How 'Think Before You Share' drove behaviour change

Driving real behaviour change is notoriously tough – especially among young people.

But that was the challenge we faced with ‘Think Before You Share’ our behaviour change campaign for the Internet Watch Foundation: not just raising awareness about the dangers of sharing harmful content online, but actually changing what young people do.

From the moment the campaign launched, we saw promising signs. It resonated powerfully with young audiences, with some staggering view-through rates on Youtube, when compared with benchmarks.

But awareness was just the first step. The real test was this: would that awareness lead to action? Would it actually change behaviour?

Now, thanks to independent research by the International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute at Anglia Ruskin University, we finally have answers.

In a digital world where sharing images is often second nature, one of our key goals was to make young people pause and think twice before sharing harmful content – whether that be of themselves or others.

The research shows that message hit home. Because of the campaign:

• 89% of young people said they would think twice before sharing images of themselves
• 91% said they would think twice before sharing images of others

With more than 90% of child sexual abuse material being ‘self-generated’, these shifts in mindset are absolutely essential to protecting young people online.

One of the clearest indicators of behaviour change was the significant increase in visits to the Internet Watch Foundation’s and NSPCC’s Report Remove service, which enables young people to request the removal of images of them that are circulating online.

Compared to the two months prior to the campaign, analysis showed:

• A 37% increase in overall visits to the service
• A 60% increase in the number of sessions started
• A noticeable rise in the number of users viewing the first step of the reporting process

This shows that more young people weren’t just listening – they were taking action. They were seeking help, taking control, and actively making safer choices to protect themselves online.

These results are incredibly important. They show that ‘Think Before You Share’ didn’t just reach young people – it resonated with them, challenged their thinking, and ultimately influenced how they behave online.

These are the kinds of changes that the wonderful team at the Internet Watch Foundation are working so hard to bring about – and we’re honoured to be part of that journey.