# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A family agreement is a great way to start a conversation with your whole family about how you all use the internet, and to start discussions together around how to behave in a positive way when online, whether this is at home, at school or at a friend's.

Our family agreement provides a list of things to consider when creating a family agreement, and some examples to get you started. An agreement template is also provided to help families set clear expectations for positive and safe internet use.
For more information about how to put the family agreement into practice visit our blog.
Online Safety Agreement

Alternatively you may need an online safety agreement which doesn't cater to a family audience. The internet is a very important part of our lives today and setting up an agreement can help ensure that everyone within your organisation/ group are safe when navigating the online world.

This online safety agreement is designed to be used in a variety of settings, including:

youth groups and clubs

residential settings (eg boarding houses)

educational settings (eg libraries)

for professionals supporting vulnerable young people (eg foster carers)

You can find a template for this below.

For

Type

Donate

Even a small donation can support the development of our online safety resources and help our Education Team to connect with more children and young people.
Donate

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A resource to support families in staying safe online.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We recommend a family agreement to make clear what is allowed...or not, how much time you can spend on devices, and ground rules like no phones at the table or in the bedroom at night-time. Shared expectations will reduce arguments and keep everyone safe & healthy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Online Safety for Redbridge SCP Nov 2024

# data[].attributes.body
Family Agreement, Talking guide about life online and how to report

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Do you spend too much time on your phone?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Let’s face it, we love our phones and we use them for just about everything. Whether it’s doing schoolwork or connecting with friends, we can find ourselves endlessly scrolling and swiping. You know that you need a break but it can be hard to put down that phone! Well, you’re not alone, here are s…

# data[].attributes.body
andy.place@havering.gov.uk

amanda.jackson@havering.gov.uk

# data[].attributes.headline
Online Challenges Aware Internet Matters

# data[].attributes.subject
Online Challenges Aware Internet Matters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Mums Lisa Kenevan and Hollie Dance lost their sons to dangerous online challenges. Now, they're helping parents to recognise the risk and keep other children safe.

See their tips below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to protect your child from dangerous online challenges

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
4 parent tips to prevent harmful online challenges | Internet Matters. Lisa Kenevan and Hollie Dance share tips to protect children online.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Are you worried your child has too much screen time? Find out the potential effects it could have on your child with tips and advice to manage limit screen time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Content warning: This section includes graphic sexual descriptions.

A nude image must include one of the following to be removed:

nude or semi-nude sexual posing

someone nude or semi-nude touching themselves in a sexual way

any sexual activity involving a child

someone hurting someone else sexually

sexual activity that includes animals.

Where possible, it is better if you can upload the original image or video, or a copy of it, rather than a photograph of it on another screen. This helps IWF find the image more accurately.

If you want to report something that isn't a nude image or video to see if it can be taken down, you can see more information from Childline about deleting things shared online here. You can make a report to CEOP, the part of the police who are there to support children and young people online. You can always speak to a Childline counsellor.

Confirming your age with ID gives us more legal powers to remove images from as many places as possible. If you don't have ID or feel comfortable using it, we can still take down images, but from fewer places.

You can use the following ID to confirm your identity using Yoti:

passport or biometric residence permit

driving licence and provisional licence

Young Scot Card (Yoti app only)

CitizenCard (Yoti app only).

If you don't have any of these, you can get a young person's ID card. You'll be able to get this for £5 with the promo code NSPCC5. Make sure you choose 'Yoti CitizenCard' on the first page.

Whatever ID you use, please make sure that it is valid and in-date.

IWF will read all reports within one working day, from Monday to Friday. The time it takes to get your image removed from the internet can be different depending on where the image is hosted.

If the image is on a UK-based website it can often be removed within 2-3 hours. Unfortunately, in some countries it can take longer - sometimes days or weeks. But IWF analysts will always try to make sure it happens as soon as possible.

We'll do our best to let you know once your image has been removed by sending a message to your  Childline locker.

We recommend you check your locker every few days after you make a report. This is so you can see if your image has been removed, and so Childline can let you know if IWF need more information to be able to remove it. Remember, IWF can't contact you directly.

If you need support to help you cope while you're waiting, you can also speak to a Childline counsellor any time.

When you use Report Remove, your image or video is shared with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). They'll work to get your image removed from the internet. See 'Who are the IWF?' to learn about how that happens.

Most of the time, nobody will know that you've made a report and your report won't be shared with anyone else.

If the police already have the image or video you report, then they might investigate what's happened. Only the police can decide if they'll need to tell someone else.

The police might already have your image or video if:

someone has reported it on another website and that website passed it to the police

they're investigating someone who had or has the image or video already (if someone is found to have your image and is breaking the law - regardless of how, it may be included as evidence in a criminal case against that person

someone else reported the image to them directly.

Remember that the police are there to protect you, not to get you into trouble. If the image has been reported somewhere else and you're worried, you can always  speak to a Childline counsellor.

If you have parental controls on your phone your parent or carer might see when you want to download a new app, so they might get a notification if you try to download Yoti and want to know why. To avoid this, use the second option to prove your age (called 'ID verification').

The IWF can remove images that are public or available to anyone on the internet. However, they won't be able to remove images or videos on encrypted networks like WhatsApp, or which are saved on a person's phone or computer.

If you're over 13 and you've made a report without using ID, then there may be some sites the IWF can't take images down from.

If you don't use ID the IWF can help by removing your image or video from most sites. If you do use ID, the IWF can remove from all sites

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), a UK charity, are there to help remove illegal nude images of under 18s posted online.

Once the IWF has confirmed your nude image is against the law and can be removed from the internet they give it a digital fingerprint called a 'hash'. The hash can be used to find your image online even if it has been cropped or slightly changed.

Sharing just the hash with certain trusted companies and organisations, means that technology can be used to find online matches of the image - this is key to trying to stop it appearing in different places on the internet. Even though the hashes and images are shared with UK police, this is so that if they came across the image some other way, they'd know that you also reported it yourself. Report Remove was developed with the full support of the police and no one involved wants to get you into trouble for sharing the image so it can be removed.

Different companies use the hash in different ways. For example, if an illegal image match is found to have been shared by an online account holder, a company may decide to close that person's account as posting illegal images will be against the company's terms and conditions. If your image(s) are found on or are linked to your online user account(s) it may be possible for the company to associate your profile with the images.

The companies that take the hashes trust the Report Remove process, however if they have significant concerns that the person in the image may not be the person who was age verified, they may get in touch with the IWF to raise their concerns.

There are 3 organisations that help you report your image using Report Remove. These are Childline, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and also Yoti if you are 13 or older and choose to prove your age using ID. All of them have a responsibility to keep all of your personal information safe.

1. We'll ask you to choose your age range (under 13, 13-15, 16-17, 18 and over). If you're under 13, you'll go straight to step 3. If you're aged 13 or older, us at Childline will ask you if you have access to ID to prove your age. If you do, you'll be asked to visit Yoti. The only information we will share with Yoti is that you are wanting to prove your age to use Report Remove.

2. Once you prove your age using Yoti, you will come back to Report Remove on Childline. The only information Yoti will share with Childline is confirmation that you're younger or older than 18.

3. We'll then ask you to create or sign in to a Childline account. Then you'll go to the IWF website to share the content you want removed. Childline will only share the information below with IWF:

that you're younger than 18 (either confirmed by Yoti, or that you told us you are younger than 18),

the age range you selected at the start,

a unique number that is created when you use Report Remove.

4. After your report has been passed to the IWF, they will tell Childline if they were able to work to take the images or video down from the internet, and why. This is so Childline can let you know what happened. IWF may also tell Childline some information about what you reported, to help them know how best to support you and keep you safe. IWF will never share an image or video that you report with Childline.

Information you give to Childline
Any information you give Childline will always be treated carefully and in line with our  Privacy Policy. This means that any information you give us as part of Report Remove will only be used to help the IWF review your report and to keep you safe. This will include the age range that you select and a unique number that's created when you go onto the IWF website. We will not share any of your information with Yoti.
Information you give to IWF
The only information you will give to the IWF are the images, videos or URLs you report. There is space to add information such as where the image or video is on a webpage.

They will process this in line with their privacy policy.

Nude images and videos that IWF decide are illegal may be kept by the IWF for up to 2 years. This is because there is an agreement with the Police and CPS (Crime Prosecution Service), called a 'Memorandum of Understanding' (MOU). Illegal images are given a hash (a string of numbers that are like a digital fingerprint). The hash is shared with organisations such as technology companies who host online content, so that they can look for the image and take it down. The actual image is not shared with these companies. The image and the hash are shared with the police who store it on their Child Abuse Image Database. Any images or videos that they decide are not illegal may be kept for a maximum of 6 months for quality checking and any follow up questions. They will then be deleted. Sometimes, even if it's decided that the content isn't illegal, IWF can share the content URL with some industry members to see if they can take the content down.

If you report a URL (link to a webpage), and choose not to prove your age using ID, IWF will still check to see if the content is something they can take action on. If so IWF may share the URL with South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL), who are a charity who help people who have had intimate images of them shared online. SWGfL will never view the content on a URL that is shared with them. SWGfL send a notice to internet companies that host the webpage you reported, to tell them to take it down. This is because IWF can only send a notice to companies to take a specific webpage down when it is confirmed it is of a child. SWGfL can also send notice to take down content, but they do not need to prove it is of a child. This helps get your images or videos from even more places.

Childline will never see what pictures, videos or URLs you share with the IWF. The only information the IWF shares with Childline apart from your case number is whether or not they could take down your images or videos, and why, so we can let you know, as well as information about the image or video that you reported that will help Childline to support you and keep you safe.

Information you give to Yoti
You can choose to use Yoti to confirm your age if you're over 13. This may involve taking a selfie, so Yoti know it is you who are proving your age, and uploading a picture of some ID. Any personal data you send Yoti - like your photo, date of birth or address - is scrambled with a high level of encryption so that even if it was stolen, no one could use it to identify you. The only information Yoti shares with Childline is confirmation that you're under or over 18.

You can see Yoti's privacy policy here, and more information about their age portal here, which is what is used in Report Remove to prove your age.

If you're using the Yoti app, Yoti may use the selfie, month and year of birth you add to the Yoti app to improve its age estimation technology. You can opt out from this in the More> My Data> Biometric consent menu of the app.

There are lots of ways to get help with your report:

if you're having problems with Yoti, you can contact them directly in the app.

if you need any support with making your report send a message to Childline with the title 'Report Remove'.

Childline counsellors are always here for you and want to help. And you can  talk to them  about anything you're going through.
I have a technical issue, what should I do?

Try using your default browser and close private browsing if you're using the Yoti app.

See if you can log in to your locker and send an email to Childline explaining your problem and the team will be able to help.

Make sure the ID you're using is valid and in-date (not expired).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Use Report Remove to remove a nude image shared online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
'Rachel', a primary school teacher from Greater Manchester, opens up about discovering her eldest child had been groomed to send explicit photographs on Spotify and is working with a safeguarding expert to help other parents

As a strict parent of two and a primary school teacher that educates young children on internet safety, 'Rachel' thought she was one step ahead in protecting her children from the dark corners of the web.

She forbid the two of them to use social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat, but allowed her eldest to use Spotify to listen to music and podcasts.

So when she found out her eldest, 11, was being groomed on the streaming site by a secret grooming community, she felt as though the 'bottom of the world had fallen'.

Rachel, which is not her real name, was horrified and in shock to find that her daughter, still in primary school, had uploaded sexually explicit images at least ten times at the request of anonymous users on the site, claiming to also be young children - one at the age of 12.

She found out what had been happening when Spotify emailed her to say the account had been disabled for violating their terms and conditions - and her daughter, in tears filled with guilt and shame, admitted it had been going on for months.

The little girl, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, had been creating playlists about topics she was interested in, such as Minecraft, which then received followers, as first reported by the Manchester Evening News.

These followers were then able to edit the titles as a way of communicating, asking her to send explicit images.

Rachel says her daughter received multiple requests and exact instructions on what pictures to upload and felt pressured to conform.

The more times she uploaded images, as 'custom artwork', the more followers she gained - adding up to 327 - which made her feel good about herself and the cycle continued, her mum admits.

The grooming began just before the summer but Rachel only found out what was happening a few weeks ago, and immediately reported it to the police.

"You hear horror stories about predators using apps to groom so neither of them [her children] have Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat - I've kept them well away from them as much as I possibly can," Rachel told the Mirror.

"Because Spotify hasn't got any messaging function, I never even considered that.

"When I found out it was as if the bottom of the world fell away. At that moment, I think just shock, horror, but how?"

Her daughter explained one user repeatedly asked her for pictures to the point where she 'gave in'.

Another who she'd met on Spotify, claiming to be 12, emailed her asking for a graphic video of herself.

One other asked her 'to put up one leg and hold it and show a good view' of her genitals.

A few more asked for a 'mirror picture with your legs spread' and for a 'tit pic'.

Her parents found there to be at least 12 accounts asking for this type of content.

With a search of certain keywords on Spotify, the Mirror found playlists with pornographic images.

Despite the young girl's account being removed, her content was still online, the mum says, and she claims she had to individually report each image - of which they found 10 - in order to get them deleted.

"She got more followers, it made her feel good, and then you're in the echo chamber, people saying nice things about her then more were requesting pictures and it kind of goes around in a cycle," Rachel explained on why she thinks her daughter did it, adding that she had never been directly told by an adult to not upload pictures to Spotify in particular.

"I've always been really open with them about why they're not allowed the other apps, people on there aren't very nice, they're not old enough.

