Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

12 year old ds disturbing Google search

262 replies

SusanSHelit · 20/05/2026 19:29

I have just checked my voicemail this evening and had a message from 12yo ds head of year (y7) about 'something offensive which was picked up by smoothwall on the school laptop while he was logged in'. In the voicemail the hoy said that no requirement for a set of educational sessions and that he assured her it was a one off.

The message didn't detail what was picked up. I obviously had a conversation with ds about this and first he said he didn't remember what he typed. Then a few minutes later he revealed that he typed in 'is it illegal to put an animal in a blender?'

Im honestly really shocked and very disappointed. I would never have expected this from him. His father and I are separated and have been for a few years and he has pets in both houses (gerbils in his dad's, a cat at mine).

I've spoken to his dad about this, we have a pretty good coparenting relationship. Ds is going to his dad's after school tomorrow as I'm working nights for three nights from tomorrow. I'm going to call the school in the morning obviously but I don't even know where to begin with this.

Ds said he was just messing about with his friends but that he would even think about this has really disturbed me. He's a good kid at home, and this seems very out of the blue. He didn't say his friends typed it in, he said he did.

He's been banned from his PlayStation tonight and I've taken his phone too. I don't know if he will be allowed these in his dad's tomorrow

OP posts:
CieloElmers · 20/05/2026 20:53

I think you’re getting your knickers in a twist over this, he was probably having a stupid discussion with his mates and you’ve over reacted, it will put him off ever telling you anything.

Unless he kicks your cat and is horrible to his gerbils I’d calm down.

ApplebyArrows · 20/05/2026 20:53

Have half of you never met a 12-year-old?? This is just the sort of silly thing they talk about. Girls as well as boys. It doesn't mean they are actually animal-torturinh psychos.

kombuchabucha · 20/05/2026 20:54

SusanSHelit · 20/05/2026 20:01

He knows animal cruelty is abhorrent and illegal, why on earth would he need to Google it? And no, it's not something I would have searched up at any age

Are you vegan OP? If so, you can stay on your high horse. If not, climb down and Google what happens to male chicks born in the egg industry. Spoiler alert, they go in the grinder when they are a day old (or get gassed). So if you eat eggs, you're supporting animal cruelty too (and in this form, it's not illegal in the UK).

It's possible a child would hear about something like that being perfectly legal and wonder if it's legal when applied in a different context i.e. when it's not part of the food industry. And then have an interesting moral debate about this with their peers...

TroysMammy · 20/05/2026 20:55

I remember a joke from my childhood, I think it was in a student Rag Mag:-

"What's green and goes red at the touch of a button?"
"Kermit in a liquidiser".

Could he have heard that joke and looked it up?

shuggles · 20/05/2026 20:57

@SusanSHelit he revealed that he typed in 'is it illegal to put an animal in a blender?'

I type all sorts of stupid stuff into Google that I would never ever actually want to do.

I would only be concerned about this if his behaviour actually aligns with what he typed into Google, in any way.

Of course, if a child ever did put an animal in a blender, there's no questions that they should face the most severe of punishments for that (that's wording it politely).

Gonners · 20/05/2026 20:58

PinkPerpetue · 20/05/2026 20:28

It’s probably nothing but I’d still talk to him about it. Think how you’d feel if he did act on his search and you hadn’t said anything

I haven't checked it myself, for fear of the RSPCG (where G = gerbils) knocking on my door, but I assume that the answer would be "yes". It's just childish silliness.

Juliadiesalone · 20/05/2026 20:59

Sheesh. If half the things I googled were analysed I’d be in an insane asylum. This is not a punishment behaviour. Chill the fuck out!

AD1509 · 20/05/2026 21:00

Sounds like a 12 y old being stupid. Wouldn’t get all worked up about it like a silly fanny TBH!

SusanSHelit · 20/05/2026 21:00

@kombuchabucha I am vegan actually, I don't go shouting from the rooftops. Ds is omnivore as I think he should be allowed to decide these things for himself

OP posts:
Anotherbaby36 · 20/05/2026 21:01

Everyone had the same rumour floating about when I was at school about Marilyn Manson doing this, and throwing puppies into the audience. I’m sure it’s something silly that’s been said and curiosity has got the better of him. Genuinely I wouldn’t be concerned at all

Spookyspaghetti · 20/05/2026 21:03

Before having kids I used to play a lot of online games. Then chats and the images in the chats can be extremely dark, I can’t emphasise enough, I used to spend a lot of time reporting players and their content. Just make sure you can actually hear and see what is being said/written in the chats or during the games at 12 e.g. not chatting with headphones on.

ClayPotaLot · 20/05/2026 21:03

OP - you're going the right way about stopping him from ever voicing his real thoughts to you, aren't you? Making it clear that even being curious about something is a reason for punishment. It's not the right way to help him cope with odd thoughts or peer pressure - which is going to become more and more of what he needs you for over the next few years.

bellhawk · 20/05/2026 21:06

I think it's shocked you because of your strong feelings around protecting animals, but this doesn't show a pattern of concerning behaviour. He's had his punishment so I would move on.

Somememorable · 20/05/2026 21:07

SusanSHelit · 20/05/2026 21:00

@kombuchabucha I am vegan actually, I don't go shouting from the rooftops. Ds is omnivore as I think he should be allowed to decide these things for himself

My mistake!

