Online harm to children never stops with one child. For every child hurt by a predator, or by what an algorithm put in front of them, there is a family, a school and a community left carrying it. That is the ripple effect, and it is why three parents being honoured at this year’s Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards truly inspire me.1
Child Safety Online: Who Ellen, Esther and Ian Are
Ellen Roome MBE, Esther Ghey and Ian Russell MBE are receiving Special Recognition. Each lost a teenage child to a different form of online harm, and each has worked for legislative change since. Ian’s daughter Molly died in 2017, Esther’s daughter Brianna in 2023, and Ellen’s son Jools in 2022.2 The ceremony airs on ITV1 and ITVX at 8pm on Thursday 22 October.3
I spoke to Ellen while I was writing about Jools’ Law, and you can read that post here: Jools’ Law: Platform Accountability After a Child’s Death. The principles behind Jools’ Law are now in the Crime and Policing Act 2026, so relevant platforms must preserve a child’s data within five days of being notified of a death.4
What inspires me is how the three of them support each other as a group. Then, as individuals, after a huge loss in their lives, they still get up every day and do everything they can so that other parents never have to go through what they went through. That is what helps me to get up and carry on too.
How Online Harm Affects Families, Schools and Professionals
I spent eight years in digital forensics with the RAF Police, and I analysed over a million images, around a quarter of them criminal. I will never describe what was in them, because none of you needs to experience that. What I can tell you is that I looked into the eyes of victims, and each of those children had people who loved them and cared for them. Never forget that those people were damaged too.
So were the people who deal with what happened afterwards. The ones who counsel a child through their trauma. The ones who did the job I did. The list goes on, and the effect is unimaginable and unquantifiable.
Each victim of online harm is only the beginning of a journey of harm.
It has affected me forever. My family and the people closest to me have lost too.
Why Cyber Safety Guy Is Not About Awards
My sister Kerri-Ann nominated me for an award without telling me, because she is proud of me. That means the world to me. When she told me, I said to her, honestly, that those awards are for real heroes, the people who have risked their lives or lost so much and still try to change things every single day. I lost a lot to C-PTSD. Ellen, Esther and Ian lost far more, and they carry that loss every day. They inspire me to continue.
I wrote about this feeling in April, in You’re the Ones Who Deserve the Honour.5 That post was about the parents, teachers and DSLs who protect children every day. This one is about why I keep going.
The only recognition I need is knowing that people are proud of me, and knowing that I have helped people.
⚡Please don’t forget to react & restack if you appreciate my work. More engagement means more people might see it. ⚡
Why Messages From Parents Keep Cyber Safety Guy Going
On the tough days, when I think about giving up the blog, I read a message from a parent and it reminds me why this matters. One parent told me that because of something I had written, they sat down and talked to their child. They realised something was going on that needed addressing, and they got in touch with the police.
I see that as the same thing I was doing when I was still in the job. A child was protected. That is the whole reason I do what I do.
What Can Parents and Teachers Do to Protect Children Online?
Online harm is such a huge area that it is hard to point to one topic. So here is the one thing that is the foundation of it all. Honest, non-judgmental communication. It is the starting block for everything.
For parents
Be the safe space. Make sure your child knows they can come to you when something does not feel right. If a child thinks they will be punished, they will keep things secret, and predators thrive on secrecy.
For teachers and DSLs
Be the adult a child can tell without fear of punishment. The rule is the same in a school corridor as it is at a kitchen table. A child who expects to be in trouble will stay quiet, and quiet is exactly what predators rely on.
Online harm to children never stops with one child, so the most protective thing you can be is someone a child can tell without fear of being punished.
Behind every child, there is a family. Remember the children you are protecting.
As always, thank you for your support. Please share this across your social media, and if you do have any comments, questions, or concerns, then feel free to reach out to me via the Social page, as I am always happy to spend some time helping to protect children online.
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If you or a child you know needs support:
Childline: 0800 1111 | childline.org.uk
Available 24/7, 365 days a year. Free, confidential, and here for every child.
Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards 2026, Special Recognition for Ellen Roome MBE, Esther Ghey and Ian Russell MBE. “Our Pride of Britain heroes, from train crash hero to life-saving surgeon” (Mirror coverage syndicated via AOL). https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/pride-britain-heroes-train-crash-124145000.html
“Pride of Britain Awards 2026: Full list of winners revealed”, Brit Brief. Used for the years Molly (2017), Jools (2022) and Brianna (2023) died. https://britbrief.co.uk/entertainment/awards/pride-of-britain-2026-winners-synagogue-hero-honoured.html
“Pride of Britain Awards 2026: Inspiring winners revealed”, Brit Brief. Used for the broadcast date and time. https://britbrief.co.uk/entertainment/awards/pride-of-britain-awards-2026-inspiring-winners-revealed.html
Cyber Safety Guy, “Jools’ Law: Platform Accountability After a Child’s Death”, 4 September 2026. That post cites the Crime and Policing Act 2026 (Royal Assent 29 April 2026, legislation.gov.uk). https://www.cybersafetyguy.com/p/jools-law-platform-accountability
Cyber Safety Guy, "You're the Ones Who Deserve the Honour", 14 April 2026. https://www.cybersafetyguy.com/p/youre-the-ones-who-deserve-the-honour