"I work at a school so I know what the education is. And she thinks she followed the rules - 'I didn't tell them my name, where I lived.'

"On one hand I thought, 'yes you did follow the rules' but on the other hand I wanted to say 'how did you not see the link?'

"As a teacher myself, you don't want to use that language and say 'don't share sexually explicit content' at that age, for fear parents are going to come and complain about taking away that child's innocence or whatever it is."

Rachel says her daughter was terrified of telling the truth, but they assured her that it wasn't her fault from the get-go and have been regularly checking in on her.

The mum-of-two says the daughter has become more attached than usual, wanting more affection, and is now seeing a child psychologist every week to help build back her self-esteem.

They now fear how this might impact her future relationships.

"We've been so clear on that - you have made a mistake but everyone makes mistakes and this is not your fault," Rachel continued.

"She has taken a lot from the fact we are determined to turn it into a positive. She loves that people are talking about it, that the word is out there.

"She wants to stop this from happening to others. Showing her the power of taking her experiences and acting to help is really helpful for her to see."

Whether she will allow her back on Spotify, Rachel is undecided.

She wants the company, along with other tech giants, to do more to protect children.

And argues the Government needs to act to make sure the long-awaited Online Safety Bill, which was debated in UK Parliament on Tuesday, holds tech giants to account to protect children.

In the latest update, under the proposed changes, senior managers at tech firms will be criminally liable for repeated breaches of their duty of care to children and could face up to two years in jail.

In response to Rachel's story, Spotify said: "Spotify takes the safety of minors on our platform extremely seriously, and we do not allow content that promotes, solicits, or facilitates child sexual abuse or exploitation.

"We have processes and technology in place that allow us to detect and remove any such exploitative material."

While Rachel has felt grateful to Spotify for taking down her daughter's account, she's disappointed that it took uploading ten pictures before actually banning her as a user.

"Why did someone get away with breaching their guidelines ten times before being taken down?" Rachel probed.

"If they did it the first time she did it, we wouldn't be here now. We would have had the same conversation but it would not be to this extent.

"We know it's not just Spotify, there are predators in literally every corner of the internet who are going to do whatever they can to find the loopholes.

"We want companies to have, rather than a moral obligation, a legal obligation to act.

"These companies need to think about children first than profits first".

On Spotify's rule page, a sub-section titled 'sensitive content' says sexually explicit content is not allowed and that breaking the rules may result in result in the content being removed. Repeated or egregious violations may result in accounts being suspended or terminated, they say.

"Don't post excessively violent or graphic content, and don't post sexually explicit content," it states.

"What to avoid: Content that contains sexually explicit material includes, but may not be limited to: pornography or visual depictions of genitalia or nudity presented for the purpose of sexual gratification, advocating or glorifying sexual themes related to rape, incest, or beastiality.

"Please respect Spotify, the owners of the Content, and other users of the Spotify Service. Don't engage in any activity, post any User Content, or register and/or use a username, which is or includes material that is offensive, abusive, defamatory, pornographic, threatening, or obscene."

Greater Manchester Police says an "investigation is underway" following the reports.

But although the possibility of the perpetrators never being caught frustrates Rachel, it makes her even more determined to call for change to stop it from happening to anyone else.

Rachel and her husband have petitioned their local MP Andrew Gwynne to raise the case in parliament.

Mr Gwynne told the Mirror: "I - as a suspect many others are - was unaware that groomers could manipulate platforms like Spotify to commit this kind of abuse. It raises really serious questions about what action Spotify will take to ensure this doesn't happen again, and what the Government will do to ensure that our children are kept safe online.

"I am particularly concerned at reports made by the family that they had to repeatedly complain before Spotify removed the material in question. That is just totally unacceptable, and I expect a full and frank explanation from Spotify on how this was allowed to happen.

"Moving forward, I want assurances from the Government that the Online Safety Bill is tough enough to address this kind of abuse. The internet is constantly evolving, and unless legislation evolves with it, I'm worried we'll see more cases like this."

The mum added: "Sadly there are always going to be predators out there.

"I'm determined to raise awareness to protect others.

"It can't just be our daughter."

Rachel is working with Gabriella Russo, a safeguarding consultant with more than 25 years of experience, to get the word out to other parents and to help advise on what they can do if they find themselves in a similar situation.

Gabriella supplies training to schools and charities and was formerly a manager with the NSPCC. Like them, she had never come across youngsters being groomed in this way - but says predators are always one step ahead looking for loopholes.

Here, the expert outlines a number of warning signs to look for and advice for parents:

Steps to take

"In my experience of working in the field, any parent that discovers their child is being abused is going to have that heart-dropping fear - 'what exactly have they been put through? And what do we do?'" Gabriella began.

"Firstly, parents need to be aware of what apps their kids are on because they do have age restrictions and time and time again, I've gone into schools and talked about this and you always have kids go, 'but I'm allowed that one we use that anyway.'

"Parents need to not be afraid to be parents and put some rules in place.

"It's complicated and difficult because we don't want our children to be the odd one out. But we also need to be the parent or the carer in the situation.

"You can do this by making conversation about being online as normal and natural. For children, the online world is real, it's part of their life.

"And so actually, talking about that as much as any other part of their real life, is really important. Not just conversations about these rules, but learning about their online life as much as you can - pay an interest in what they're doing with their friends online, and don't be afraid to implement 'no phones in the bedroom at night' etc.

"And be prepared to say 'this is going to be out in the open, I can check it whenever, I can have your password' - obviously age appropriate.

"If you're gradually helping your children to navigate online safely then as they get older, they will be able to spot things themselves."
Samaritans SANEline Mind
She added: "It's parenting in a different space.

"I think a lot of a lot of parents are concerned about reserving childhood innocence. 'I don't want to talk about too much too early,' but it's happening."

Gabriella adds that parents should have password access to their children's social media accounts and game apps during primary school age.

As children get older, the line is less clear-cut, but it depends on the maturity of the child and if they have special needs for example, she says.

"I think what's really important for children is to know that they can talk to an adult about anything they're unsure about," Gabriella continued.

"One of the things that can be done is helping children identify who the adults are that they would talk to.

"That could be a conversation where, 'if anything was ever worrying you, who would you talk to if you didn't want to talk to me as your mum or your dad, who are the other adults around you?'

"We want our children to talk to us, but I'd rather a child speak to another adult for help than nobody. And if you're a parent, if you're not the first port of call, sometimes that's natural."

Warning signs

"I would definitely be concerned about a child making friends online with anyone I didn't know offline," Gabriella warned.

"You can make amazing friendships online as an adult, but can they be sure that they are who they say they are?

"Anything where they're being encouraged to do something that doesn't sit right with them - anything where they've been encouraged to join something that they know they wouldn't be allowed to by their parents.

"Or, anything where they're being asked to send something that's going to be kept confidential, or secret, anything around keeping secrets, because if you have to keep it as a secret, what's that about? But also, nothing online is guaranteed secret.

"Do the kids have a real understanding of healthy relationships - what's a good interaction? There'll be more alert later on, but also help them to really understand that and trust their own instincts as well.

"If it doesn't feel right. It's probably not. And even if you're wrong, the world's not going to fall apart if you don't participate because you can join in next time if it wasn't."

Gabriella says if parents find themselves in this situation, it's important not to let emotions get the better of them.

"The initial response is so important because they will open up more," she added.

The expert urges everyone to report incidents to the police, alert the school where the child attends, and then seek therapeutic support.

"These groomers and paedophiles will find another corner that hasn't been exploited yet. They're going to be steps ahead," Gabriella said.

"So we just have to do our very best and being aware all of those foundations, hopefully, a child will be like 'well hang on, this doesn't feel right."
If you have information on child exploitation and abuse or suspect it may be happening but want to remain completely anonymous, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers online or on the phone. You can also call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 if you're concerned about a child.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mum warns parents after daughter, 11, was groomed on Spotify

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
'Rachel', a primary school teacher from Greater Manchester, opens up about discovering her eldest child had been groomed to send explicit photographs on Spotify and is working with a safeguarding expert to help other parents

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Guidance on responding to incidents and safeguarding children and young people

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This non-statutory advice aims to support designated safeguarding leads (or equivalents) and senior leadership teams in education settings in England in responding effectively to incidents involving the sharing of nudes and semi-nudes.

It includes guidance on:

risk assessing incidents

safeguarding and supporting children and young people

handling devices and imagery

recording incidents, including the role of other agencies

providing education on the sharing of nudes and semi-nudes

This advice is non-statutory and should be read alongside the Department for Education's:

A one-page summary of how to respond to incidents is also available for all members of staff in education settings.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skip to main content We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

# data[].attributes.body
SWGfL questions for governors and trustees

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Advice for schools and organisations working with children and young people

Sexting is when people share a sexual message and/or a naked or semi-naked image, video or text message with another person. Children and young people may also talk about sharing 'nudes', 'pics' or 'dick pics'.

Children and young people may consent to sending a nude image of themselves. They can also be forced, tricked or coerced into sharing images by other young people or adults online.

Whether a child or young person shares an image consensually or not, they have no control over how other people might use or share it.

They may experience bullying or isolation if the image is shared around peer groups. Perpetrators of abuse may circulate a nude image more widely and use this to blackmail a child or groom them for further sexual abuse.

It's a criminal offence to create or share explicit images of a child. However the law is intended to protect children and not criminalise them. If sexting by a young person is reported to the police, they will make a record but depending on the circumstances they may decide not take any formal action.
> Read more about preventing online abuse and harm > Read more about harmful sexual behaviour

Training to help you respond to incidents

Our 3-hour CPD certified online course covers why children and young people may share nude or semi-nude images, the risks involved and what steps you need to take to manage incidents and respond appropriately. You'll learn about issues including consent, gender, additional needs and age variations, as well the latest legislation and guidance.
> Read more about Sharing nudes and semi-nudes training

Policies and procedures

Writing a sexting policy and procedures

All organisations must have a clear policy statement about sharing nudes or sexting. This should sit alongside and be embedded with your overarching safeguarding and child protection policy and your online safety policy. It should outline your commitment to raising awareness of the issues surrounding sharing nudes and supporting children who have been involved in sexting incidents.

You should also have clear procedures that detail the actions which staff and volunteers must take if a child makes a disclosure or if they have any concerns that a child has been involved in a sexting incident.

All staff and volunteers must be familiar with these documents and understand how to follow them. It's good practice to make them available to parents and young people - you might want to consider creating a young person friendly version.
> Find out more about writing a safeguarding policy > See our example online safety policy statement and agreement
Policy statement

Your sexting policy statement should set out:

what sexting is

reasons why young people might create and send nude or semi nude images of themselves

how sexting can be used to harm or abuse a child

what the law says about sexting

how your organisation will raise awareness about the issues surrounding sexting

your organisation's intention to respond appropriately to any incidents of sexting that might involve the children and young people you work with.

Procedures

There should be clear steps for staff and volunteers to follow if they have concerns about or become aware of young people sharing nude or semi-nude images or videos of themselves or others.

Your procedures should cover:

how to talk to and support children and young people who have been involved in a sexting incident

reporting concerns

assessing risk

how to take appropriate action.

Keeping children safe should always be the focus of any response to sexting incidents.

Your sexting policy and procedures should follow best practice guidance. More information about this is available in the Legislation and guidance tab.

Anti-bullying policy and procedures

Children and young people can also experience bullying, when nude or semi-nude images are shared around peer groups.

Your anti-bullying procedures should include information about how you will respond to bullying that takes place outside your organisation, but involves children who know each other through your activities. This should include online bullying, bullying that happens on the way to and from school, and bullying that happens in other public places.

Recognising and responding

Recognising concerns

Children and young people who are involved in a sexting incident might have:

shared an image of themselves

asked for an image from someone else

received an unsolicited image

shared an image of someone else

This may have happened with or without the consent of all the people involved. And children and young people may have been coerced or pressured into giving consent.

A child might tell you that they've been involved in sending or sharing nudes. Or you might hear or see something that is concerning. For example, you might notice a child's behaviour has changed or you might overhear a conversation that indicates something is wrong.
> Learn how to spot the signs that a young person is in an unhealthy relationship
Never wait for a child to tell you directly that they have been involved in sexting. You should follow your organisation's policy and procedures and make your nominated child protection lead aware of the situation as soon as possible.
> Read our practice example about responding to sexting
Talking to a young person who has been involved in sexting

If you're talking to a young person who has been involved in sexting, it's important to remain calm, reassuring and non-judgmental. Give them time to talk and check that you understand what they have said.
> Find out more about how to talk to a child who is disclosing abuse > Read our blog post about why language matters when talking about taking, sending or receiving naked or semi-naked images or videos
Gathering information

Your nominated child protection lead should take the lead on responding to incidents of sexting, working closely with your senior leadership team. They should also liaise with agencies such as the police or children's social care as appropriate.

They should talk to the young people involved, to find out what's happened, how they are feeling and what support they need.

Your nominated child protection lead should try to find out:

if it's an image, video or message

who sent it

who is featured in it

if there were any adults involved

if it's on an organisational or personal device

if it has been shared elsewhere.

Safeguarding and child protection should be the main concern of any investigation into a sexting incident and you should avoid criminalising young people unnecessarily (College of Policing, 2016). Police across the UK are unlikely to take formal criminal justice action against a child involved in sexting unless it is in the public interest. In England and Wales this has been formalised through the introduction of 'Outcome 21' which allows police to record that a crime has happened but that it isn't in the public interest to take formal criminal justice action. This means that if a sexting incident involving a young person is reported to the police, they will make a record but may decide not to take any formal action against the young person. Your local police force will be able to give you more information about this.

