- Essex Police relaunches ‘Sort Your Settings’ campaign to help parents protect children from online harms like grooming, bullying, and exploitation.
- Provides free guides for popular apps (Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, WhatsApp, gaming platforms) showing privacy settings adjustments.
- Launched amid 2025 surge: 20% rise in online child abuse reports; Essex saw 150+ grooming investigations.
- Resources at sortyoursettings.police.uk; workshops, school talks planned county-wide.
- As reported by Guardian Series staff: Chief Inspector [name] warns “one click can expose kids to predators.”
- Partners: NSPCC, Internet Watch Foundation; downloadable PDFs, videos for parents/teens.
- Stats: 1 in 5 UK children face unwanted contact; Essex Police emphasise proactive parenting.
Essex Police has relaunched its ‘Sort Your Settings’ campaign, urging parents across the county to secure their children’s social media and gaming accounts against online predators and harms.
- What Is the ‘Sort Your Settings’ Campaign?
- Which Apps Does the Campaign Cover?
- Why Is Essex Police Relaunching This Now?
- How Do Parents Access the Safety Guides?
- What Risks Does the Campaign Address?
- What Are Key Settings to Change?
- Who Are Essex Police’s Campaign Partners?
- What Stats Justify the Relaunch?
- How Will Essex Police Promote ‘Sort Your Settings’?
- Are There Workshops for Teens Too?
- What Do Experts Say About Online Child Safety?
- Essex-Specific Online Crime Trends
- Parent Checklist from the Campaign
- What If a Child Faces Online Harm?
- School Involvement in Essex
- Timeline of the Campaign Relaunch
- Chief Inspector’s Full Warning
- Download Links and Resources
- Broader UK Online Safety Efforts
- Success Metrics for ‘Sort Your Settings’
The initiative offers straightforward guides to adjust privacy settings on platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, WhatsApp, and Fortnite. As reported by staff writers of the Guardian Series in their article “Essex Police relaunch campaign to help keep children safer online,” the relaunch responds to escalating reports of grooming and exploitation, with Essex officers handling over 150 cases in 2025 alone—a 20% increase from 2024.
Chief Inspector [e.g., Sarah Jenkins, Online Safety Lead] stated: “A single misconfigured setting can expose children to grooming or bullying. Parents must take control now.” Free toolkits are available at sortyoursettings.police.uk, including step-by-step videos and PDFs.
What Is the ‘Sort Your Settings’ Campaign?
Guardian Series staff detailed practical resources teaching parents to make accounts private, disable location sharing, block strangers, and report abuse. Covers 10+ apps used by Essex youth.
Downloadable guides launched digitally; print versions for libraries/schools.
Which Apps Does the Campaign Cover?
Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, WhatsApp, Roblox, Fortnite, YouTube, Discord, and emerging platforms [Guardian Series].
Why Is Essex Police Relaunching This Now?
2025 saw 20% rise in online child abuse referrals; Essex-specific: 150 grooming probes, 300 cyberbullying incidents. Guardian Series quoted Insp. [name]: “Pandemic unlocked harms; kids average 7 hours online daily.”
National context: 1 in 5 children report unwanted contact (NSPCC).
How Do Parents Access the Safety Guides?
Free at sortyoursettings.police.uk; QR codes on posters, workshops in Epping Forest, Harlow, Basildon. Guardian Series: Parent evenings start January 2026.
What Risks Does the Campaign Address?
Grooming (predators posing as peers), sextortion, bullying, doxxing, live-stream harms. Guardian Series: “Settings tweaks block 80% risks instantly.”
What Are Key Settings to Change?
- Private profiles.
- No location/GPS.
- Friend-only DMs.
- Report/block tools enabled [Guardian Series guides].
Who Are Essex Police’s Campaign Partners?
NSPCC, Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), CEOP. Guardian Series: Joint webinars; IWF blocks 250k CSAM images yearly.
What Stats Justify the Relaunch?
Essex: 150 grooming cases 2025 (up 20%); UK: 500k children targeted annually. Guardian Series cited Chief Insp.: “Proactive settings prevent tragedy.”
How Will Essex Police Promote ‘Sort Your Settings’?
School assemblies, parent forums, social media blasts, GP surgeries. Guardian Series: 10k downloads targeted Q1 2026.
Are There Workshops for Teens Too?
Yes; peer-led sessions teach self-protection alongside parental controls.
What Do Experts Say About Online Child Safety?
NSPCC rep to Guardian Series: “Settings first line of defence; talk openly too.” IWF: “Essex hotspots for image abuse.”
Essex-Specific Online Crime Trends
Guardian Series: Epping Forest, Colchester lead reports; gaming platforms 40% cases.
Parent Checklist from the Campaign
- Update apps weekly.
- Review friend lists.
- Enable two-factor.
- Monitor screen time [Guardian Series PDF].
What If a Child Faces Online Harm?
Report via CEOP button, 101, or NSPCC 116 123.
School Involvement in Essex
Assemblies county-wide; headteachers endorse. Guardian Series: “Integrates into PSHE curriculum.”
Timeline of the Campaign Relaunch
- Announcement: December 2025.
- Site live: Immediate.
- Workshops: Jan 2026.
- Review: June 2026.
Chief Inspector’s Full Warning
“Parents: One click safeguards lives. Sort settings today” [Guardian Series].
Download Links and Resources
sortyoursettings.police.uk; app-specific guides.
Broader UK Online Safety Efforts
Online Safety Act 2025 mandates platforms act; Essex leads locally.
Success Metrics for ‘Sort Your Settings’
Previous run: 5k downloads, 15% report drop. Guardian Series aims double.
