The recent Netflix crime drama 'Adolescence' has struck a chord with parents, educators and safeguarding professionals alike. It shines a stark light on the digital world that young people inhabit - from exposure to harmful content to online grooming, identity manipulation and more.
And while the programme makes for tough viewing, it reflects a reality that many schools already recognise. The question is: how can educators respond?
At RM, we believe it starts with visibility - and continues with the right tools to protect, monitor and intervene early.
From passive awareness to active protection
If there’s one thing Adolescence makes clear, it’s that online harm doesn’t always look how we expect it to. Sometimes it’s sudden and extreme. More often, it’s gradual and subtle - the result of repeated exposure to risky content or unhealthy behaviours over time.
Here are three key risks shown in the series that every school should be thinking about:
- Access to harmful content: Young people can easily stumble across violent, graphic or age-inappropriate material online, even when they’re not actively searching for it.
- Grooming and manipulation: Adolescents are especially vulnerable to trust-building tactics online, which can quickly become dangerous.
- Blurring of identity and reality: With AI-generated images, fake profiles and pressure from social media, learners are facing more confusion about truth, trust and self-worth than ever before.
What this means for schools and MATs
Education settings have a duty to provide a safe digital learning environment — and that’s becoming increasingly difficult without the right tools.
Modern safeguarding requires more than just content blocking. Schools need:
- Web filtering that adapts to real-world threats, with dynamic policies based on age, content type and context
- Monitoring that can flag repeated or high-risk searches across mental health, radicalisation, grooming and more
- Clear alerts and reporting that help DSLs and pastoral teams respond early and with confidence
- Consistency across all schools in a MAT, with centralised control, visibility and support
How RM SafetyNet supports your safeguarding responsibilities
RM SafetyNet is our cloud-based filtering and monitoring solution, trusted by hundreds of schools and MATs across the UK.
It’s built for safeguarding-first environments — offering 24/7 protection on any device, clear reporting, and age-appropriate policies that help schools stay compliant with KCSiE and DfE expectations.
And this summer, we’re offering an additional reason to act now.
Get 6 months free RM SafetyNet
We know budgets are tight — but safeguarding can’t wait. That’s why we’re offering six months free when you buy a three-month SafetyNet contract before 16 June 2025.
Complete this form to book a call with our team and take advantage of our offer of six months free.
