Internet Matters has published a research briefing about children’s and parents’ perspectives and experiences of blocking and reporting harmful content and interactions on platforms.

Blocking and reporting are tools designed to help users manage their online experiences, allowing them to limit interactions with harmful individuals and flag inappropriate content to platforms for review and potentially removal. Although these tools are widely available, research suggests that children and young people often do not use them when they encounter harm online.

To further understand this challenge, Internet Matters conducted a UK nationally representative survey of 2,000 parents of children aged 3-17 and 1,000 children aged 9-17. They also conducted supplementary qualitative research including a mixed gender focus group with 5 children aged 15 and 16 and an interview with one 15-year-old boy.

The research with parents and children found:
• 71% of children have experienced harm online – but only 36% report it
• Children know how to report, but they don’t know what happens next
• Barriers like unclear language, too many steps, or lack of trust stop them from reporting
• Parents want to be able to support their children to report and escalate complaints beyond platforms

Recommendations call for age-appropriate, child-centred reporting tools; support for parents to report on children’s behalf, including the creation of an independent complaints body for child safety reports; greater transparency on reporting data from platforms; and prioritisation of reports that come from or involve children.