Howdoidoit100 · 20/05/2026 21:12

My teen informs me that there was a trend about this on tiktok. Not sure of the exact details.

I think it's just one of those daft things kids google.

SusanSHelit · 20/05/2026 21:12

I've spoken to him and said I'm glad he told me what he searched, that is brave and I'm glad he felt able to tell me. We genuinely have a lovely relationship. He said he was just trying to prove it was illegal. I was just quite shocked. I'm actually kind of proud of him now. I know his friend group, same boys he went to primary with and one other boy. Three of them are lovely and one can be a bit of an idiot sometimes and say some out of pocket stuff. Ds and the other boys tend to call him out most of the time so I can see how this might have come about.

I've chatted to him about being careful about what he searches because there's some really heinous stuff out there, filters aren't perfect etc. I do remember blue waffle and worse from my teen years and really wish even now in my 30s that I'd never seen them. I know I can't protect him forever but I can try to guide him

OP posts:
YankSplaining · 20/05/2026 21:12

Miyagi99 · 20/05/2026 20:12

Someone had probably told him about the Netflix show ‘Don’t Fuck with Cats’.

That was my first thought.

stichguru · 20/05/2026 21:14

If he's never shown any other cruel, narcissistic tendencies towards his peers, siblings or adults in his life, I'd say this is just a bit of kids wondering what random stuff is legal/illegal. I think it's a bit of kids being fasinated by the adult world.
kid 1. "Never push a cat off your lap it's cruel!"
kid 2 "You might want the loo badly, and you wouldn't hurt the cat!"
kid 3 "Yes pushing a cat off your lap wouldn't really hurt the cat"
kid 2 "True, there could be actual bad things to do to cats"
kid 3 "like putting them in the blender"
Kid 1 "yes that would be properly awful"
Kid 2 "that must be illegal. It's got to be properly bad to do that even as an adult"
kid 3 "probably I'll check...."

WheretheFishesareFrightening · 20/05/2026 21:16

Somememorable · 20/05/2026 20:53

Not the most objective on that

No, but I’ve never put an animal in a blender and work and volunteer in roles that are bound by ethic standards and would qualify me to sign a passport as a person of good standing - so objectively I think I’m good too.

bumblebee3122 · 20/05/2026 21:18

Makes me think of the frog in a blender joke. Maybe they were discussing jokes and that one came up in conversation. Context is everything here I think

OneMintWasp · 20/05/2026 21:19

There was a news article on this a few months back when journaists had been working undercover to investigate this (the animals in blenders thing) on the dark web so he could quite easily have just read it on BBC news which is where I read it. One of the most disturbing news articles I have read.

FlapperFlamingo · 20/05/2026 21:19

Honestly I wouldn't get really het up over this and I wouldn't over-react. There was a video that circulated on Tiktok a while ago done by a Chinese guy who put animals in blenders. Obviously horrible - but maybe he heard about it. Does he have tiktok?

Also Tony Stark recently (this month) did a "Cat in a Blender" video. Maybe your DS didn't think of this himself but he saw it and wondered if it was legal.

previouslyknownas · 20/05/2026 21:22

SusanSHelit · 20/05/2026 19:29

I have just checked my voicemail this evening and had a message from 12yo ds head of year (y7) about 'something offensive which was picked up by smoothwall on the school laptop while he was logged in'. In the voicemail the hoy said that no requirement for a set of educational sessions and that he assured her it was a one off.

The message didn't detail what was picked up. I obviously had a conversation with ds about this and first he said he didn't remember what he typed. Then a few minutes later he revealed that he typed in 'is it illegal to put an animal in a blender?'

Im honestly really shocked and very disappointed. I would never have expected this from him. His father and I are separated and have been for a few years and he has pets in both houses (gerbils in his dad's, a cat at mine).

I've spoken to his dad about this, we have a pretty good coparenting relationship. Ds is going to his dad's after school tomorrow as I'm working nights for three nights from tomorrow. I'm going to call the school in the morning obviously but I don't even know where to begin with this.

Ds said he was just messing about with his friends but that he would even think about this has really disturbed me. He's a good kid at home, and this seems very out of the blue. He didn't say his friends typed it in, he said he did.

He's been banned from his PlayStation tonight and I've taken his phone too. I don't know if he will be allowed these in his dad's tomorrow

Well it’s better than searching can I put my mum or sister in a blender 😂

I reckon if the thought police got hold of my google search they would be bashing down my door and arresting me for some serious heavy Google searches 😂

OneMintWasp · 20/05/2026 21:23

previouslyknownas · 20/05/2026 21:22

Well it’s better than searching can I put my mum or sister in a blender 😂

I reckon if the thought police got hold of my google search they would be bashing down my door and arresting me for some serious heavy Google searches 😂

I agree. Anything I watch on netflix gets googled!

HellsBells13 · 20/05/2026 21:25

Op does he use X or has he been using a friends account. There is a hell of a lot of exposure on there to the Love Cat Community cat abuse group we are reporting ( I get death threats from the abusers) Blender cat was one such video of many that are out there. If he has seen the postings he may be curious. Has he Telegram? The cat video's are rife on there.