Is surveillance culture fuelling child cyberstalking?

Children being drawn into a world of cyberstalking need to be educated about healthy relationships in the digital age, says Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips. Her comments came in response to a BBC investigation that found some children as young as 10 and 11 had been reported to police forces in England for suspected cyberstalking offences. Charities say constant monitoring online is becoming normalised from a young age. Phillips told the BBC: "We really need to be out there educating young people on what healthy relationships look like and that will be part of the government's violence against women and girls strategy." Cyberstalking is defined as using digital tools to harass, send threats or spread false information. Just like physical stalking it is fixated, obsessive, unwanted, and repetitive behaviour that causes fear, distress, or alarm in the victim. "Young people are told they should be flattered by this sort of behaviour, but it's very serious and can really control lives, making them anxious and nervous," said Phillips. Charlotte Hooper, who works forThe Cyber Helpline, which supports victims of online abuse, knows first-hand how psychologically damaging cyberstalking can be. At 19, pictures from her social media profiles were posted across pornographic websites and other forums filled with explicit comments. "My heart sank," she recalled. "I didn't really know what was going on or who had done this." But Charlotte had first become a victim of cyberstalking when she was much younger. As a teen, Charlotte had tens of thousands of followers on X - many of them older men. But there was one who became disturbingly persistent. "He messaged me daily: 'Hi,' 'How are you?' 'I wish we could talk more'," she said. Eventually, she discovered he was behind the posts on the pornographic sites. The man was cautioned by the police for malicious communications and the messages stopped. But the experience left Charlotte anxious and hyper-aware, especially in public spaces. TheCrime Survey for England and Walesfound people aged 16 to 19 were most likely to be victims of stalking in the year ending March 2024. But the survey does not gather data on under-16s, and new police figures suggest stalking is also affecting younger children. Charlotte believes the "normalisation of digital surveillance" - especially among young people - is fuelling concerning behaviours. "Sharing locations, checking online activity, and constant messaging are often seen as signs of love and care - especially when their parents are doing it for safety," she said. "But it also sets precedents for their other relationships." In Kent, the national charity Protection Against Stalking has expanded its workshops in schools to meet demand. "We've got so many younger people now being referred in from schools, with the youngest being 13," said operations manager Alison Bird. "It's quite concerning that we are getting referrals from children that age and the perpetrators themselves are equally just as young." The Suzy Lamplugh Trust - which runs the National Stalking Helpline - said cyberstalking among under-16s remained "significantly under-researched" and underfunded, despite its growing relevance and impact. At Mascalls Academy secondary school in Kent, students said Snapchat was their most-used app. Its Snap Map feature lets users constantly share their live location with friends. "When I first got with my girlfriend, pretty quickly we both had each other on Snap Map," one student told the BBC. "It wasn't really a big deal - I already had it with all my friends, so why not her as well?" Snapchat shared their safety features with the BBC, which include allowing teenagers to set location-sharing to private as the default, and restricting messaging. Collett Smart, family psychologist and partner in tracking app Life360, says "location sharing can be a valuable tool for both kids and parents but even well-intentioned digital tools should be introduced and managed with care". She stressed the importance of being clear about meaningful consent, adding: "Teach your child that location sharing should always be a choice, never a condition of trust or friendship, whether with parents, friends, or future partners." For Jo Brooks, principal of Mascalls Academy, one of the biggest challenges was the disconnect between students' online behaviour and their behaviour in the classroom. "Some young people feel confident online and see the internet as a shield," she said. "It makes them braver and sometimes more hurtful with their words." Emma Short, professor of cyberpsychology at London Metropolitan University, agrees anonymity can be both protective and harmful. "It lets people explore identities they might not feel safe expressing in real life," she said. "But it also carries the risk of exploitation." In November 2022, the National Stalking Consortium submitted asuper-complaintto the Independent Office for Police Conduct and the College of Policing, raising concerns about how stalking was handled in the UK. In response, the College of Policing has urged for better tracking of online offences. "Every force now has an action plan to properly record all stalking - including online," said Assistant Chief Constable Tom Harding. "That's really important, because we need to be able to track and monitor these offences." The BBC contacted 46 police forces across the UK and among the 27 that responded, 8,365 cyberstalking offences had been recorded in 2024. Only eight forces were able to provide an age breakdown, with the youngest alleged victim recorded as an eight-year-old boy in Wiltshire in 2024 and the youngest suspect was a 10-year-old in Cheshire in 2021. The Metropolitan Police had also recorded two victims under the age of 10, but did not specify how old they were. Anonymity is a common feature in cyberstalking cases, where perpetrators can create multiple accounts to evade detection. To tackle this, the government introduced theRight to Knowstatutory guidance in December, allowing victims to learn their stalker's identity as quickly as possible. New measures have also expanded the use of Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs), which can restrict alleged stalkers from contacting their victims. But charities warn court delays are limiting their effectiveness. "Delays are a big concern," said Phillips. "We're working to strengthen SPOs so victims stay protected - even after sentencing." Follow BBC Kent onFacebook, onX, and onInstagram. 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