A disturbing rise is seen in cyberstalking cases involving children, both as victims and perpetrators. As technology blurs boundaries, experts argue that what starts as innocent digital monitoring is morphing into obsessive, controlling behaviours. The UK government and charities now face mounting pressure to address the growing normalization of surveillance in young people’s relationships, with safeguarding minister Jess Phillips calling for urgent education on “healthy digital love.”
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A Generation Raised on Insta Stories and Monitoring
In homes and hallways across the UK, many children are growing up in a world where constant digital surveillance is not only normal, it’s expected. From parents tracking them for safety to peer relationships defined by location sharing, live-status checks, and persistent messaging, a surveillance mindset is quietly embedding itself into daily life.
Snapchat’s Snap Map, Life360, and similar apps, once hailed as protective tools, are increasingly used as tools of control. The consequences are now surfacing in UK crime records: in 2024, 8,365 cyberstalking offences were reported across 27 police forces, with the youngest suspect just 10 years old.
From Digital Curiosity to Dangerous Obsession
The rise of child-perpetrated cyberstalking has shocked even seasoned campaigners. Charlotte Hooper from The Cyber Helpline recalls being targeted at just 19, but notes that the pattern began much earlier. She stated that it had started when she was a teen. Persistent messages from strangers felt flattering at first, until they turned into fear.
For many young people, behaviours once seen as warning signs are being misinterpreted as romance. Jess Phillips, the UK’s Safeguarding Minister and herself a survivor of stalking, warned that Young people are told they should be flattered by obsessive behaviour. But it’s not love, it’s control, and it causes real harm.
Charities like Protection Against Stalking and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust are increasingly fielding referrals from schools for both victims and perpetrators under the age of 14. But support and prevention resources remain severely underfunded and under-researched, particularly for those under 16.
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A System Unprepared, A Culture Unchecked
While digital stalking is becoming more sophisticated, the UK’s systems of protection and justice remain sluggish. Though measures such as Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) and the forthcoming Right to Know statutory guidance have been introduced, delays and low awareness undermine their impact.
Charities have long warned that young victims face an uphill battle to be believed, especially when perpetrators use anonymity and tech manipulation to their advantage. At Mascalls Academy in Kent, where workshops on cyberstalking have now expanded to meet demand, the problem is clear. Psychologists like Professor Emma Short argue that while the internet offers teens a chance to explore identity, it also makes them vulnerable to manipulation, and that even well-meaning parental tracking may unintentionally model obsessive behaviours.
About the author – Prakriti Jha is a student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, currently pursuing B.Sc. LL.B (Hons.) with a keen interest in the intersection of law and data science. She is passionate about exploring how legal frameworks adapt to the evolving challenges of technology and justice.