Step-by-step guides to report harmful content, accounts, or conversations on the apps your child uses. Act quickly — evidence can disappear.
TikTok
Instagram
Roblox
Snapchat
Discord
WhatsApp
YouTube
Minecraft
Take screenshots before reporting
Evidence may disappear after you report. Screenshot the conversation, profile, or content first — then proceed with the steps below.
TikTok
Used by children from age 10+. Short videos, live streams, and DMs. High risk of inappropriate contact and content.
Age 13+ required
Before you report
Screenshot or screen-record the content, profile page, and any messages
Note the username (e.g. @username123) and the date you saw it
Don't delete the content from your child's device yet — it may be needed as evidence
Reporting steps
1
Open the video or profile
Navigate to the video, comment, or profile you want to report. You can report videos, comments, DMs, and entire accounts.
2
Tap the Share arrow
On a video: tap the arrow icon on the right side of the screen. On a profile: tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner.
For DMs: long-press the message → tap "Report"
3
Tap "Report"
From the share menu, scroll down and tap "Report". A category list will appear.
4
Choose the reason
Select the most accurate category. For child safety concerns use: "Minor safety" or "Sexual content" or "Harassment and bullying".
"Minor safety" sends it to a specialist review team
5
Submit the report
Tap "Submit". TikTok will confirm receipt. You can check the status under Settings → Support → Reports.
6
Block the account
Go to the profile → tap the three-dot menu → "Block". This prevents them from seeing your child's content or contacting them again.
7
Enable Family Pairing
In TikTok settings, link your account to your child's via Family Pairing. This lets you control their settings, screen time, and DM permissions remotely.
Settings → Digital Wellbeing → Family Pairing
If the situation is serious
If you believe your child has been groomed, solicited, or shared images — contact police immediately. TikTok will cooperate with law enforcement requests. Do not confront the other person online.
Instagram
Photos, Reels, Stories, and DMs. Used widely from age 12+. Key risks include unsolicited DMs, photo sharing requests, and anonymous accounts.
Age 13+ required
Before you report
Screenshot the profile, posts, and any DM conversations
Note the full username and any linked accounts
Check if your child's account is private — change to private if not
Reporting steps
1
Go to the post or profile
Navigate to the specific post, story, comment, or profile you want to report. You can report posts, reels, DMs, comments, and profiles separately.
2
Tap the three-dot menu (⋮)
On a post: tap the three dots in the top-right of the post. On a profile: tap the three dots in the top-right of their page. On a DM: long-press the message.
3
Tap "Report"
Select "Report" from the menu. Instagram will ask you to choose what you're reporting and why.
4
Select the category
Choose "It's inappropriate" then select the specific reason. For child safety: "Involves a child" or "Nudity or sexual activity".
Meta has a dedicated child safety team for these reports
5
Submit and optionally block
Tap "Submit" to send the report. Instagram will then offer to block or restrict the account — choose "Block" to prevent further contact.
6
Set account to private
Go to Settings → Privacy → Account Privacy → switch to Private. Enable "Restrict" on suspicious followers without them knowing.
If nude or sexual images of a minor were shared, contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) via CyberTipline.org, or your local police. Instagram will remove content when law enforcement requests it.
Roblox
Gaming platform with chat. Very popular with children aged 6–16. Risk of predatory contact through in-game chat and group DMs.
No minimum age — high child exposure
Before you report
Screenshot the chat or player profile before reporting
Note the exact Roblox username (not display name) — look for @username
Check which games or groups your child shares with this person
Reporting steps — In-game
1
Open the menu inside the game
Tap the Roblox icon (top-left on mobile) or press Escape (on PC) to open the in-game menu.
2
Find the player
Go to the Players tab in the menu. Find the player you want to report and tap on their name.
3
Tap "Report Abuse"
Select "Report Abuse" from the player options. A form will appear asking for details.
4
Choose category and describe
Select the abuse type (e.g. "Inappropriate Contact"). In the description, include what was said or done and when. Be specific.
Copy-paste the exact message if possible
5
Submit the report
Tap "Submit". You can also report via the Roblox website at roblox.com/abusereport/user.
