Kids Are Learning Coded Language Like 'MAP' Online – We Need To Talk About It

An academic has opened up about the alarming moment she realised her 10-year-old daughter had been contacted by a stranger online who asked her “do you like children?”, to which the child replied: “I’m not a MAP.” For those who are unaware of the acronym’s meaning (I certainly hadn’t heard of it before writing this), MAP stands for ’minor attracted person ’. Sharlette Kellum, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Texas Southern University, wrote for The Conversation: “In that moment, I realised something unsettling but important: Children are encountering coded language online long before many parents even know it exists.” What is a ‘MAP’? Per Safer Society, the term emerged as an alternative to paedophile because there are “people who realised that they felt sexually attracted to children”, but it was “a feeling that they never asked for and never wanted to act upon”. “They felt that they needed another term to describe themselves in a way that would show them as people who wanted to get help so that they would not hurt anyone,” reads the site. Unfortunately, the grim reality is there are people who do harm children. As kids spend larger portions of time online, they are more likely to come across predators. In the UK, online grooming crimes against children increased by 89% between 2017 and 2024. Of total cases where gender was known in 2023/24, 81% of children targeted were girls. The youngest victim was a five-year-old boy. In addition to ‘MAP’, parents and children may be coming across other alarming acronyms. AF/YF, which Kellum suggested stands for ‘adult friend/young friend’ and identifies people in MAP relationships, and AMSC, which she said stands for adult-minor sexual contact (not to be mistaken with AMOS or AMOSC, which can mean ‘add me on Snapchat’). At a glance these acronyms might not appear as red flags to parents seeing them crop up in comment sections or DMs, or to algorithms looking for terms that could lead to users being blocked. They can be embedded in memes or jokes to make it seem “harmless” or “funny”, said the academic, who noted initial contact of children often happens in public comments before moving to private messages. Conversations are key to keeping kids safe online The fact some kids as young as 10 are using these acronyms online should tell us that the sooner we talk about online safety with them, the better. For children aged four to seven years old, you could watch the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command ( CEOP )’s Jessie & Friends episodes together to help kickstart these crucial conversations. For older kids aged eight to 10 years old, check out Play Like Share . CEOP urges parents to supervise device use (meaning younger kids especially are encouraged to use devices in shared spaces). With older kids, it’s worth exploring supervision tools and privacy settings offered by social media apps. Some parents draw up a contract with their kids before allowing them devices or social media, specifying they can spot-check their child’s messages (which typically eases off as teens get older). It’s also important to help children understand that not everyone online is safe or who they say they are. “Help them to identify who their trusted adults are and encourage them to only talk to people online that they also know offline,” advises CEOP. Kellum suggested rehearsed responses can help children know how to remove themselves from uncomfortable situations if they are approached online: “Simple scripts such as ‘I don’t want to talk about that,’ ‘I’m blocking you’ or ‘I’m logging off now’ can help reduce hesitation.” If you’re worried your child is being groomed online, Catherine Knibbs , a child psychotherapist specialising in cybertrauma, previously told HuffPost UK it’s best to ask about “friends online” and share questions such as: How do they know someone is trustworthy and real, or has ulterior motives online? How could they check out who a person is? Do they know how to search online to double check the credentials of people they are interacting with? Why would someone lie online? Do they know how to report people to the platforms? What might be a sign that the person is a bot, AI or a fibber? Why might someone want to trick them or persuade them into sending money, pictures or videos? Parents should report online grooming to local police or under-18s can report directly to the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Safety Centre . Related... 1 In 4 Primary School Children Have Shared Names Or Addresses Online The UK Won’t Ban Social Media For Under-16s – So What Will Protect Kids Online?

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