M·E·L Research to deliver second wave study on children’s exposure to harmful content on social media
M·E·L Research is pleased to be working with the Molly Rose Foundation on the second wave of a major research study exploring how children and young people encounter harmful content on social media, and how patterns of exposure are evolving over time. This project takes a uniquely in-depth look into four specific themes of harmful content: suicide, self-harm, depression and eating disorders.
Building on a baseline study conducted in Spring 2025, ahead of the implementation of the Online Safety Act, this next phase will provide robust, comparable evidence to track change and identify where risks remain most concentrated. The project will generate practical insights to support policymakers, working to improve online safety for young people.
Rowan Ferguson, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Molly Rose Foundation, said: “This second wave of research is crucial in helping us understand whether regulation is proving effective in reducing children’s exposure to harmful content online. By building on our earlier baseline, we can begin to track change over time and identify where risks remain. This evidence is essential to ensuring that the Online Safety Act delivers meaningful improvements for children and young people.”
The research will use a structured, school-basedquantitative approach, with pupils completing an online questionnaire during a planned lesson. This model ensures consistency with the baseline wave, supports a safe and appropriate setting for sensitive topics, and enables practical delivery within schools. M·E·L Research will lead recruitment to achieve a balanced and comparable sample, supported by a strong partnership with the PSHE Association, who will play a key role in lesson planning and supporting delivery in schools.
In practice, the study will include a matched school recruitment strategy to maintain comparability with the first wave, a standardised school pack co-developed with the PSHE Association, and careful stewardship of the questionnaire to preserve trend measures. Analysis will focus on levels and frequency of exposure, repeated exposure, overlap across different types of harmful content, subgroup differences, and platform-level patterns. A trauma-informed, safeguarding-led approach will underpin all stages of the research, including clear guidance for teachers, embedded signposting, and protocols to support pupil wellbeing.
This research is important because it provides one of the first opportunities to assess change in children’s exposure to harmful content following a clear baseline established ahead of new regulatory measures. By tracking exposure over time, the study will help move beyond one-off snapshots, offering a more complete understanding of cumulative risk and where further action may be needed to strengthen protections for young people online.
“We are proud to be working with the Molly Rose Foundation on this important second wave of research. Tracking change over time is essential to understanding whether interventions are making a difference, and this study reflects our commitment to delivering evidence that is both methodologically rigorous and grounded in real-world impact. It also highlights the value of partnership working, particularly with organisations like the PSHE Association, to ensure research is delivered sensitively and effectively in schools.” — Elliot Simmonds, Commercial Director, M·E·L Research
This experience ensures that we bring not only strong technical capability, but also a deep understanding of how to conduct research on complex and sensitive topics in a way that is robust, ethical and actionable.
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