What to do with a sexting image

You shouldn't view any nude or semi-nude images. You should never copy, print or share sexual images of a child or young person (Childnet, 2016; UKCIS, 2024).

You should only search devices if the child is at immediate risk of harm. The Department for Education (DfE) provides guidance for head teachers, staff and governing bodies in England on searching electronic devices (DfE, 2018).

If devices need to be given to the police:

confiscate the device and call the police

disconnect it from WiFi and data

turn off the device (to avoid images being removed remotely via a cloud storage service)

store the device somewhere secure, such as in a locked cupboard or safe, until it is handed to the police.

(UKCIS, 2024)

Supporting children and young people

It's essential all children and young people involved in sexting receive ongoing support. You should also involve parents and carers, unless doing so might pose a risk to their child.

It may also be appropriate to make a referral to a counselling service or therapeutic support.
> Find out more about support for children who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour
The NSPCC Helpline is available to anyone worried about a child.

Our Childline website has a range of resources for children and young people. Childline also provides free confidential support through online chat, phone or email.
> Look at Childline's age-appropriate information about sexting and sending nudes
Recording and reviewing

Your nominated child protection lead should make a written record of the incident and all the actions taken.

Following a sexting incident, your organisation will need to review what happened and how it was dealt with to ensure that you learn and improve procedures.

Reporting

If you think a child has been involved in sexting you should follow your organisation's policy and procedures and make your nominated child protection lead aware of the situation as soon as possible. Your nominated child protection lead should then make a decision about whether a child protection referral is needed.

When to make a child protection referral

A considered and detailed process should be followed when deciding whether or not to make a child protection referral about an incident of nude image sharing.

A child protection referral should be made if:

the incident involves an adult

there is reason to believe that a child or young person has been coerced, blackmailed or groomed, or there are concerns about their capacity to consent (for example, if they have a learning disability)

what you know about the image(s) suggests the content depicts sexual acts which are unusual for the young person's developmental stage, or are violent

the image(s) involves sexual acts and any child in the image(s) is under 13

you have reason to believe a child or young person is at immediate risk of harm due to the sharing of the image, for example if they are presenting as suicidal or self-harming.

If you think a child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999.

If you think a child has been or is at risk of harm, but they are not in immediate danger, you should share your concerns. You can:

Contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk. Our child protection specialists will talk through your concerns with you and give you expert advice

Contact your local child protection services. Their contact details can be found on the website for the local authority the child lives in.

Contact the police if there are abusive or aggravating factors (such as evidence of grooming, exploitation or extensive, inappropriate sharing)

Inform CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command) if you think a child has been groomed or sexually abused online. You can report on their website.

Your referral will be risk assessed, and action taken to protect the child as appropriate; either through statutory involvement or other support.
> See our information about recognising and responding to abuse
If your organisation doesn't have a clear safeguarding procedure or you're concerned about how child protection issues are being handled in your own, or another, organisation, contact the Whistleblowing Advice Line to discuss your concerns.
> Find out about the Whistleblowing Advice Line on the NSPCC website
When you're not sure

The NSPCC Helpline can help when you're not sure if a situation needs a safeguarding response. Our child protection specialists are here to support you whether you're seeking advice, sharing concerns about a child, or looking for reassurance.

Whatever the need, reason or feeling, you can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk

Our trained professionals will talk through your concerns with you. Depending on what you share, our experts will talk you through which local services can help, advise you on next steps, or make referrals to children's services and the police.
>Find out more about how the NSPCC Helpline can support you
Getting an explicit image removed from the internet

To get a nude or semi-nude image removed from the internet you can:

report the image to the site or network hosting it

contact the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)

encourage the child or young person to get in touch with Childline.

Young people under 18 who are worried that a sexual image or video of them may have been shared online can use Childline and IWF's Report Remove tool to see if it can be taken down.
> Find out more about how you can support young people to use Report Remove > See Childline's advice for young people on reporting nude images online
Parents and carers can find information on the NSPCC website that helps them understand the risks and support their child if they've been sending, sharing or receiving nude images.
> See our advice for parents and carers on the NSPCC website
Review and update your policies and procedures

It's important to review and update your policies and procedures following any incidents, to make sure they include any new information learned and current best practice.

Increasing awareness

Increasing professional and public awareness about nude image sharing

Raising awareness about sexting and how perpetrators of abuse can use nude images to harm children is important to help keep children safe. You can help do this by:

getting training

talking to children

involving parents and carers.

Get training

Anyone working or volunteering with children needs to be able to recognise the signs that a child may need help and know how to act on concerns.

Keeping up-to-date with what children are doing online will help you have relevant discussions with them.
> Take our online safety training course > Take our sharing nudes and semi-nudes training course > Learn more about developmentally appropriate and healthy child sexual behaviour and how to respond to inappropriate sexualised behaviour > Sign up to CASPAR to keep up-to-date with new developments in child protection
Talk to children

It's important to talk to children and young people about healthy relationships, consent, setting safe boundaries and the benefits and risks of the online world. Make sure they know who they can talk to if anything ever makes them feel uncomfortable.

When discussing these topics, it's important to be non-judgmental and listen to children and young people's views.

Use realistic scenarios and resources.

Use culturally-sensitive materials.

Use gender-sensitive materials to address gender-specific issues.

Work in small groups to help encourage open discussion, for example if an issue is gender specific.

Discuss sexting in the wider context of other issues such as sexuality, relationships, consent, body image, bullying and wellbeing.

Be sensitive to the needs of any children for whom the discussions might be particularly upsetting, for example those who have previously been involved in a sexting incident.

Use language that young people understand, and that isn't victim-blaming or dismissive (UCKIS, 2022).

> Find out more about promoting healthy relationships > Read our guidance on how to have difficult conversations with children and young people > Read our blog post about why language matters when talking about taking, sending or receiving naked or semi-naked images or videos > See our Talk Relationships elearning, lesson plans and helpline to help teachers deliver relationships and sex education
Support parents and carers

You can help parents and carers keep their children safe online by making sure they are aware of possible risks to their child and know what support is available if there's ever a problem.

The NSPCC website has information and advice for parents and carers on the apps, games and social media sites children are using.

This includes guides to help parents and carers make informed decisions about keeping their child safe online. There is also detailed information about sexting and why young people might send nudes and how they can talk to them about it.

The Report Remove tool can also be used to report if an image or video has been shared without permission and can help remove them from the web.
> Signpost parents and carers to information about online safety on the NSPCC website > Share our advice for parents about sexting on the NSPCC website

Legislation and guidance

Key legislation

What does the law say about sexting?

Creating or sharing explicit images of a child is illegal, whether photographic or AI-generated (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2023), and even if the person doing it is a child.

England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales each have their own legislation on the sharing of indecent images of children. There is also guidance to help professionals respond to sexting incidents.

Sharing indecent images of children

In England and Wales, the Protection of Children Act 1978 makes it an offence to take, make, show, distribute, possess (with a view to distribute) or publish an advertisement with an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph(an image made to look like a photograph) of a child.

Part 11 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 makes it an offence to possess indecent images of children (whether or not you intend to distribute them).

In Northern Ireland, article 3 of the Protection of Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 makes it an offence to take, make, show, distribute, possess (with a view to distribute) or publish an advertisement with an indecent photograph or pseudo‐photograph of a child.

In Scotland, sections 52 and 52A of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 make it an offence to take, make, show, distribute, possess (for any reason) or publish an advertisement an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child under the age of 18.

Legislation across the UK does not define the term "indecent", but information about this is included in prosecution guidance (see below).

Causing distress

Sometimes young people who have been involved in sexting have been blackmailed, tricked or coerced - the person who received their image may threaten to share it more widely if the child doesn't send them more images or money. Young people may also worry that if their relationship ends, the partner they shared their image with may share it to get revenge.

Across the UK, section 33 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 makes it an offence to share private sexual photographs or films with the intent to cause distress.

In Scotland, Part 1 of the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016 makes it an offence to disclose publicly, or threaten to disclose publicly, an intimate photograph or film of another person in order to cause them distress.

Sexual communication

In all UK nations, part 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 makes it a criminal offence to engage in sexual communication with a child (under 16). This includes communication that relates to sexual activity and communication for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification (for example, grooming for sexual abuse).

Investigating indecent images

If an indecent image of a child shows a sexual act, the Sexual Offences Act 2003 states that the police must investigate to find out whether a sexual offence has been committed and act accordingly. This applies across the UK.

Key guidance

There is guidance for professionals in different sectors on responding to sexting incidents. These refer specifically to sexual images or video content which is produced, shared by or in the possession of young people under 18. It doesn't cover sexual messages which do not contain imagery or the sharing of sexual imagery by adults. To clarify this, the guidance uses the term "youth produced sexual imagery".

Common themes across the guidance are:

children and young people should not be unnecessarily criminalised for sharing youth-produced sexual imagery

agencies should work together to share advice and information during investigations and help educate children about the risks of sexting.

Schools

In England, UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS), have produced guidance for education settings on children and young people sharing nudes and semi-nudes. The guidance includes:

information for all staff and volunteers on what to do if they become aware a child has been involved in sexting

advice for nominated child protection leads and senior leadership teams about how to respond to an incident of sexting

(UKCIS, 2024).

In Wales, the Government has also published guidance to support education settings in responding to sharing nudes (Welsh Government, 2021).

​The principles of best practice in these guidance documents might also be helpful for schools in other nations and organisations in other sectors.

Outcome 21

All incidents of youth produced sexual imagery which are brought to police attention should be recorded as a crime. However, in January 2016 the Home Office launched outcome 21. This allows police in England and Wales to record that a crime has happened but that it was not considered to be in the public interest to take formal criminal justice action. Crimes recorded under this code are unlikely to be disclosed on a vetting check in the future, although this cannot be guaranteed. Decisions about using outcome 21 should be taken by a senior and/or experienced officer.

Outcome 21 may be a good solution in cases where:

a young person's sexting was not abusive or persistent

there is no evidence of exploitation, grooming, profit motive or malicious intent

(College of Policing, 2016).

Although police forces in Northern Ireland and Scotland are not able to use Outcome 21, they are likely to avoid prosecuting children unless it is in the public interest.

Prosecutors

In England and Wales, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) provides guidance about indecent and prohibited images of children (CPS, 2020). The CPS has also produced Guidelines on prosecuting cases involving communications sent via social media (CPS, 2018).

The guidelines on communications sent via social media state it would not normally be in the public interest to prosecute when sexual images have been shared consensually between children of a similar age; however prosecution may be appropriate in other scenarios, for example if bullying, grooming or child sexual exploitation are involved.

The Sentencing Council provides guidance about offence categories for the possession of indecent photographs of children (Sentencing Council, 2014).

In Northern Ireland, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) includes information about indecent images of children in its information about types of sexual offences (PPS, 2021).

Guidance for young people

The Home Office has published guidance to help young people understand the law on making or sharing indecent images of children and young people (Home Office, 2019). It explains the legislation around sexting in England and Wales, gives definitions of some of the commonly used terms and tells young people what to do if they stumble across indecent images of children online.

Advice for schools and organisations working with children and young people

Sexting is when people share a sexual message and/or a naked or semi-naked image, video or text message with another person. Children and young people may also talk about sharing 'nudes', 'pics' or 'dick pics'.

Children and young people may consent to sending a nude image of themselves. They can also be forced, tricked or coerced into sharing images by other young people or adults online.

Whether a child or young person shares an image consensually or not, they have no control over how other people might use or share it.

They may experience bullying or isolation if the image is shared around peer groups. Perpetrators of abuse may circulate a nude image more widely and use this to blackmail a child or groom them for further sexual abuse.

It's a criminal offence to create or share explicit images of a child. However the law is intended to protect children and not criminalise them. If sexting by a young person is reported to the police, they will make a record but depending on the circumstances they may decide not take any formal action.
> Read more about preventing online abuse and harm > Read more about harmful sexual behaviour

Training to help you respond to incidents

Our 3-hour CPD certified online course covers why children and young people may share nude or semi-nude images, the risks involved and what steps you need to take to manage incidents and respond appropriately. You'll learn about issues including consent, gender, additional needs and age variations, as well the latest legislation and guidance.
> Read more about Sharing nudes and semi-nudes training

Policies and procedures

Writing a sexting policy and procedures

All organisations must have a clear policy statement about sharing nudes or sexting. This should sit alongside and be embedded with your overarching safeguarding and child protection policy and your online safety policy. It should outline your commitment to raising awareness of the issues surrounding sharing nudes and supporting children who have been involved in sexting incidents.

You should also have clear procedures that detail the actions which staff and volunteers must take if a child makes a disclosure or if they have any concerns that a child has been involved in a sexting incident.

All staff and volunteers must be familiar with these documents and understand how to follow them. It's good practice to make them available to parents and young people - you might want to consider creating a young person friendly version.
> Find out more about writing a safeguarding policy > See our example online safety policy statement and agreement
Policy statement

Your sexting policy statement should set out:

what sexting is

reasons why young people might create and send nude or semi nude images of themselves

how sexting can be used to harm or abuse a child

what the law says about sexting

how your organisation will raise awareness about the issues surrounding sexting

your organisation's intention to respond appropriately to any incidents of sexting that might involve the children and young people you work with.

Procedures

There should be clear steps for staff and volunteers to follow if they have concerns about or become aware of young people sharing nude or semi-nude images or videos of themselves or others.

Your procedures should cover:

how to talk to and support children and young people who have been involved in a sexting incident

reporting concerns

assessing risk

how to take appropriate action.

