Online Harm Within Schools: Insights from the 2024 POSH Annual Report

At the UK Safer Internet Centre, we host the Professionals Online Safety Helpline (POSH), a vital support service for those working with children and young people across the UK. The newly published 2024 POSH Annual Report offers an insightful snapshot of the online challenges faced by schools, educators, and safeguarding professionals.

With 2,219 recorded cases last year, the report shines a spotlight on the growing complexity of online harms. From issues around online reputation, cyberbullying, and impersonation to the misuse of school branding, the evolving digital environment presents real and pressing concerns for the education sector.

Download the full report

76% of all cases involved TikTok, reflecting the platform’s central role in the digital lives of young people. Importantly, the report highlights a constructive and proactive partnership between POSH and TikTok.

This collaboration has enabled faster takedowns of harmful content and has shown that open lines of communication between industry and support services can lead to more effective safeguarding outcomes.

In 2024, POSH escalated over 4,000 URLs for content removal across various platforms, achieving a remarkable 94.2% successful takedown rate. This is a testament to the trust placed in POSH by industry partners, and showcases the efficiency of streamlined, expert-led escalation processes.
For many professionals, dealing directly with online platforms can be a frustrating experience. The ability to rely on POSH as a trusted intermediary has become an essential component of online safeguarding in schools. Feedback from the sector consistently shows that using POSH improves outcomes, especially in urgent or reputationally sensitive cases.

As the digital landscape becomes more complex, professionals in education are increasingly turning to POSH for guidance and intervention. Whether navigating cases of cyberbullying, impersonation, or the unauthorised use of school branding, POSH provides not only rapid responses but also reassurance and expert advice.

This growing reliance is a clear indicator of the helpline’s value—not only in supporting young people but also in protecting the wellbeing of school staff and institutions.

The report concludes with a set of key recommendations, including:

– Stronger digital safeguarding policies in schools
– Comprehensive training for education professionals
– Proactive monitoring of school-related content online

The overarching message is simple: collaboration works. When platforms, schools, support services and regulators work together, the results are meaningful and measurable.

For advice, support, or to make a report, contact the Professionals Online Safety Helpline at www.saferinternet.org.uk/professionals-online-safety-helpline