How should I handle repeated prank calls from a young child?

[BrighterDaysAhead2026]

This is a really strange situation. But basically a kid started calling me last night on a private number as a prank 'Is Ben Dover there?' I just laughed, played along a little and hung up. I thought it was one of my DD's teenage friends. Kid phoned a few times then started calling again today numerous times. I didn't always answer and put my phone on dnd for a bit but as a private number it could have been someone needing to get hold of me. Anyway, it then turned into this kid who judging by their voice (They were putting on silly voices to start with so I couldn't tell) is only about 10/11, telling me I was kind and just phoning wanting to chat with me. Obviously I realise this is wildy inapropriate and have nicely told them to stop calling, that I'm too busy to talk or I've suggested they find something else to do to entertain them. They still keep calling. And I'm having thoughts of why do they want to speak to a stranger...are they ok, is something going on in their home life? Which obviously nothing I can do as I don't know their details and obviously wouldn't ask. They phoned me again about half an hour ago and I asked where their parents were and they said in bed.

What is the best way to deal with this? I'm hoping after the weekend they'll be busy at school and stop. Should I ask to talk to his parents? Should I be more firm in telling him not to call? Should I do something else??

We had this at one time I ran a youth group so it was related. We tried leaving the phone of the hook after they phoned blocking their phone and costing them. I then spoke to them all told them it was against the law the police had been informed and they could find out who it was. One of them asked if they would go to prison! I said they would be in trouble but not prison. It all stopped then.

Well my DM definitely did it to anyone she deemed “a nuisance” , probably still does!

When I was a kid (like, 7-8) Ben Dover was one of several punny 'knock knock joke' style names that kids used to say for a laugh - like Theresa Green or Justin Case. I'm 100% sure none of us knew any sexual aspect to it, and it's perfectly reasonable to assume this little boy doesn't either.

Because as I said it is a private nunber so I can't identify when this child is calling me.

There was a book in about 1990 called “The Willow Street Kids”, with true stories about how to deal with flashers, bullies, creepy uncles who told you to keep secrets, strangers, and phone callers. And yes, this book advocated the whistle trick; and not saying your name and number when answering the phone, as was normal back then.

”Ben Dover” - isn’t that something teachers used to say, totally seriously? Yes I know, in those days teachers also threw board rubbers at children, highly frowned upon now.

Christ on a bike, this is nearly as bad as 'cancel the cheque' from way back.
She can't block because they are withholding the number/it says private number.

To be fair, in the days when you used to get regular cold callers trying to sell stuff, although they didn't have sinister motives, they were an absolute pest and it was such a CF thing to do. Whatever their purpose, unless they'd honestly misdialled by mistake or were confused, they were still deliberately being a nuisance to you, as they well knew.

I don't know if the Telephone Preference Service is still going - it's obsolete now, even if it does nominally still exist - but even back in the day when all the sales calls would originate from elsewhere in the UK, they routinely ignored the 'don't call' list anyway. When you moaned to others about it, they would say "Just tell them you're not interested and ask them not to call again", but by then, the very unwanted distraction had already happened - and you could ask one of them not to call again, only for another 10 to be waiting.

Even if/when being TPS-registered did do anything, I was always very puzzled as to why the default would be to assume that everybody wanted people to call and bother them at home trying to sell them stuff unless you went to the trouble of officially registering that you didn't!

Of course, the calls all originate from outside the UK now, so UK law is toothless to do a single thing about it; and they're invariably trying to deceive and steal from you, rather than 'just' seeking to persuade you to buy any semblance of a legitimate product from them.