6
Enable parental controls
On roblox.com, go to Account → Settings → Privacy. Set "Who can chat with me" to "Friends" only. Enable a 4-digit PIN to prevent your child changing these settings.
Under-13 accounts have stricter defaults automatically
If contact moved off-platform
If a Roblox user convinced your child to move to another app (Discord, WhatsApp, Snapchat), this is a major grooming red flag. Report on both platforms and contact police. Preserve all evidence.
Snapchat
Disappearing photos and messages. Popular from age 13+. The "disappearing" nature makes evidence preservation critical.
Messages disappear — screenshot immediately
Before you report — URGENT
Screenshot immediately — snaps and messages disappear automatically
Use a second device to photograph the screen if in-app screenshot triggers a notification
Save the username and Snapcode if visible
Reporting steps
1
Go to the conversation or story
Open the chat or navigate to the story/profile you want to report. Act quickly — content may disappear.
2
Long-press the message or snap
Press and hold the specific message or snap. A menu will appear at the bottom of the screen.
For profiles: tap their Bitmoji → three dots → Report
3
Tap "Report"
Select "Report" from the menu. For account-level reports: go to their profile → ⚙ → "Report".
4
Choose the reason
Select the appropriate category. For child safety: "Sexualisation of minors" or "Harassment". Add a description with as much detail as possible.
5
Submit and block
Submit the report. After submitting, block the user: Settings → Blocked → Add by username, or from their profile directly.
6
Enable Family Center
Snapchat's Family Center lets parents see who their child is messaging (not the content). Settings → Family Center → Link with child's account.
Set "Who can contact me" to Friends Only
Lost evidence?
If content has already disappeared, law enforcement can still request data from Snap Inc. with a legal order. File a police report — they have the legal tools to retrieve it. Do not assume the evidence is gone forever.
Discord
Gaming chat platform with servers and DMs. Used from age 13+. High risk — predators join gaming servers to target young players.
Age 13+ — no built-in parental controls
Before you report
Screenshot the messages, the user's profile, and their User ID (right-click → Copy ID, if Developer Mode is on)
Note which server this happened in — server name and invite link if possible
Check your child's DM list and server memberships
Reporting a message
1
Find the message
Navigate to the specific message in a server or DM conversation that you want to report.
2
Right-click (or long-press) the message
On desktop: right-click the message to open the context menu. On mobile: long-press the message. A menu will appear.
3
Select "Report Message"
Click or tap "Report Message" from the context menu. This sends the message and surrounding context directly to Discord's Trust & Safety team.
4
Choose the category
Select the most fitting reason. For child safety: "Child Safety" or "Sharing personal information" or "Harassment".
"Child Safety" triggers priority review
5
Submit and block
Submit the report. Then right-click the user's name → "Block" to prevent further contact. For servers, use "Leave Server" from the server name → Leave Server.
6
Also report via web
For serious incidents: go to discord.com/safety → "Report" and submit a detailed report including the user's ID and server. Discord's Trust & Safety team responds faster to web reports.
Enable 2FA on your child's account immediately
No built-in parental controls
Discord has no parental control system. For under-18s, consider removing Discord access, or use a router-level content filter. If CSAM (child sexual abuse material) is involved, report directly to NCMEC's CyberTipline and your local police.
WhatsApp
Widely used messaging app. No minimum age verification. Risk of direct contact from unknown numbers and group chat exposure.
Phone number required — blocks number, not person
Before you report
Screenshot the full conversation history including dates and the contact's phone number
Note the phone number of the contact — WhatsApp shares the last 5 messages when you report
Do not delete the conversation before reporting
Reporting a contact or chat
1
Open the chat
Open the specific conversation with the contact you want to report.
2
Tap the three-dot menu
On Android: tap the three dots (⋮) in the top-right. On iPhone: tap the contact name at the top of the chat to open their profile.
3
Select "More" → "Report"
Tap "More" from the menu, then "Report". On iPhone, scroll down the contact's profile page to find "Report".
WhatsApp will automatically send their last 5 messages to its safety team
4
Confirm and block
Confirm the report. After reporting, WhatsApp will offer to block the contact — tap "Block" to prevent any further messages.