Keeping children safe should always be the focus of any response to sexting incidents.

Your sexting policy and procedures should follow best practice guidance. More information about this is available in the Legislation and guidance tab.

Anti-bullying policy and procedures

Children and young people can also experience bullying, when nude or semi-nude images are shared around peer groups.

Your anti-bullying procedures should include information about how you will respond to bullying that takes place outside your organisation, but involves children who know each other through your activities. This should include online bullying, bullying that happens on the way to and from school, and bullying that happens in other public places.

Recognising and responding

Recognising concerns

Children and young people who are involved in a sexting incident might have:

shared an image of themselves

asked for an image from someone else

received an unsolicited image

shared an image of someone else

This may have happened with or without the consent of all the people involved. And children and young people may have been coerced or pressured into giving consent.

A child might tell you that they've been involved in sending or sharing nudes. Or you might hear or see something that is concerning. For example, you might notice a child's behaviour has changed or you might overhear a conversation that indicates something is wrong.
> Learn how to spot the signs that a young person is in an unhealthy relationship
Never wait for a child to tell you directly that they have been involved in sexting. You should follow your organisation's policy and procedures and make your nominated child protection lead aware of the situation as soon as possible.
> Read our practice example about responding to sexting
Talking to a young person who has been involved in sexting

If you're talking to a young person who has been involved in sexting, it's important to remain calm, reassuring and non-judgmental. Give them time to talk and check that you understand what they have said.
> Find out more about how to talk to a child who is disclosing abuse > Read our blog post about why language matters when talking about taking, sending or receiving naked or semi-naked images or videos
Gathering information

Your nominated child protection lead should take the lead on responding to incidents of sexting, working closely with your senior leadership team. They should also liaise with agencies such as the police or children's social care as appropriate.

They should talk to the young people involved, to find out what's happened, how they are feeling and what support they need.

Your nominated child protection lead should try to find out:

if it's an image, video or message

who sent it

who is featured in it

if there were any adults involved

if it's on an organisational or personal device

if it has been shared elsewhere.

Safeguarding and child protection should be the main concern of any investigation into a sexting incident and you should avoid criminalising young people unnecessarily (College of Policing, 2016). Police across the UK are unlikely to take formal criminal justice action against a child involved in sexting unless it is in the public interest. In England and Wales this has been formalised through the introduction of 'Outcome 21' which allows police to record that a crime has happened but that it isn't in the public interest to take formal criminal justice action. This means that if a sexting incident involving a young person is reported to the police, they will make a record but may decide not to take any formal action against the young person. Your local police force will be able to give you more information about this.

What to do with a sexting image

You shouldn't view any nude or semi-nude images. You should never copy, print or share sexual images of a child or young person (Childnet, 2016; UKCIS, 2024).

You should only search devices if the child is at immediate risk of harm. The Department for Education (DfE) provides guidance for head teachers, staff and governing bodies in England on searching electronic devices (DfE, 2018).

If devices need to be given to the police:

confiscate the device and call the police

disconnect it from WiFi and data

turn off the device (to avoid images being removed remotely via a cloud storage service)

store the device somewhere secure, such as in a locked cupboard or safe, until it is handed to the police.

(UKCIS, 2024)

Supporting children and young people

It's essential all children and young people involved in sexting receive ongoing support. You should also involve parents and carers, unless doing so might pose a risk to their child.

It may also be appropriate to make a referral to a counselling service or therapeutic support.
> Find out more about support for children who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour
The NSPCC Helpline is available to anyone worried about a child.

Our Childline website has a range of resources for children and young people. Childline also provides free confidential support through online chat, phone or email.
> Look at Childline's age-appropriate information about sexting and sending nudes
Recording and reviewing

Your nominated child protection lead should make a written record of the incident and all the actions taken.

Following a sexting incident, your organisation will need to review what happened and how it was dealt with to ensure that you learn and improve procedures.

Reporting

If you think a child has been involved in sexting you should follow your organisation's policy and procedures and make your nominated child protection lead aware of the situation as soon as possible. Your nominated child protection lead should then make a decision about whether a child protection referral is needed.

When to make a child protection referral

A considered and detailed process should be followed when deciding whether or not to make a child protection referral about an incident of nude image sharing.

A child protection referral should be made if:

the incident involves an adult

there is reason to believe that a child or young person has been coerced, blackmailed or groomed, or there are concerns about their capacity to consent (for example, if they have a learning disability)

what you know about the image(s) suggests the content depicts sexual acts which are unusual for the young person's developmental stage, or are violent

the image(s) involves sexual acts and any child in the image(s) is under 13

you have reason to believe a child or young person is at immediate risk of harm due to the sharing of the image, for example if they are presenting as suicidal or self-harming.

If you think a child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999.

If you think a child has been or is at risk of harm, but they are not in immediate danger, you should share your concerns. You can:

Contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk. Our child protection specialists will talk through your concerns with you and give you expert advice

Contact your local child protection services. Their contact details can be found on the website for the local authority the child lives in.

Contact the police if there are abusive or aggravating factors (such as evidence of grooming, exploitation or extensive, inappropriate sharing)

Inform CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command) if you think a child has been groomed or sexually abused online. You can report on their website.

Your referral will be risk assessed, and action taken to protect the child as appropriate; either through statutory involvement or other support.
> See our information about recognising and responding to abuse
If your organisation doesn't have a clear safeguarding procedure or you're concerned about how child protection issues are being handled in your own, or another, organisation, contact the Whistleblowing Advice Line to discuss your concerns.
> Find out about the Whistleblowing Advice Line on the NSPCC website
When you're not sure

The NSPCC Helpline can help when you're not sure if a situation needs a safeguarding response. Our child protection specialists are here to support you whether you're seeking advice, sharing concerns about a child, or looking for reassurance.

Whatever the need, reason or feeling, you can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk

Our trained professionals will talk through your concerns with you. Depending on what you share, our experts will talk you through which local services can help, advise you on next steps, or make referrals to children's services and the police.
>Find out more about how the NSPCC Helpline can support you
Getting an explicit image removed from the internet

To get a nude or semi-nude image removed from the internet you can:

report the image to the site or network hosting it

contact the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)

encourage the child or young person to get in touch with Childline.

Young people under 18 who are worried that a sexual image or video of them may have been shared online can use Childline and IWF's Report Remove tool to see if it can be taken down.
> Find out more about how you can support young people to use Report Remove > See Childline's advice for young people on reporting nude images online
Parents and carers can find information on the NSPCC website that helps them understand the risks and support their child if they've been sending, sharing or receiving nude images.
> See our advice for parents and carers on the NSPCC website
Review and update your policies and procedures

It's important to review and update your policies and procedures following any incidents, to make sure they include any new information learned and current best practice.

Increasing awareness

Increasing professional and public awareness about nude image sharing

Raising awareness about sexting and how perpetrators of abuse can use nude images to harm children is important to help keep children safe. You can help do this by:

getting training

talking to children

involving parents and carers.

Get training

Anyone working or volunteering with children needs to be able to recognise the signs that a child may need help and know how to act on concerns.

Keeping up-to-date with what children are doing online will help you have relevant discussions with them.
> Take our online safety training course > Take our sharing nudes and semi-nudes training course > Learn more about developmentally appropriate and healthy child sexual behaviour and how to respond to inappropriate sexualised behaviour > Sign up to CASPAR to keep up-to-date with new developments in child protection
Talk to children

It's important to talk to children and young people about healthy relationships, consent, setting safe boundaries and the benefits and risks of the online world. Make sure they know who they can talk to if anything ever makes them feel uncomfortable.

When discussing these topics, it's important to be non-judgmental and listen to children and young people's views.

Use realistic scenarios and resources.

Use culturally-sensitive materials.

Use gender-sensitive materials to address gender-specific issues.

Work in small groups to help encourage open discussion, for example if an issue is gender specific.

Discuss sexting in the wider context of other issues such as sexuality, relationships, consent, body image, bullying and wellbeing.

Be sensitive to the needs of any children for whom the discussions might be particularly upsetting, for example those who have previously been involved in a sexting incident.

Use language that young people understand, and that isn't victim-blaming or dismissive (UCKIS, 2022).

> Find out more about promoting healthy relationships > Read our guidance on how to have difficult conversations with children and young people > Read our blog post about why language matters when talking about taking, sending or receiving naked or semi-naked images or videos > See our Talk Relationships elearning, lesson plans and helpline to help teachers deliver relationships and sex education
Support parents and carers

You can help parents and carers keep their children safe online by making sure they are aware of possible risks to their child and know what support is available if there's ever a problem.

The NSPCC website has information and advice for parents and carers on the apps, games and social media sites children are using.

This includes guides to help parents and carers make informed decisions about keeping their child safe online. There is also detailed information about sexting and why young people might send nudes and how they can talk to them about it.

The Report Remove tool can also be used to report if an image or video has been shared without permission and can help remove them from the web.
> Signpost parents and carers to information about online safety on the NSPCC website > Share our advice for parents about sexting on the NSPCC website

Legislation and guidance

Key legislation

What does the law say about sexting?

Creating or sharing explicit images of a child is illegal, whether photographic or AI-generated (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2023), and even if the person doing it is a child.

England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales each have their own legislation on the sharing of indecent images of children. There is also guidance to help professionals respond to sexting incidents.

Sharing indecent images of children

In England and Wales, the Protection of Children Act 1978 makes it an offence to take, make, show, distribute, possess (with a view to distribute) or publish an advertisement with an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph(an image made to look like a photograph) of a child.

Part 11 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 makes it an offence to possess indecent images of children (whether or not you intend to distribute them).

In Northern Ireland, article 3 of the Protection of Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 makes it an offence to take, make, show, distribute, possess (with a view to distribute) or publish an advertisement with an indecent photograph or pseudo‐photograph of a child.

In Scotland, sections 52 and 52A of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 make it an offence to take, make, show, distribute, possess (for any reason) or publish an advertisement an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child under the age of 18.

Legislation across the UK does not define the term "indecent", but information about this is included in prosecution guidance (see below).

Causing distress

Sometimes young people who have been involved in sexting have been blackmailed, tricked or coerced - the person who received their image may threaten to share it more widely if the child doesn't send them more images or money. Young people may also worry that if their relationship ends, the partner they shared their image with may share it to get revenge.

Across the UK, section 33 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 makes it an offence to share private sexual photographs or films with the intent to cause distress.

In Scotland, Part 1 of the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016 makes it an offence to disclose publicly, or threaten to disclose publicly, an intimate photograph or film of another person in order to cause them distress.

Sexual communication

In all UK nations, part 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 makes it a criminal offence to engage in sexual communication with a child (under 16). This includes communication that relates to sexual activity and communication for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification (for example, grooming for sexual abuse).

Investigating indecent images

If an indecent image of a child shows a sexual act, the Sexual Offences Act 2003 states that the police must investigate to find out whether a sexual offence has been committed and act accordingly. This applies across the UK.

Key guidance

There is guidance for professionals in different sectors on responding to sexting incidents. These refer specifically to sexual images or video content which is produced, shared by or in the possession of young people under 18. It doesn't cover sexual messages which do not contain imagery or the sharing of sexual imagery by adults. To clarify this, the guidance uses the term "youth produced sexual imagery".

Common themes across the guidance are:

children and young people should not be unnecessarily criminalised for sharing youth-produced sexual imagery

agencies should work together to share advice and information during investigations and help educate children about the risks of sexting.

Schools

In England, UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS), have produced guidance for education settings on children and young people sharing nudes and semi-nudes. The guidance includes:

information for all staff and volunteers on what to do if they become aware a child has been involved in sexting

advice for nominated child protection leads and senior leadership teams about how to respond to an incident of sexting

(UKCIS, 2024).

In Wales, the Government has also published guidance to support education settings in responding to sharing nudes (Welsh Government, 2021).

​The principles of best practice in these guidance documents might also be helpful for schools in other nations and organisations in other sectors.

Outcome 21

All incidents of youth produced sexual imagery which are brought to police attention should be recorded as a crime. However, in January 2016 the Home Office launched outcome 21. This allows police in England and Wales to record that a crime has happened but that it was not considered to be in the public interest to take formal criminal justice action. Crimes recorded under this code are unlikely to be disclosed on a vetting check in the future, although this cannot be guaranteed. Decisions about using outcome 21 should be taken by a senior and/or experienced officer.

Outcome 21 may be a good solution in cases where:

a young person's sexting was not abusive or persistent

there is no evidence of exploitation, grooming, profit motive or malicious intent

(College of Policing, 2016).

Although police forces in Northern Ireland and Scotland are not able to use Outcome 21, they are likely to avoid prosecuting children unless it is in the public interest.

Prosecutors

In England and Wales, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) provides guidance about indecent and prohibited images of children (CPS, 2020). The CPS has also produced Guidelines on prosecuting cases involving communications sent via social media (CPS, 2018).

The guidelines on communications sent via social media state it would not normally be in the public interest to prosecute when sexual images have been shared consensually between children of a similar age; however prosecution may be appropriate in other scenarios, for example if bullying, grooming or child sexual exploitation are involved.

The Sentencing Council provides guidance about offence categories for the possession of indecent photographs of children (Sentencing Council, 2014).

In Northern Ireland, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) includes information about indecent images of children in its information about types of sexual offences (PPS, 2021).

