06/11/2025
***SAFEGUARDING ALERT - CHILDREN ON SOCIAL MEDIA***
PARENTS AND AGENTS - please read carefully. This incident highlights the dangers of children using social media and the importance of exercising due care should you choose to allow your child to have a presence on these platforms:
One of our member agents was informed of an incident that occurred in a West End Theatre. They were informed of a safeguarding risk on a production one of their clients are in.
A person with a criminal record for online grooming was able to make contact to child accounts from the production, due to active and public accounts in a child's name on Instagram.
The contact seemed friendly, but we know from their previous that this is a repeated pattern of behaviour to get access with unlawful intentions.
The contact progressed from online to Stage Door where a chaperone intercepted the interaction.
The production is very clear that active, public and taggable accounts are not allowed for the duration of their contract, this includes accounts that are ‘parent run’. This risk came as a direct consequence of not following these rules and engaging with unknown accounts on social media.
The rules, which are part of the contract, are there for a reason and this is why they should not be breached at any time.
The theatre immediately recognised the red flags and acted promptly to ensure that all children were kept safe.
Our Best Practice Document for Children on Social Media is linked here
https://www.theaypa.co.uk/bestpractisedocs
