A new danger on the internet being seen up and down the country is something called “Huggy Wuggy”.

Despite its child-friendly name, this character is a disturbing giant bear-like creature with razor-sharp teeth who whispers nasty things. This creature has been seen featuring in videos alongside animation, designed to be upsetting and creepy on most of the popular platforms, in particular on YouTube and TikTok, where the #huggywuggy hashtag has over 2.9 BILLION views.

So what can you do to help keep your family safe without piquing their interest?

Have a look at the below top tips and do not hesitate to speak to your child’s teacher should you either have any questions about the tips, or anything your child responds with.

Top Tips for helping your child

• If your child hasn’t mentioned Huggy Wuggy, don’t name it. You may pique their curiosity which in turn could lead to them searching out the content for themselves on platforms they might have access to.
• If you hear your child mention Huggy Wuggy, pause and remain calm. It could be that they have overheard conversation about in school or online, it doesn’t necessarily mean they have viewed content or have a full understanding of who Huggy Wuggy is.
• If you see content on social media or in the news regarding Huggy Wuggy, think before you share it publicly. It may be more helpful to share a credible article with practical advice privately, e.g. through private messaging.
• Do you ask your child to use KidsTube rather than the main YouTube site? For a reminder on this and the advantages, see a link to the 19th November newsletter information.

• Have you set up parental controls on your child's devices? That may also help ensure inappropriate content is not seen by your child. Please see a link to the relevant week's newsletter for information on how to do that.

However, no matter what guidance and controls are put in place, we have to be aware that children may come across something scary or disturbing online. Therefore it is our responsibility to make sure they know the FOUR STEP PLAN should they find something scary or disturbing.

These four steps are...

After reading the above, if you have any questions about this, or anything else to do with your family's online safety, please do not hesitate to speak to either your child’s teacher or a member of the Moorcroft Wood management team.