What it is
Facebook is a social network for profiles, groups, events, and Messenger. Many parents are on it. Children often are not supposed to be, and some still make an account with a borrowed birthday.
The public feed is only part of it. Groups can be closed, Marketplace chats are one-to-one, and a friend request from an adult can look ordinary.
What to look out for
- An account with a birthday that is not theirs.
- Friend requests from adults they have not met.
- Closed groups you cannot see.
- Marketplace or event chats with strangers.
- A profile that lists their school, town, and sports club.
Ways to stay safe
These steps are for Facebook. The house rules still apply on every app.
- If they are under the age the service allows, the account should come down.
- For an older teen, lock the profile, turn off public friend lists, and review friends with them.
- Remove the school, phone number, and precise town from the about section.
- Check that Messenger requests are not sitting unread from strangers.
In the news
Published reports you can read yourself. A headline is the proof, not a set of instructions, and this page does not repeat graphic detail.
- Criminals are using private messaging to groom children Where police named the app, 40% of cases were Snapchat, 9% were WhatsApp, and 9% were Facebook and Instagram.
- Online grooming crimes against children increase by 89% in six years Where police named the app: Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook and Messenger, Instagram, and Kik.
A way to start the conversation
You can say: "A friend request is not a friend. If you do not know them in real life, we leave it. And we do not put your school on a profile anyone can search."
Video
Parent briefing
A short video for this guide can be added by an editor. Until then, the written briefing above is the one to use.