The “harms test” assesses how serious the harm is and how likely it is to occur.

In safeguarding and online safety contexts (for example, with children’s online behaviour), the harms test typically looks at two main dimensions:

  • Severity of harm:
    How bad the outcome could be if the risky or harmful situation actually happens (e.g., emotional trauma, physical injury, reputational damage).
  • Likelihood of harm:
    How probable it is that this harmful outcome will occur, given the behaviour or situation (e.g., how often it happens, how exposed the child is, whether there are warning signs).

Put simply, the harms test weighs up “how bad” plus “how likely” to judge the overall level of risk in a situation involving possible harm, especially to a child. This helps professionals decide how urgently they need to act and what kind of intervention is appropriate.