Hello! I'm a 34 year old therian who "came out" as a therian to my mum when I was 16. She has also been supportive. She doesn't really get it, but tries to show support. Like texting me when there's a wolf documentary on tv, haha.

About what online groups are trustworthy and not... that's so difficult to say. It seems like the therian community is so much more decentralised nowadays compared to 15 years ago. All these little Discord servers, for instance. Very difficult for outsiders to peek into them.

Keep on talking to her about her online activities. I think all parents to teens should show curiosity about what their teens are up to. Ask her about her online friends. Are there any particular youtubers or tiktokers she follows? What would she do if someone is mean to her online?

Some problems I've noticed in the therian community: - people who claim to be able to "p-shift" (physical shifting/transformation). They might try to sell some fake method, or promise to teach this method in exchange for loyalty/sexual favours/whatever. - unhealthy group dynamics. Abusive leaders, bullying etc. "Packs" with rank titles (alpha, beta etc) is a bit of a warning sign. - mental health issues. Being able to talk about mental health problems can be good. But sometimes, people can drag each other down, feeding each other's negativity instead of finding constructive solutions. Be on the lookout for this. - treating therianthropy as a contest or status thing. Imposter syndrome. Wanting to fit in among that they perceive like "all the other therians do/experience", instead of just being themselves.

And about your worry that others (friends? School?) might not accept her therianthropy... you might be right. I often recommend young therians to not tell others. Maybe the very closest people in their lives maybe a therapist, if they have one. But most others - there's no point to it. If she wants to wear a tail outside, she doesn't have to explain it to strangers who might ask. She likes wearing it, or she admires animals, or some other white lie. A part of growing up as a therian is learning when it's safe to express that part of you and when it's not. People are often more forgiving when teens act a bit weird. But we get older, and one day even therians have to go to work, you know? And that's easier if you've learnt how to act like a somewhat socially adjusted human out in public.