Guidance for young people

The Home Office has published guidance to help young people understand the law on making or sharing indecent images of children and young people (Home Office, 2019). It explains the legislation around sexting in England and Wales, gives definitions of some of the commonly used terms and tells young people what to do if they stumble across indecent images of children online.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
how might a young person be involved in sexting

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sexting: sharing nudes and semi-nudes | NSPCC Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What schools and organisations working with children and young people need to know about sharing nudes, including writing a policy and procedures and how to respond to incidents.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We reach thousands of children every year with Breck's story

Our organisation was founded in 2014 in response to the tragic loss of Breck Bednar, a 14-year-old boy who was groomed and murdered by someone he met online. Our work aims to prevent this from ever happening again. Our work saves lives.

Get involved in a better future

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Breck Foundation helps children and young people reclaim the internet - focused on online grooming, online safety and online exploitation. Together we can reach a future where children are safe online.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sexting is an issue we increasingly see on the Professionals Online Safety Helpline as young people develop more relationships online. The sexting cases we support are often multifaceted and complex, so we have created some guidance to help you understand the current resources available to support any safeguarding issues regarding sexting.

The guidance below generally reflects the UK Council for Internet Safety's guidance on sexting, which offers a comprehensive and detailed explanation of how to address a sexting incident in educational settings throughout England.

What is Sexting?

Although sexting can mean different things to different people, in this context 'sexting' refers to the sharing of nudes and semi-nudes or sexual messages. This can be in the form of a photo, video, or live stream. Sexting can take place on many different platforms, including social media sites, gaming sites, or messaging apps.

Sexting is often referred to in different ways, such as 'nude image sharing', 'nudes', 'sexts', or 'nude selfies'.

Is Sexting a Crime?

In England, creating and sharing nudes and semi-nudes of under-18s (including those created and shared with consent) is illegal, which makes responding to incidents involving children and young people complicated.

It is important to remember that the motivations behind under-18-year-olds taking and sharing nude, semi-nude images or other forms of content are not always criminally or sexually motivated.

There are many different factors to consider when responding to a sexting incident, including the ages of the people involved, and whether coercion or consent was involved in the decision to share sexual images or messages.
Any adult who shares or creates nudes or semi-nudes of under-18-year-olds is committing a form of child abuse and must be referred to the police as a matter of urgency.

Responding to a Sexting Incident

Click on the icons below for more information.
Close popup boxes

Close this popup window

Responding to Initial Disclosures

It is important to stay calm and keep the environment you are in as relaxed as possible, this will help to support the young person. Remember, issues around sexting are a safeguarding issue, and you should therefore ensure you follow your setting's safeguarding policies and processes.
If you are not a DSL, you should refrain from asking for further information about the imagery.
Remember not to use language that implies blame or judgment. Recognise the courage it has taken to speak up and reassure them that they have done the right thing by raising their concern. Let them know that you will need to pass on this information to the DSL and be clear that this is so that you can provide the best possible support for them.

You can find out more about how to handle a sexting incident with our downloadable guidance.

Next Close

Close this popup window

The 2 020 guidance from the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) shares the following guidance on how to respond to an incident involving sexting.

1. Report it to your Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or equivalent immediately, your setting's child protection policy should be followed, and the young person should be reassured about the reporting process and support available from DSLs.

2. It is illegal to view, share, save, or request that the young person share or download the imagery. If you do see the imagery by accident, you should report this to the DSL and seek support.

3. Do not interfere with the imagery by deleting it or asking the young person to delete it.

4. Do not request further information regarding the imagery from the young person.

5. Do not share information about the incident to other members of staff, any young people involved, or parents and carers.

For further information, read the UKCIS guidance overview here.

Previous Next Close

Close this popup window

Every instance of sexting is different, and there are many factors to consider when responding to a sexting incident, including aggravating factors such as:

1. Adult Involvement

2. Intent to Harm: Instances of abuse, blackmail, and coercion.

3. Reckless Misuse: Images sent without consent or without thought, but without intent to cause harm.

To find out the full guidance on how to address and assess a sexting incident with consideration of any aggravating or experimental factors, DSLs should read 1.6 'Understanding motivations and behaviour' of the UKCIS Guidance.

As a DSL, it is important to gather as much information as possible, including:

1. Information on whether the incident involves images, videos, or messages.

2. Who is featured in the content.

3. Who sent the content.

4. If any adults are involved.

5. Where the content is located.

It is essential to record all decisions and steps taken during a sexting incident. Any documentation should explain why certain actions were or were not taken. Examples of this include explaining why it was not necessary to report an instance of sexting to the police, and why it can be handled internally. Remember, your approach should be child-centric and all decisions need to be justifiable and taken in the best interests of the child.

Once a sexting incident has been addressed, it is essential that your organisation reviews the case to see where procedures and responses can be improved or learned from. In line with your setting's safeguarding policies and practices, you should ensure the child is provided with appropriate post-incident support as required.

Previous Close

Searching and Viewing Devices

It is important to make sure that staff, carers, and parents do not view any child's nudes or semi-nudes without good reason. Any response to a sexting incident should be evaluated based on the DSL's understanding of the content involved.

Decisions made to view imagery should always be based on the judgment of the DSL and comply with the child protection policy and procedures in place. No imagery should be viewed if it will cause distress or harm to the young person involved.
Designated Safeguarding Leads should ensure the following:

1. Viewing the imagery is the only way to make a decision about involving other agencies, as it isn't possible to establish facts otherwise.

2. The images need to be reported to a website or agency such as the Internet Watch Foundation, or could support a young person or parent to report the content.

3. Viewing the imagery has been unavoidable due to a young person presenting it directly to a member of staff, or if content has been found on a school device.

If it is necessary to view images, the DSL should ensure:

1. Any images should not be copied, printed, shared, or stored as that is illegal. If this has happened, police should be contacted.

2. Any decisions should be discussed with the headteacher or senior leadership team.

3. Viewing should be undertaken by the DSL with authority from the headteacher or senior leadership team.

4. Viewing should take place with another member of staff present and should ideally take place on premises by a member of staff of the same sex as the young person involved.

It is essential to record how and why decisions were made to view the imagery in the safeguarding or child protection records.

Any decision about searching devices, viewing, or deleting images should be clearly explained to the child or parent based on their request.

For more information on searching, deleting, and confiscating devices in schools, you can read the DfE's Searching, screening and confiscation advice.

When to Involve Others

Click on the icons below for more information.
Close popup boxes

Close this popup window

There are occasions where sexting incidents do not need to involve the police, such as when an incident is 'experimental' rather than 'aggravated.' An experimental incident involves the sharing of nudes or semi-nudes without adult involvement and with no apparent intent to harm or reckless misuse.

Aggravated or abusive incidents of sexting should always be reported to the police through the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).

Once an incident has been reported to the police, they will be able to ensure a thorough investigation through the collection of all evidence. Any incident reported to the police will be recorded as an incident on their crime systems.

If a device needs to be passed on to the police, the involved devices should be disconnected from Wi-Fi and data and turned off immediately. The device should be locked in a secure place until the police are able to collect it.

To find out more information about the reporting process, you should read 1.9 'The Police Response' of the UKCIS Guidance.

Next Close

Close this popup window

Generally, when incidents are disclosed, it is best to tell the parents or guardians of any young person involved. Exceptions can include when there is a risk or harm to the child by doing this, or if the young person expresses that this could cause a genuine problem.

Whether to tell the guardians or not is ultimately up to the DSL's discretion, however, they should always ensure to record and justify their decision within the establishment incident logs.

If the parents are informed, it is usually best to support the young person and involve them in deciding how to approach the conversation, by finding out what would make it easier for them (e.g. being present at the time or not).

Previous Next Close

Close this popup window

Child Sexual Abuse Material

Any incident that includes CSAM content online should be reported to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), who can identify and remove any content that includes child sexual abuse imagery.

You can also encourage children under the age of 18 to use Report Remove to help get an image or video of themselves taken down online. Report Remove is provided by IWF and Childline, and keeps the young person informed at each stage of their report, whilst providing further support when necessary.

Previous Close

Related Articles and Information
More Articles

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Designed and Developed by Will Earp, South West Grid for Learning Trust Ltd

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Information about how to address sexting incidents within schools and educational settings.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We work to end child sexual abuse imagery online. Founded in 1996, we now give more than 2.6bn people from 53 countries a safe place to report online child sexual abuse images and videos to remove from the internet. And we give children and young people the ability to report and delete sexual imagery of themselves in both the UK and India.

More than one million webpages (1,069,488) showing at least one, and often many tens, hundreds or thousands of child sexual abuse images and videos have been removed from the internet thanks to our work over the past five years alone.

In that time (2019-2023), our highly trained and carefully looked after human analysts have investigated - with 'eyes on' - more than 1.6 million reports from the public, police, tech companies and through their own proactive searching.

The IWF Annual Report 2023 provides some analysis from #BehindTheScreens to give you the latest trends and data on the distribution of child sexual abuse images and videos on the internet.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
IWF Insights into Online Child Sexual Abuse Trends in 2023

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover the latest trends & data in the fight against online child sexual abuse imagery in the 2023 Annual Report from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The importance of meeting the standard

Schools and colleges should provide a safe environment to learn and work, including when online. Filtering and monitoring are both important parts of safeguarding pupils and staff from potentially harmful and inappropriate online material.

Clear roles, responsibilities and strategies are vital for delivering and maintaining effective filtering and monitoring systems. It's important that the right people are working together and using their professional expertise to make informed decisions.

How to meet the standard

Governing bodies and proprietors have overall strategic responsibility for filtering and monitoring and need assurance that the standards are being met.

To do this, they should identify and assign:

a member of the senior leadership team and a governor, to be responsible for ensuring these standards are met

the roles and responsibilities of staff and third parties, for example, external service providers

We are aware that there may not be full-time staff for each of these roles and responsibility may lie as part of a wider role within the school, college, or trust. However, it must be clear who is responsible and it must be possible to make prompt changes to your provision.

Technical requirements to meet the standard

The senior leadership team are responsible for:

procuring filtering and monitoring systems

documenting decisions on what is blocked or allowed and why

reviewing the effectiveness of your provision

overseeing reports

They are also responsible for making sure that all staff:

understand their role

are appropriately trained

follow policies, processes and procedures

act on reports and concerns

Senior leaders should work closely with governors or proprietors, the designated safeguarding lead ( DSL) and IT service providers in all aspects of filtering and monitoring. Your IT service provider may be a staff technician or an external service provider.

Day to day management of filtering and monitoring systems requires the specialist knowledge of both safeguarding and IT staff to be effective. The DSL should work closely together with IT service providers to meet the needs of your setting. You may need to ask filtering or monitoring providers for system specific training and support.

The DSL should take lead responsibility for safeguarding and online safety, which could include overseeing and acting on:

The IT service provider should have technical responsibility for:

The IT service provider should work with the senior leadership team and DSL to:

procure systems

identify risk

carry out reviews

carry out checks

When to meet the standard

You should already be meeting this standard.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Meeting digital and technology standards in schools and colleges

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out what standards your school or college should meet on filtering and monitoring.

# data[].attributes.body
CSAM

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Are you being bullied?

If you are being bullied, or you are not ready to make a report to CEOP, you can talk to Childline anonymously online or on the phone - No worry is too big or too small.

Visit Childline

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Are you being bullied? If you are being bullied, or you are not ready to make a report to CEOP, you can talk to Childline anonymously online or on the phone - No worry is too big or too small. Visit Childline

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From KCSIE 2023, the DSL is asked to take lead responsibility for web filtering and consider the DfE standards. This page is to support your journey towards this - whether you are a beginner or have worked for years with your technical teams to better understand and effectively manage filtering - which is all about keeping children safe.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Lucy Faithfull Foundation | Preventing Child Sex Abuse

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We are the only UK-wide charity dedicated solely to preventing child sexual abuse. Find out more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Stop It Now | Preventing child sexual abuse

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Online self-help and confidential Stop It Now helpline for anyone worried about child sexual abuse, including their own thoughts or behaviour.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you've experienced or witnessed harm online we can help. Report Harmful Content can help you to report harmful content online by providing up to date information on community standards and direct links to the correct reporting facilities across multiple platforms

Under 18?
Click here for child friendly advice Get advice on how to report abuse and harassment in sport
Close popup boxes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Designed and Developed by South West Grid for Learning (https://swgfl.org.uk/)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Report Harmful Content - We Help You Remove Content

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Helping anyone who comes across harmful content online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Brexit transition period ended on 31 December 2020. The GDPR has been retained in UK law as the UK GDPR, and will continue to be read alongside the Data Protection Act 2018, with technical amendments to ensure it can function in UK law. If you transfer or receive data from overseas please visit our End of Transition and International Transfers pages. You should make sure you can identify any data you collected before the end of 2020 about people outside the UK, for further information, see our Q&A on Legacy Data.

On 01 January, there will not be any significant change to the UK data protection regime, or to the criteria that compel DPIAs. This guidance draws on European resources which we still consider to be relevant, and so these resources remain part of our DPIA guidance.

We will keep this guidance under review and update it as and when any aspect of your obligations or our approach changes. Please continue to monitor our website for updates.

This guidance discusses Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) in detail. Read it if you have detailed questions not answered in the Guide, or if you need a deeper understanding to help you understand or complete a DPIA in practice. DPOs and those with specific data protection responsibilities in larger organisations are likely to find it useful.

The guidance has been revised to adopt the European Data Protection Board's 22/2018 opinion on the ICO's list of processing operations subject to the requirement of conducting a DPIA.

If you haven't yet read DPIAs in brief in the Guide to GDPR, you should read that first. It sets out the key points you need to know, along with practical checklists to help you comply.

Contents

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
DPIAs are a tool to help you identify and minimise the data protection risks of new projects. They are part of your accountability obligations under the GDPR, and an integral part of the 'data protection by default and by design' approach.

