Police recorded 3,091 online crimes against Northamptonshire under-18s in two years, with 13 to 15-year-olds most at risk. Schools now have lesson packs on it.

Overview

Northamptonshire Police recorded 3,091 online crimes against under-18s between June 2024 and May 2026. Children aged 13 to 15 were the victims in almost 40 per cent of them. Schools across the county have been sent lesson packs and a staff training deck on online harms, written by the police with both councils.

Northamptonshire Police recorded 3,091 online crimes where the victim was under 18 between June 2024 and May 2026. That is about 129 a month across the two years. Teenagers were most at risk: children aged 13 to 15 were the victims in almost 40 per cent of the offences. (West Northamptonshire Council, 12 November 2026)

The figures come with a new package of resources sent to schools across the county. The police wrote it with the safeguarding leads at West Northamptonshire Council and North Northamptonshire Council. (Northamptonshire Police, November 2026)

What schools are getting

The package includes:

  • a training deck for teachers and other professionals
  • lesson support packs for primary schools
  • lesson support packs for secondary schools

The material covers how young people use the internet, the harms they can meet there, and where to get help. It is designed for classrooms and youth groups, and to be shared with parents and carers.

The resources follow an online child safety campaign the force launched in July 2026. It included a one-minute video for parents about the harm young children can be exposed to online.

What the police and council said

Detective Superintendent Jen Castle, head of child safeguarding at Northamptonshire Police, said online life for young people is “so different” to what many parents know.

“We must listen to young people and talk to them about their online lives, openly, without judgement, creating environments where they feel safe to share what they are experiencing. Because if we don’t, others will fill that space.”

Councillor Michael Stratton, West Northamptonshire Council’s Cabinet member for children, families and education, said keeping children safe online is “everyone’s responsibility”.

The wider picture

The police and council release also cites research by Ofcom, the communications regulator:

  • About 35 per cent of children say they have seen potentially harmful or inappropriate content just by scrolling through their feeds.
  • More than half of children (56 per cent) use AI tools, some of them for companionship.

What it means for you

  • Talk to your child about what they do online. The police advice is to ask openly and without judgement, so they feel able to tell you when something goes wrong.
  • Set the controls. The campaign asks parents to set appropriate restrictions on the devices and apps their children use.
  • Ask the school. The packs have gone to schools across the county. You can ask how your child’s school is using them and whether it will share the parent material.
  • If something has happened: call 999 if a child is in immediate danger, or 101 to report it to Northamptonshire Police. Concerns about sexual contact or grooming online can also go to CEOP, the National Crime Agency’s child protection command.
  • Campaign details: the force’s page is at northants.police.uk/eyeswideopen.