Teachers from more than a dozen schools in North West England are threatening to report to the police and social services any parents who let their children play restricted games.

As reported by The Guardian, the warning was issued by the Nantwich Education Partnership, a group of 15 primary schools and one secondary academy in Cheshire, after it was discovered that some children had been playing or watching games that contain unsuitable levels of violence and sexual content.

Playing such games or accessing certain social media sites such as Facebook and WhatsApp could lead to “early sexualised behaviour” and leave children “vulnerable to grooming for sexual exploitation or extreme violence”, said the teachers.

“If your child is allowed to have inappropriate access to any game or associated product that is designated 18+, we are advised to contact the police and children’s social care as this is deemed neglectful,” the group said in a letter to parents.

“We are trying to help parents to keep their children as safe as possible in this digital era,” said teacher Mary Hennessy Jones.

“It is so easy for children to end up in the wrong place and parents find it helpful to have very clear guidelines.”

Parents’ groups said reporting families was excessive.

“Accepting the huge concerns about these violent games and their effect on children, I think the schools are stepping outside the realm of what is probably acceptable,” said Margaret Morrissey of Parents Outloud.

“It will be construed by many parents as a threat and it is not helpful. If schools want to get the support of parents and gain their confidence, threatening them with social services will not help.”

Parent Practice director Elaine Halligan said coercion of this sort would break down trust between parent, teacher, and child.

“So I absolutely get why they are doing it – it’s because children do need to be protected from technology,” she said.

“But to get the social services involved is an absolute disaster, because it starts telling parents that we don’t trust you to be responsible for your children.”