# data[].attributes.headline
Key contact numbers of different organisations

# data[].attributes.subject
Key contact numbers of different organisations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Spotting the Signs Tool is designed to enable professionals who work with young people to better recognise CSE and CCE and safeguard young people.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
TALK and Gurls Out Loud 'self-generated' child sexual abuse prevention campaign

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The IWF campaign aims to empower girls, and warn their parents and carers about the risks posed by online predators targeting children.

# data[].attributes.body
KS1 Sexting resource

# data[].attributes.body
IWF talking to strangers and sharing nudes. Aimed at young people with SEND

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
www.ofcom.org.uk needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The following material has been published by Farrer & Co's Safeguarding Unit, to coincide with KCSIE 2022 going live on 1 September 2022. Our new resource for addressing child-on-child abuse replaces our previous Peer-on-Peer Abuse Toolkit.
Download here
The new resource includes the below.

Key updates - which have predominantly been made:

to reflect relevant changes in KCSIE

on contextual safeguarding

on intersectionality

on digital behaviour

to provide a greater focus on race, and on child sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation

New material/revised content from that previously included within the Peer-on-Peer Abuse Toolkit - such as:

a definition of child-on-child abuse

a diagram providing an overview of child-on-child abuse

an Appendix containing key areas of the law applicable to child-on-child abuse

an Appendix containing a glossary and key facts

an Appendix containing an expansive range of statistics, resources, educational material, support services and interventions, and Government guidance

case studies

It should be emphasised that this new resource is not necessarily intended to be read cover to cover in one sitting but is primarily intended to be used as a resource and reference document for practitioners - to consult as and when required and to the extent needed, and to help them navigate whichever area(s) of child-on-child abuse they are dealing with.

If you require further information about anything covered in this briefing, please contact Adele Eastman, David Smellie or your usual contact at the firm on +44 (0)20 3375 7000.

This publication is a general summary of the law. It should not replace legal advice tailored to your specific circumstances.

© Farrer & Co LLP, September 2022

Want to know more?
Contact us

About the authors

Adele Eastman

Senior Counsel

Adele is a senior counsel in Farrer & Co's Safeguarding Unit, which advises organisations in this country and around the world working with children and/or adults with care and support needs. Within the Unit, Adele is responsible for the charity sector, and co-leads on the sports sector.

Adele is a senior counsel in Farrer & Co's Safeguarding Unit, which advises organisations in this country and around the world working with children and/or adults with care and support needs. Within the Unit, Adele is responsible for the charity sector, and co-leads on the sports sector.

David Smellie

Partner

David is consistently rated one of the top employment and safeguarding lawyers in the UK. Whether advising on senior executive moves within PLCs or private equity, or the handling of serious or high-profile safeguarding cases, either past or present, David is acknowledged for the clarity and astuteness of his advice - always looking several steps ahead in an attempt to futureproof whatever action is contemplated now.

David is consistently rated one of the top employment and safeguarding lawyers in the UK. Whether advising on senior executive moves within PLCs or private equity, or the handling of serious or high-profile safeguarding cases, either past or present, David is acknowledged for the clarity and astuteness of his advice - always looking several steps ahead in an attempt to futureproof whatever action is contemplated now.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Addressing child-on-child abuse: a resource for schools and colleges

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The following material has been published by Farrer & Co's Safeguarding Unit, to coincide with KCSIE 2022 going live on 1 September 2022. Our new resource for addressing child-on-child abuse replaces our previous Peer-on-Peer Abuse Toolkit. Download here The new resource includes the below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
New rules for online services: what you need to know

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Online Safety Act makes businesses responsible for keeping people, especially children, safe online. Here’s what you need to know and do now.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We reach thousands of children every year with Breck's story

Our organisation was founded in 2014 in response to the tragic loss of Breck Bednar, a 14-year-old boy who was groomed and murdered by someone he met online. Our work aims to prevent this from ever happening again. Our work saves lives.

Get involved in a better future

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Breck Foundation helps children and young people reclaim the internet - focused on online grooming, online safety and online exploitation. Together we can reach a future where children are safe online.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What are 'Add Everyone' group chats?

'Add Everyone' group chats can go by many names, but their purpose is often the same. These WhatsApp groups are spaces where children and young people are invited to join a chat that contains content such as sexual images, material promoting self-harm, sexual violence, racism and other inappropriate content. These chats may be created by adults seeking to connect with younger users or by young people themselves as a seemingly fun activity. However, as the name suggests, it is difficult to control who becomes a member of these groups, which means that access to children and young people can easily fall into the wrong hands. In some cases, the group owners ask for children to add their contacts to the group, 'except their parents'.
As WhatsApp has lowered its minimum age from 16 to 13 this year, the risk of young users encountering inappropriate content and adults may increase. However, reports indicate that these groups have targeted children as young as 9.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Safeguarding Alert: The 'Add Everyone' Explicit WhatsApp Group - Ineqe Safeguarding Group

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Your Content Goes Here Your Content Goes Here Recent concerns have emerged regarding a WhatsApp group known as 'Add Everyone.' Schools and regional police forces across the UK have warned that this group exposes children and young people to explicit and harmful material. Imagine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This non-statutory guidance outlines how schools can ensure their pupils understand how to stay safe and behave online as part of existing curriculum requirements.

It complements existing subjects including:

There are no additional teaching requirements.

This guidance is for school leaders, school staff and governing bodies. It applies to all local-authority-maintained schools, academies and free schools.

Independent schools and non-maintained special schools may also find this guidance helpful as they are required to teach relationships education, relationships and sex education, and health education.

Introduction

Today's pupils are growing up in an increasingly complex world, living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks.

We want schools to equip their pupils with the knowledge needed to make the best use of the internet and technology in a safe, considered and respectful way, so they are able to reap the benefits of the online world.

This advice brings together information that will help schools deliver online safety content within their curriculum and embed this within their wider whole school approach.

Refer to the education for a connected world framework for age-specific advice about the online knowledge and skills that pupils should have the opportunity to develop at different stages of their lives.

Curriculum context

As part of the statutory relationships and health education in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms. This includes being taught:

Throughout these subjects, teachers will address online safety and appropriate behaviour in an age-appropriate way that is relevant to their pupils' lives.

This complements the computing curriculum, which covers the principles of online safety at all key stages, with progression in the content to reflect the different and escalating risks that pupils face. This includes:

how to use technology safely, responsibly, respectfully and securely

where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies

There are also other curriculum subjects which include content relevant to teaching pupils how to use the internet safely. For example, citizenship education explores:

Educate Against Hate has a full teaching pack dedicated to fundamental British values that includes class tasks, a class presentation, films and teaching guidance.

You should consider what you are already delivering through the curriculum, and build in additional teaching as required to make sure pupils know how to stay safe and how to behave online.

Underpinning knowledge and behaviours

The online world develops and changes at a great speed. New opportunities, challenges and risks are appearing all the time. This can make it difficult for schools to stay up to date with the latest devices, platforms, apps, trends and related threats.

It is important to focus on the underpinning knowledge and behaviours that can help pupils to navigate the online world safely and confidently regardless of the device, platform or app. This teaching could be:

Teaching must always be age and developmentally appropriate.

How to evaluate what they see online

Covering this content will enable pupils to make judgements about what they see online and not automatically assume that what they see is true, valid or acceptable.

You can help pupils to consider:

whether a website, URL or email is fake

what cookies do and what information they are sharing

if a person or organisation is who they say they are

why a person wants them to see, send or believe something

why a person wants their personal information

the reason why something has been posted

whether something they see online is fact or opinion

How to recognise techniques used for persuasion

Covering this content will enable pupils to recognise the techniques that are often used to persuade or manipulate others.

You can help pupils to recognise:

Online behaviour

Covering this content will enable pupils to understand what acceptable and unacceptable online behaviour look like. You should teach pupils:

that the same standard of behaviour and honesty apply on and offline, including the importance of respect for others

to recognise unacceptable behaviour in others

You can help pupils to recognise acceptable and unacceptable behaviour by:

looking at why people behave differently online, for example how anonymity (you do not know me) and invisibility (you cannot see me) affect what people do

looking at how online emotions can be intensified resulting in mob mentality

looking at the key principles behind a constructive discussion, including a willingness to listen to other opinions and a readiness to be educated on a topic

considering how to demonstrate empathy towards others (on and offline)

teaching techniques (relevant on and offline) to defuse or calm arguments, for example, a disagreement with friends, and disengage from unwanted contact or content online

considering unacceptable online behaviours often passed off as so-called social norms or just banter, for example, negative language being used as part of online gaming but would never be tolerated offline

How to identify online risks

Covering this content will enable pupils to identify possible online risks and make informed decisions about how to act. This should not be about providing a list of what not to do online. The focus should be to help pupils assess a situation, think through the consequences of acting in different ways and decide on the best course of action.

You can help pupils to identify and manage risk by discussing:

How and when to seek support

Covering this content will enable pupils to understand safe ways in which to seek support if they are concerned or upset by something they have seen online.

You can help pupils by explaining how to:

You should link this to wider school policies and processes around reporting of safeguarding and child protection incidents and concerns to school staff. Refer to keeping children safe in education for more information.

The online media literacy strategy sets out that the government will give internet users the knowledge and skills they need to make informed and safe choices online.

It sets out 5 principles to underpin delivery of media literacy education. These include understanding:

A list of media literacy resources for teachers and parents is available.

Teaching about harms and risks

Understanding and applying knowledge and behaviours will provide pupils with a solid foundation to navigate the online world in an effective and safe way. By understanding the risks that exist online, you can tailor your teaching and support to the specific needs of your pupils.

This section will help you understand some of the issues your pupils may be facing and where these could be covered within the curriculum. You should consider when it might be appropriate to cover these individual harms and risks.

Any activity that does look at individual harms and risks should be considered in the broader context of providing the underpinning knowledge and behaviours.

This section covers various technical aspects of the internet that could leave pupils vulnerable if not understood.

Age-specific advice on these potential harms and risks can be found in the following sections of the education for a connected world framework:

Age restrictions

Some online activities have age restrictions because they include content which is not appropriate for children under a specific age.

Teaching could include:

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

How content can be used and shared

Knowing what happens to information, comments or images that are put online.

Teaching could include:

what a digital footprint is, how it develops and how it can affect future prospects such as university and job applications

how cookies work

how content can be shared, tagged and traced

how difficult it is to remove something a user wishes they had not shared

the risk of identity theft or targeted approach from fraudsters using information shared online

ensuring pupils understand what is illegal online, for example:

youth-produced sexual imagery (sexting)

sharing illegal content such as extreme pornography or terrorist content

the illegality of possession, creating or sharing any explicit images of a child even if created by a child

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

Disinformation, misinformation, malinformation and hoaxes

Some information shared online is accidentally or intentionally wrong, misleading, or exaggerated.

Teaching could include:

disinformation and why individuals or groups choose to share false information in order to deliberately deceive

misinformation and being aware that false and misleading information can be shared inadvertently

malinformation and understanding that some genuine information can be published with the deliberate intent to harm, for example releasing private information or photographs (including revenge porn)

online hoaxes, which can be deliberately and inadvertently spread for a variety of reasons

explaining that the viral nature of this sort of content can often appear to be a stamp of authenticity and therefore why it is important to evaluate what is seen online

how to measure and check authenticity online

the potential consequences of sharing information that may not be true

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

Fake websites and scam emails

Fake websites and scam emails are used to extort data, money, images and other things that can either be used by the scammer to harm the person targeted or sold on for financial, or another gain.

Teaching could include:

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

Fraud (online)

Fraud can take place online and can have serious consequences for individuals and organisations.

Teaching could include:

what identity fraud, scams and phishing are

explaining that online fraud can be highly sophisticated and that anyone can be a victim

how to protect yourself and others against different types of online fraud

how to identify 'money mule' schemes and recruiters

the risk of online social engineering to facilitate authorised push payment fraud, where a victim is tricked into sending a payment to the criminal

the risk of sharing personal information that could be used by fraudsters

explaining that children are sometimes targeted to access adults' data, for example, passing on their parent or carer's bank details, date of birth or national insurance number

what good companies will and won't do when it comes to personal details, for example, a bank will never ask you to share a password or move money into a new account

how to report fraud, phishing attempts, suspicious websites and adverts

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

Password phishing

Password phishing is the process by which people try to find out your passwords so they can access protected content.

Teaching could include:

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

relationships education core content (all stages) - online relationships topic

computing (all key stages)

Personal data

Online platforms and search engines gather personal data. This is often referred to as 'harvesting' or 'farming'.

Teaching could include:

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

Persuasive design

Many devices, apps and games are designed to keep users online for longer than they might have planned or desired.

Teaching could include:

explaining that the majority of games and platforms are businesses designed to make money - their primary driver is to encourage users to be online for as long as possible to encourage them to spend money (sometimes by offering incentives and offers) or generate advertising revenue

how designers use notifications to pull users back online

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

health education core content (all stages) - internet safety and harms topic

computing (all key stages)

Privacy settings

Almost all devices, websites, apps and other online services come with privacy setting that can be used to control what is shared.

Teaching could include:

how to find information about privacy setting on various sites, apps, devices and platforms

explaining that privacy settings have limitations, for example, they will not prevent someone posting something inappropriate

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

relationships education core content - online relationships topic

computing (all key stages)

Targeting of online content (including on social media and search engines)

Much of the information seen online is a result of some form of targeting.

Teaching could include:

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

How to stay safe online

This section covers elements of online activity that could adversely affect a pupil's personal safety or the personal safety of others online.

