.”
“Safe adults do not ask children to hide unsafe things. You did the right thing telling someone.”
Unsafe responses can accidentally push a child deeper into secrecy. Adults do not need to be perfect, but they should avoid the reactions that make children feel blamed, trapped, or afraid.
Avoid calling the child silly, stupid, dirty, dramatic, or careless. Shame can make a child protect the secret instead of seeking help.
A loud or explosive reaction may teach the child that telling an adult makes everything worse. Calm does not mean passive. Calm means controlled.
If safety is involved, an adult may need to involve the right parent, guardian, school, service, or authority. Promise support, not secrecy.
Messages, usernames, links, screenshots, account names, and timestamps may matter later. If safe, preserve evidence before removing access.
Directly confronting someone online can escalate risk, trigger deletion, increase threats, or make evidence harder to preserve.
Teachers, coaches, carers, and family friends should follow safeguarding pathways. Support the child and escalate appropriately.
Some situations need calm action now. Do not wait for perfect proof if the child may be unsafe.
Move faster if there are threats, blackmail, sexual requests, requests for photos, pressure to keep secrets, talk of meeting in person, fear, coercion, gifts being used as pressure, or an adult or unknown person trying to move the child to a more private app.
Stay calm. Support the child. Preserve evidence. Reduce unsafe contact. Get help.
Adults also need quick pathways by what is happening. These pages help safe adults move from concern into action.
Learn why hiding, deleting, and secrecy can happen, and how to respond without making the child hide more.
Hiding MessagesUnderstand online strangers, gaming friends, private chats, and when online contact becomes more concerning.
Talking To A StrangerLearn why moving from games into Discord, Snapchat, Instagram, Telegram, or private chats can increase risk.
Off-Platform MovementUnderstand how gifts, skins, Robux, currency, or special help inside games can create pressure and dependency.
Currency RiskLearn how to check devices calmly, avoid panic, and keep the child talking while increasing safety.
Check A Device CalmlyBuild a shared approach across homes, family members, carers, grandparents, and trusted adults.
House RulesThe strongest safety system is not fear. It is shared language. When every safe adult says similar things, watches for similar signs, and responds in a similar calm way, children are less likely to feel trapped between secrecy and punishment.
POSH rule: The child should hear the same message from every safe adult — “You can tell us. You are not alone. We will stay calm. We will help.”
Start with the role or situation that fits best.