5
Report individual messages too
Long-press any specific message → tap the three-dot icon → "Report". This flags specific content for WhatsApp's review.
6
Privacy settings
Settings → Privacy: set "Who can see my phone number" to "Nobody", "Last seen" to "Nobody", and disable "Read receipts". This reduces your child's visibility to strangers.
Check Settings → Privacy → Groups to restrict who can add your child to groups
Important limitation
Blocking a number does not prevent someone from creating a new number. If you believe your child is being targeted, contact police. WhatsApp cooperates with law enforcement — a legal order can retrieve message metadata and account info even if messages are end-to-end encrypted.
YouTube
Billions of videos including child-targeted content. Risks include inappropriate recommendations, predatory comments, and live stream contact.
Age 13+ — YouTube Kids available for under-13s
Before you report
Copy the URL of the video, channel, or comment you're reporting
Screenshot the content and the channel name/handle
Note the date — YouTube may remove content before your report is reviewed
Reporting steps
1
Open the video or channel
Navigate to the specific video, comment, or channel you want to report. You can report videos, comments, and entire channels.
2
Tap the three-dot menu (⋮)
On a video: tap the three dots below or beside the title. On a comment: long-press the comment and tap the flag icon. On a channel: tap the three-dot icon on their page.
3
Select "Report"
Tap "Report" from the menu. A list of categories will appear.
4
Choose a reason
Select the most accurate reason: "Sexual content", "Violent or repulsive content", "Hateful or abusive content", or "Harmful dangerous acts". For child safety issues select "Sexual content involving a minor".
5
Submit the report
Tap "Submit" to complete the report. YouTube typically reviews reports within 24-72 hours. You'll receive a notification in YouTube Studio if action is taken.
For under-13s, use the YouTube Kids app instead of regular YouTube. For teens, set up a Supervised Google Account: go to families.google.com to link your child's account, then use Family Link to manage content settings.
Set YouTube to "Restricted Mode" in the app Settings for an extra content filter layer
For serious threats
If the content involves grooming, CSAM, or a direct threat to your child, do not just report to YouTube — contact your local police and report to NCMEC (US), IWF (UK), or your national reporting centre. YouTube may remove the video before police can view it, so preserve your screenshots first.
Minecraft
One of the most popular games for children. Online multiplayer, in-game chat, and public servers create opportunities for predatory contact and inappropriate content.
No minimum age — parental controls via Xbox/Microsoft Family
Before you report
Screenshot the chat messages, including the username/gamertag of the person
Note which server or realm the incident occurred in
Check Xbox/Microsoft account report history to confirm the gamertag spelling
Reporting steps
1
Find the player's gamertag
In Minecraft, open the chat or pause menu and locate the player's Xbox gamertag. Every Minecraft player on Bedrock Edition uses their Xbox/Microsoft account name.
2
Open the player's profile
Tap on the player's name in the players list or chat. This opens their Xbox profile card within the game. You can also find them via the Xbox app or Xbox.com.
3
Tap "Report" on their profile
On the player profile card, select "Report". Choose the most relevant category: "Inappropriate content", "Threatening language", or "Harassment".
Reports go to Microsoft's Xbox Safety team — the same team covers all Minecraft on Bedrock
4
Block the player
After reporting, tap "Block" on the same profile card. This prevents them from contacting your child in any Xbox game, not just Minecraft. The block is account-wide.
5
Use Microsoft Family Safety
Go to family.microsoft.com or install the Microsoft Family Safety app. Link your child's account to restrict Minecraft to friends-only multiplayer, limit screen time, and review their Xbox activity history.
Set "Communication & multiplayer" to "Friends only" in Xbox privacy settings at account.xbox.com/settings
6
Switch to private or Realm-only play
Instead of public servers, set your child up with a private Minecraft Realm — a subscription world only accessible to invited players. Go to Minecraft → Play → Create New → Create on Realm, and only invite known friends.
Java Edition has fewer parental controls than Bedrock — Bedrock on Xbox or tablet is safer for younger children
For serious incidents
If your child received sexually explicit messages, threats, or was asked to share images, contact police immediately. Microsoft's Xbox Safety team cooperates with law enforcement — preserve your screenshots before reporting, as Microsoft may act on the account quickly.
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