Age-specific advice on these potential harms and risks can be found in the following sections of the education for a connected world framework:

Abuse (online)

Some online behaviours are abusive. They are negative in nature, potentially harmful and in some cases can be illegal.

Teaching could include:

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

Online radicalisation

Children, young people and adult learners are at risk of accessing inappropriate and harmful extremist content online. This could include downloading or sharing terrorist material, which could be a criminal act.

The internet and social media make spreading divisive and hateful narratives easier. Extremist and terrorist groups and organisations use social media (for example, apps, forums, blogs, chat rooms) to identify and target vulnerable individuals.

Teaching could include:

All education settings have a responsibility under the Prevent duty. This includes building your students' resilience to extremism and ensuring staff are adequately trained to spot the signs of radicalisation.

Guidance, teaching resources and tools to help you teach young people about extremism, radicalisation and staying safe online are available on Educate Against Hate.

Challenges

Online challenges acquire mass followings and encourage others to take part in what they suggest.

Teaching could include:

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

Content which incites

Knowing that violence can be incited online and escalate very quickly into offline violence.

Teaching could include:

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

Fake profiles

Not everyone online is who they say they are.

Teaching could include:

explaining that in some cases profiles may be people posing as someone they are not (such as an adult posing as a child) or may be bots (which are automated software programs designed to create and control fake social media accounts)

how to look out for fake profiles, for example:

profile pictures that don't like right, for example, of a celebrity or object

accounts with no followers or thousands of followers

a public figure who doesn't have a verified account

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

relationships education core content (all stages) - online relationships topic

computing (all key stages)

Grooming

Knowing about the different types of grooming and motivations for it, for example:

Teaching could include:

See the National Crime Agency's think u know website for further information on keeping children safe from sexual abuse and exploitation.

At all stages it will be important to balance teaching children about making sensible decisions to stay safe whilst being clear it is never the fault of a child who is abused and why victim blaming is always wrong.

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

Live streaming

Live streaming (showing a video of yourself in real-time online either privately or to a public audience) can be popular with children but it carries risk when carrying it out and watching it.

Teaching could include:

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

relationships education core content (all stages) - online relationships topic

health education core content (secondary) - internet safety and harms topic

Pornography

Knowing that sexually explicit material presents a distorted picture of sexual behaviours.

Teaching could include:

You could cover this content as part of the relationships and sex education core content (secondary), online and media topic.

Unsafe communication

Knowing different strategies for staying safe when communicating with others, especially people they do not know or have never met.

Teaching could include:

You could cover this content in the following curriculum areas:

Wellbeing

This section covers the elements of online activity that can adversely affect a pupil's wellbeing.

Age-specific advice on these potential harms and risks can be found in the following sections of the education for a connected world framework:

Impact on confidence (including body confidence)

Knowing about the impact of comparisons to 'unrealistic' online images.

Teaching could include:

You could cover this content as part of the health education core content (secondary), internet safety and harms topic.

Impact on quality of life, physical and mental health and relationships

Knowing how to identify when online behaviours stop being fun and begin to create anxiety, including that there needs to be a balance between time spent on and offline.

Teaching could include:

helping pupils to evaluate critically what they are doing online, why they are doing it, and for how long (screen time)

helping pupils to consider quality versus quantity of online activity

explaining that pupils need to consider if they are actually enjoying being online or just doing it out of habit, due to peer pressure or the fear of missing out

helping pupils to understand that time spent online gives users less time to do other activities - this can lead to some users becoming physically inactive

exploring the impact that excessive social media usage can have on levels of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues

explaining that isolation and loneliness can affect pupils and that it is very important for pupils to discuss their feeling with an adult and seek support

where to get help

You could cover this content as part of the health education core content (secondary), internet safety and harms topic.

Online versus offline behaviours

People can often behave differently online to how they would act face to face.

Teaching could include:

how and why people can often portray an exaggerated picture of their lives (especially online) and how that can lead to pressure

discussing how and why people are unkind or hurtful online, when they would not necessarily be unkind to someone face to face

You could cover this content as part of the relationships education core content (all stages), online relationships topic.

Reputational damage

What users post can affect future career opportunities and relationships - both positively and negatively.

Teaching could include:

looking at strategies for positive use

how to build a professional online profile

You could cover this content as part of the relationships and sex education core content (secondary), online and media topic.

Suicide, self-harm and eating disorders

Pupils may raise topics including eating disorders, self-harm and suicide. Teachers must be aware of the risks of encouraging or making these seem a more viable option for pupils and should take care to avoid giving instructions or methods and avoid using emotive language, videos or images.

Guidance on teaching about mental health and emotional wellbeing provides useful support for teachers in handling this material.

Vulnerable pupils

Any pupil can be vulnerable online, and their vulnerability can fluctuate depending on their age, developmental stage and personal circumstance.

However, there are some pupils, for example, looked after children and those with special educational needs, who may be more susceptible to online harm or have less support from family or friends in staying safe online. You should consider how you tailor your offer to make sure these pupils receive the information and support they need.

The following resources can help schools consider how best to support their most vulnerable pupils stay safe online:

Use of external resources

Schools are best placed to make their own decisions about which resources are educationally appropriate for their pupils. This includes reviewing resources, even when from a trusted source, as some will be more appropriate to their cohort of pupils than others.

Before using any resource, you should check:

Use of external visitors

Online safety can be a difficult and complex topic which changes very quickly. Therefore, schools may want to seek external support who have expertise, up to date knowledge and information.

The right external visitors can provide a useful and engaging approach to deliver online safety messages, but this should enhance a school's offer rather than be delivered in isolation.

Guidance for schools on using external visitors to support online safety education is available.

Safeguarding

As with any safeguarding lessons or activities, it is important that schools consider the topic they are covering and the potential that a child (or more than one child) in the class may be suffering from online abuse or harm in this way.

It is important to create a safe environment in which pupils feel comfortable to say what they feel. If a pupil thinks they will get into trouble or be judged for talking about something which happened to them online they may be put off reporting it and getting help.

Where schools are already aware of a child who is being abused or harmed online they should carefully plan any lesson to consider this, including not drawing attention to that child in a way that would highlight or publicise the abuse. It is good practice to include the designated safeguarding lead (or a deputy) when planning any safeguarding related lessons or activities (including online). They will be best placed to reflect and advise on any known safeguarding cases, and how to support any pupils who may be especially impacted by a lesson.

In some cases, a pupil will want to make a disclosure following a lesson or activity. The lesson may have provided the knowledge that enabled the pupils to realise they are being abused or harmed or give them the confidence to say something. This is why it is essential all pupils are clear what the school's reporting mechanisms are.

As per keeping children safe in education your reporting mechanisms should be child friendly and operate with the best interests of the pupil at their heart.

Whole school approach

Whole school approaches are likely to make teaching more effective than lessons alone. A whole school approach is one that goes beyond teaching to include all aspects of school life, including:

We recommend that schools embed teaching about online safety and harms within a whole school approach.

Incorporating the principles of online safety across all elements of school life

You should reflect the principles of online safety in the school's policies and practice where appropriate, and communicate this with staff, pupils and parents. This could include, for example:

having clear processes for reporting incidents or concerns in the child protection policy

reflecting online behaviours in the school's behaviour and bullying policies

Keeping children safe in education provides advice for schools on embedding online safety into their broader safeguarding and child protection approach.

Pupils should be just as clear about what is expected of them online as offline.

Engaging staff, pupils, parents and carers

Proactively engage staff, pupils, parents and carers in school activities that promote the agreed principles of online safety. This could include, for example:

co-designing programmes to reflect any emerging issues parents and pupils are hearing about or facing online

peer-to-peer support - consider implementing a scheme which supports pupils to help their peers stay safe online

Reviewing and maintaining the online safety principles

This includes making sure that school staff have access to up to date appropriate training and resources so that they are confident in covering the required content in a way that is relevant to their pupils' lives.

It could also include using information available to the school to review practices and ensure the issues facing their pupils are covered in a timely manner.

Embedding the online safety principles

Reinforce what is taught in lessons by taking appropriate and consistent action when a pupil:

makes a report of unacceptable online behaviours from another pupil, including cyberbullying

shares a concern about something they have seen online

Modelling the online safety principles consistently

This includes expecting the same standards of behaviour whenever a pupil is online at school - be it in class, logged on at the library or using their own device in the playground.

Schools should also ensure they extend support to parents, so they are able to incorporate the same principles of online safety at home.

Further sources of information

This list provides links to relevant government guidance and a range of national organisations who can offer support to schools.

Related guidance is available on:

Support and resources are also available from:

Schools can also get advice from national organisations such as:

You can refer parents to the following national organisations for support:

You can refer pupils to the following national organisations for support:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This non-statutory guidance outlines how schools can ensure their pupils understand how to stay safe and behave online as part of existing curriculum requirements. It complements existing subjects including: There are no additional teaching requirements. This guidance is for school leaders, school staff and governing bodies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Statutory guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Details

This guidance is for:

local authority chief executives

directors of children's services

safeguarding partners

teachers and education staff

social workers

health service professionals

adult services

police officers

voluntary and community sector workers in contact with children and families

It applies to:

A version of the guidance for young people and a separate version suitable for younger children are also available for practitioners to share.

Statutory guidance is issued by law - you must follow it unless there's a good reason not to.

Working together to safeguard children 2018

This is a factual update to Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 to reflect recent changes to legislation, including:

Integrated Care Boards: from 1 July 2022, integrated care boards have replaced clinical commissioning groups as a result of the Health and Care Act 2022

Public Health England: has now been replaced by the UK Health Security Agency and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), which is part of the Department of Health and Social Care, and by the UK Health Security Agency. The Chief Public Health Nurse role has transferred to OHID

Domestic Abuse Act 2021: references to the Domestic Abuse Bill should be read as the Domestic Abuse Act 2021

UK GDPR: references to the GDPR should be read as the UK GDPR. The UK GDPR is the retained EU law version of the GDPR. The UK GDPR sits alongside the Data Protection Act 2018

Statutory framework

The updated statutory framework sets out the legislation relevant to safeguarding and it should be read alongside the statutory guidance.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Statutory guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

# data[].attributes.headline
Online Safety Act Explainer from Government 

# data[].attributes.subject
Online Safety Act Explainer from Government 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What the Online Safety Act does

The Online Safety Act 2023 (the Act) is a new set of laws that protects children and adults online. It puts a range of new duties on social media companies and search services, making them more responsible for their users' safety on their platforms.

The Act will give providers new duties to implement systems and processes to reduce risks their services are used for illegal activity, and to take down illegal content when it does appear.

The strongest protections in the Act have been designed for children and will make the UK the safest place in the world to be a child online. Platforms will be required to prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content and provide parents and children with clear and accessible ways to report problems online when they do arise.

The Act will also protect adult users, ensuring that major platforms will need to be more transparent about which kinds of potentially harmful content they allow, and give people more control over the types of content they want to see.

Ofcom is now the independent regulator of Online Safety. It will set out steps providers can take to fulfil their safety duties in codes of practice. It will have a broad range of powers to assess and enforce providers' compliance with the framework.

Providers' safety duties are proportionate to factors including the risk of harm to individuals, and the size and capacity of each provider. This makes sure that while safety measures will need to be put in place across the board, we aren't requiring small services with limited functionality to take the same actions as the largest corporations. Ofcom is required to take users' rights into account when setting out steps to take. And providers have simultaneous duties to pay particular regard to users' rights when fulfilling their safety duties.

The Act also introduced some new criminal offences - details are set out below.

Who the Act applies to

The Act's duties apply to search services and services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other. This includes a range of websites, apps and other services, including social media services, consumer file cloud storage and sharing sites, video sharing platforms, online forums, dating services, and online instant messaging services.

The Act applies to services even if the companies providing them are outside the UK should they have links to the UK. This includes if the service has a significant number of UK users, if the UK is a target market or it is capable of being accessed by UK users and there is a material risk of significant harm to such users.

How the Online Safety Act is being implemented

The Act passed into law on 26 October 2023. Now work is being carried out to bring its protections into effect.

Ofcom is leading work to implement the Act's provisions and are taking a phased approach to bringing duties into effect. Government also needs to make secondary legislation in some areas to enable elements of the framework.

The Act requires Ofcom to develop guidance and codes of practice that will set out how online platforms can meet their duties. Ofcom will carry out public consultations on draft codes of practice before finalising them. Ofcom has already begun this work; the main phases are set out below:

Duties about illegal content - Ofcom has published draft codes of practice and guidance for consultation. The consultation closed on 23 February 2024. We expect these duties to begin to be in effect from early 2025.

Duties about content harmful to children - Ofcom has published draft guidance for consultation about use of age assurance to prevent children accessing online pornography. The consultation closed on 5 March 2024. Ofcom has also published draft codes of practice and guidance about protecting children from harmful content such as promotion of self-harm or suicide on 8 May 2024.

Duties for categorised services - some platforms will have to comply with additional requirements to protect users. The Act created categories of service and during implementation the thresholds will be defined to determine which services fall into which categories (Category 1, 2A or 2B). Ofcom has published advice to government on how to set the thresholds for these categories and issued a call for evidence on 25 March 2024, (closing 20 May 2024). Once the thresholds have been set in regulations by government, Ofcom will publish a register setting out which services fall into which categories and will publish further codes of practice and guidance for consultation.

