E-Safety - Website Warning
Important E-Safety Updates
Kirklees Safeguarding have alerted us to a growing trend in social media sites where sexual images of children and sexual gossip about individuals are being shared. What they contain is both inappropriate and illegal. Please look out for usernames with bait in the title. The following information will help you further understand the implications of such sites and help safeguard your children:
"Bait out" pages are online groups or pages that invite users to share nude images, videos or sexual gossip about others, according to ChildNet. A report from ChildNet says as many as half of teenagers have seen their friends share revenge porn on social media sites. Users are often only allowed access to the group or page once they have shared such content. It can also involve videos being shared on public platforms such as YouTube where people are "named and shamed". Bait groups operate on all social media platforms including Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook.
Impact on a child's health
Taking, sharing or receiving these images can have a long-lasting impact on a child’s emotional health and wellbeing. For example, it may cause emotional distress, increase the risk of them receiving negative comments and bullying, and could also place them at risk of abuse and exploitation.
Sexting and the Law
Although ‘sexting’ can often be seen by young people as harmless, creating or sharing indecent images of a child (someone below the age of 18) is illegal, even if the person doing it is themselves a child. A young person will be breaking the law if they:
- Take an explicit (nude or nearly nude) photo or video of themselves or a friend if they are below the age of 18.
- Share an explicit image or video of a child, even if it’s shared between children of the same age.
- Possess, download or store an explicit image or video of a child, even if the child gave their permission for it to be created.
Whilst the police do not wish to unnecessarily criminalise young people, this could potentially affect a child’s reputation, education and future employment prospects, for example if they are named on a crime report or receive a caution or other criminal sanction.
During police investigations, enquiries will often be made with the person who is responsible for the contract of a mobile phone that is used to distribute naked images of young people. Detective Superintendent Susie Harper of Kent Police says, this can have serious implications for parents:
‘If a child’s mobile phone contract is in his or her parent’s name, then the parent can be liable for what the phone is used for, and any indecent material that is saved or sent from it. I’m not raising awareness to scaremonger, and our first priority is to safeguard young people and protect them from harm and there are many places we can signpost them to for independent help and advice. I also think it’s important for parents to be aware about the ways their children might be vulnerable to these things and what they can do about it.’
Helplines and reporting
- Children can talk to a ChildLine counsellor 24 hours a day about anything that is
worrying them by ringing 0800 11 11 or in an online chat at:
www.childline.org.uk/Talk/Chat/Pages/OnlineChat.aspx
- If parents or carers are concerned that their child is being contacted by adults as a
result of having shared sexual imagery they should report to NCA CEOP at:
www.ceop.police.uk/safetycentre
- ChildLine and the Internet Watch Foundation have partnered to help children get sexual or naked images removed from the internet. More information is available at: www.childline.org.uk/explore/onlinesafety/pages/sexting.aspx
- If parents and carers are concerned about their child, they can contact the NSPCC
Helpline by ringing 0808 800 5000, by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk or by texting
- They can also ring the Online Safety Helpline by ringing 0808 800 5002.
- Further advice in relation to a sexting matter can be sought from the Marie Collins
Foundation (MCF) by ringing 01765 688827 or by emailing: info@mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk
Advice and information for parents
- The NSPCC has information and advice about sexting available on its website:
www.nspcc.org.uk/preventingabuse/keepingchildrensafe/sexting/
- NCA CEOP has produced a film resource for parents and carers to help them
prevent their children coming to harm through sharing sexual imagery:
www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/Supporttools/Filmstowatchwithyourchildren/Exposed_subtitled/
- Childnet have information and advice about sexting available on its website:
www.thinkuknow.co.uk/14_plus/needadvice/selfiesandsexting/
- Parent Info (parentinfo.org) provides information and advice to parents from expert
organisations on topics ranging from sex and relationships, mental health and online
safety. This includes content on sexting.
- The UK Safer Internet Centre have produced checklists for parents on using social
networks safely www.saferinternet.org.uk/checklists
Resources parents could highlight to their children
- ChildLine have created Zip-It, an app that provides witty comebacks in order to help a young person say no to requests for naked images:
www.childline.org.uk/Play/GetInvolved/Pages/sextingzipitapp.aspx
- There is information on the ChildLine website for young people about sexting:
https://childline.org.uk/infoadvice/bullyingabusesafety/onlinemobilesafety/sexting/
- The Safer Internet Centre has produced resources called ‘So You Got Naked Online’ which help young people to handle incidents of sexting:
The School Nursing Team have also suggested that schools share the following information with parents regarding the game Fortnite:
"Many of you may be aware of the risks and concerns around children playing the online game Fortnite, which has a 12 rating but is played by much younger children.
We have been made aware of an emerging trend, where people are playing strip Fortnite using webcams. The rule is that when you achieve a “kill” you have to strip off, potentially adding an additional risk from children being exposed to and/or sharing indecent images whilst playing the game.