New offences introduced by the Act

The criminal offences introduced by the Act came into effect on 31 January 2024. These offences cover:

encouraging or assisting serious self-harm

cyberflashing

sending false information intended to cause non-trivial harm

threatening communications

intimate image abuse

epilepsy trolling

These new offences apply directly to the individuals sending them, and convictions have already been made under the cyberflashing and threatening communications offences.

Some of these offences will be further bolstered when the Criminal Justice Bill completes its passage through Parliament.

Types of content that the Act tackles

Illegal content

The Act requires all companies to take robust action against illegal content and activity. Platforms will be required to implement measures to reduce the risks their services are used for illegal offending. They will also need to put in place systems for removing illegal content when it does appear. Search services will also have new duties to take steps to reduce the risks users encounter illegal content via their services.

The Act sets out a list of priority offences. These reflect the most serious and prevalent illegal content and activity, against which companies must take proactive measures.

Platforms must also remove any other illegal content where there is an individual victim (actual or intended), where it is flagged to them by users, or they become aware of it through any other means.

The illegal content duties are not just about removing existing illegal content; they are also about stopping it from appearing at all. Platforms need to think about how they design their sites to reduce the likelihood of them being used for criminal activity in the first place.

The kinds of illegal content and activity that platforms need to protect users from are set out in the Act, and this includes content relating to:

child sexual abuse

controlling or coercive behaviour

extreme sexual violence

extreme pornography

fraud

racially or religiously aggravated public order offences

inciting violence

illegal immigration and people smuggling

promoting or facilitating suicide

intimate image abuse

selling illegal drugs or weapons

sexual exploitation

terrorism

Content that is harmful to children

Protecting children is at the heart of the Online Safety Act. Although some content is not illegal, it could be harmful or age-inappropriate for children and platforms need to protect children from it.

Companies with websites that are likely to be accessed by children need to take steps to protect children from harmful content and behaviour.

The categories of harmful content that platforms need to protect children from encountering are set out in the Act. Children must be prevented from accessing Primary Priority Content, and should be given age-appropriate access to Priority Content. The types of content which fall into these categories are set out below.

Primary Priority Content

pornography

content that encourages, promotes, or provides instructions for either:

self-harm

eating disorders or

suicide

Priority Content

bullying

abusive or hateful content

content which depicts or encourages serious violence or injury

content which encourages dangerous stunts and challenges; and

content which encourages the ingestion, inhalation or exposure to harmful substances.

Age-appropriate experiences for children online

The Act requires social media companies to enforce their age limits consistently and protect their child users.

Services must assess any risks to children from using their platforms and set appropriate age restrictions, ensuring that child users have age-appropriate experiences and are shielded from harmful content. Websites with age restrictions need to specify in their terms of service what measures they use to prevent underage access and apply these terms consistently.

Different technologies can be used to check people's ages online. These are called age assurance technologies.

The new laws mean social media companies will have to say what technology they are using, if any, and apply these measures consistently. Companies can no longer say their service is for users above a certain age in their terms of service and do nothing to prevent younger children accessing it.

Adults will have more control over the content they see

Major user to user online platforms (Category 1) will be required to offer adult users tools to give them greater control over the kinds of content they see and who they engage with online. This includes giving them the option of filtering out unverified users, which will help stop anonymous trolls from contacting them.

Adult users will also be able to verify their identity and access tools which enable them to reduce the likelihood that they see content from non-verified users, and prevent non-verified users from interacting with their content.

Following the publication of guidance by Ofcom, major platforms will need to proactively offer adult users optional tools to help them reduce the likelihood that they will encounter certain types of content. These categories of content are set out in the Act and includes content that does not meet a criminal threshold but encourages, promotes or provides instructions for suicide harm or eating disorders. These tools also apply to abusive or hate content including racist, antisemitic, homophobic or misogynist content. The tools must be effective and easy to access.

The Act already protects children from seeing this content.

The Act will tackle suicide and self-harm content

Any site that allows users to share content or interact with each other is in scope of the Online Safety Act. These laws also require sites to rapidly remove illegal suicide and self-harm content and proactively protect users from content that is illegal under the Suicide Act 1961. The Act has also introduced a new criminal offence for encouraging or assisting serious self-harm.

Services that are likely to be accessed by children must prevent children of all ages from encountering legal content that encourages, promotes or provides instruction for suicide and self-harm.

The Act also requires major services (Category 1 services) to uphold their terms of service where they say they will remove or restrict content or suspend users. If a service says they prohibit certain kinds of suicide or self-harm content the Act requires them to enforce these terms consistently and transparently. These companies must also have effective reporting and redress mechanisms in place enabling users to raise concerns about companies' enforcement of their terms of service, if users feel that companies are not fulfilling their duties.

How the Act will be enforced

Ofcom is now the regulator of online safety and must make sure that platforms are protecting their users. Once the new duties are in effect, following Ofcom's publication of final codes and guidance, platforms will have to show they have processes in place to meet the requirements set out by the Act. Ofcom will monitor how effective those processes are at protecting internet users from harm. Ofcom will have powers to take action against companies which do not follow their new duties.

Companies can be fined up to £18 million or 10 percent of their qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater. Criminal action can be taken against senior managers who fail to ensure companies follow information requests from Ofcom. Ofcom will also be able to hold companies and senior managers (where they are at fault) criminally liable if the provider fails to comply with Ofcom 's enforcement notices in relation to specific child safety duties or to child sexual abuse and exploitation on their service.

In the most extreme cases, with the agreement of the courts, Ofcom will be able to require payment providers, advertisers and internet service providers to stop working with a site, preventing it from generating money or being accessed from the UK.

How the Act affects companies that are not based in the UK

The Act gives Ofcom the powers they need to take appropriate action against all companies in scope, no matter where they are based, where services have relevant links with the UK. This means services with a significant number of UK users or where UK users are a target market, as well as other services which have in-scope content that presents a risk of significant harm to people in the UK.

How the Act tackles harmful algorithms

The Act requires providers to specifically consider how algorithms could impact users' exposure to illegal content - and children's exposure content that is harmful to children - as part of their risk assessments.

Providers will then need to take steps to mitigate and effectively manage any identified risks. This includes considering their platform's design, functionalities, algorithms, and any other features likely to meet the illegal content and child safety duties.

The law also makes it clear that harm can arise from the way content is disseminated, such as when an algorithm repeatedly pushes content to a child in large volumes over a short space of time.

Some platforms will be required to publish annual transparency reports containing online safety related information, such as information about the algorithms they use and their effect on users' experience, including children.

How the Act protects women and girls

The most harmful illegal online content disproportionately affects women and girls, and the Act requires platforms to proactively tackle this. Illegal content includes harassment, stalking, controlling or coercive behaviour, extreme pornography, and revenge pornography.

All user-to-user and search services have duties to put in place systems and processes to remove this content when it is flagged to them. The measures companies must take to remove illegal content will be set out in Ofcom 's codes of practice.

When developing these codes, Ofcom is required to consult with the Victim's Commissioner and Domestic Abuse Commissioner to guarantee that the voices and views of women, girls and victims are reflected.

The Act also requires Ofcom to produce guidance that summarises in one clear place the measures that can be taken to tackle the abuse that women and girls disproportionately face online. This guidance will ensure it is easy for platforms to implement holistic and effective protections for women and girls across their various duties.

Government is continuing to strengthen the protections for women and girls online beyond the Online Safety Act, and recently announced that it would amend the Criminal Justice Bill to make maliciously creating a sexually explicit deepfake of an adult a specific criminal offence.

Independent Review of Pornography Regulation, Legislation and Enforcement

The past two decades have seen a dramatic change in the way we consume media and interact with content online. We need to ensure pornography regulation and legislation reflects this change.

Separate to the Online Safety Act, the government announced the Independent Pornography Review to assess the regulation, legislation and enforcement of online and offline pornographic content. It investigates how exploitation and abuse is tackled in the industry and examines the potentially harmful impact of pornography. This review will help ensure the laws and regulations governing a dramatically changed pornography industry are once again fit for purpose.

In line with the Terms of Reference, the Review is looking to publish a report with recommendations for government by the end of Summer 2024.

Background information: useful websites

Legislation

Notices

Consultations and other publications (including relevant Ofcom consultations)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Online Safety Act 2023 (the Act) is a new set of laws that protects children and adults online. It puts a range of new duties on social media companies and search services, making them more responsible for their users' safety on their platforms. The Act will give providers new duties to implement systems and processes to reduce risks their services are used for illegal activity, and to take down illegal content when it does appear.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Two levels of information as a guide : The PEGI age labels

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For over a decade, Ukie and the video games industry have supported parents and families by sharing top tips, expert knowledge, and answering questions all about video games. Ask About Games gives parents and families access a wealth of free information and resources, ensuring families can enjoy video games safely and happily!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A responsible industry - UK video games industry

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out all the ways that the UK video games industry looks after its players

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What are the risks of using a VR headset?

VR headsets can have similar risks to devices like smart phones and tablets. Because you can use them in different ways, the risks will depend on how your child uses the device.

Many children like to use VR headsets to play games and explore different virtual places on their own. But with VR headsets you can also chat and play games online with others. You can even use a VR headset to access the metaverse. See our page on this for more information: What is the Metaverse?

Some of the risks of using a virtual reality headset are:
Experiencing physical injury
Using VR is an intense experience and using it for long periods of time could cause problems like eye strain. There is also a risk of injury while wearing a headset as your child cannot see their surroundings. If the game requires them to move around, they could trip or fall on other items in the room. Because of the way scenes move in VR, some people can feel motion sick when using it.
Negative impact on mental wellbeing
Virtual reality is designed to be very realistic. This means that young children might find it more difficult to tell the difference between what happens in the game and in reality. One side effect of using VR can be feeling disconnected from your body. Because VR is designed to be so realistic, it can feel strange when you come out of the experience. People who spend a long time in the headset might feel disconnected from their body, making them feel anxious or worried.

If your child is playing or chatting with others in VR, there are some other risks to be aware of:
Experiencing unwanted contact
Some VR apps and games allow children to easily chat and play with people they don't know. Just like in other online games, this puts young people at risk of grooming or online forms of abuse, along with the risk of moving the conversation to other platforms or meeting up offline.

In many VR games, players use avatars to represent themselves. Your child could be approached by another player's avatar whose behaviour makes them uncomfortable.
Encountering harmful content
Because many VR experiences are happening live, it can be difficult to monitor what your child is seeing and hearing. This means that children might see or hear things that are inappropriate, such as bad language, violence or sexual content.
Oversharing private information
Young people talking to others in VR might feel pressure to share information about themselves. They might share things like their name, where they go to school or photos of themselves. Some devices, games and apps might also have location settings which give the option of sharing their location with others.
Spending real money
As in other online games and apps, you can make purchases in virtual reality. Lots of apps and games partner with brands, influencers and celebrities to encourage users to buy virtual items. Young people might use virtual coins or real money to buy expensive items, such as clothes for their avatars. They could also be targeted by scammers who try to trick people into sharing personal information or steal money from them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Understand the risks and get advice to help children use headsets safely.

# data[].attributes.headline
Pre-course task Ofcom ages, stages and online behaviour

# data[].attributes.subject
Pre-course task Ofcom ages, stages and online behaviour

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Fortnite Battle Royale, commonly simply called Fortnite, is a popular video game from Epic Games. It offers a knife-edge gun battle that requires practice, skill, teamwork and fast reactions. The challenge for parents is to limit risks and maximise benefits from Fortnite.

Screen time, stranger chat, rage at losing and escalating costs can seem overwhelming. However, with the right advice, this is a game that parents can make healthy and valuable for their children.

What is the age rating?

In the UK, the Video Standards council rate Fortnite as PEGI 12 for frequent scenes of mild violence. In the US, the ESRB rate Fortnite as Teen, only suitable for those 13 years and older. iTunes rates the game only suitable for children 12+ for Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence and Infrequent/Mild Medical/Treatment Information.

You know your child best and can use this information to make an informed decision about whether Fortnite is appropriate or your child. However, children under the age of 13 automatically receive a cabined account through the Epic Games Store. You must give parental permission for them to access all in-game features.

See this visual guide for more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fortnite Battle Royale - What parents need to know | Internet Matters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Fortnite Battle Royale, commonly simply called Fortnite, is a popular video game from Epic Games. It offers a knife-edge gun battle that requires practice, skill, teamwork and fast reactions. The challenge for parents is to limit risks and maximise benefits from Fortnite. Screen time, stranger chat, rage at losing and escalating costs can seem overwhelming.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Designed and Developed by Will Earp, South West Grid for Learning Trust Ltd

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Downloadable booklets to guide you through your profile settings in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. It helps you control how your profile appears, what your friends and other people can see, and how to report problems.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This page is for parents - if you are a teacher, click here

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Whether you're looking for an age-specific online safety guide or apps and tools to help children get the best out technology, use our filter to sort through our recommended resources and guides to find what you need. Use the 'like button' to give us your feedback on the resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We've created a one-stop shop resource centre featuring our parent guides, recommended resources for parents and teachers and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Children and young people might not yet understand the law. As such, they might struggle to separate harmful tools from those which promote harmless fun.

Inappropriate content and behaviour

The curiosity and novelty of an undress AI tool could expose children to inappropriate content. Because it's not showing a 'real' nude image, they might then think it's okay to use these tools. If they then share the image with their friends 'for a laugh', they are breaking the law likely without knowing.

Without intervention from a parent or carer, they might continue the behaviour, even if it hurts others.

Privacy and security risks

Many legitimate generative AI tools require payment or subscription to create images. So, if a deepnude website is free, it might produce low-quality images or have lax security. If a child uploads a clothed image of themselves or a friend, the site or app might misuse it. This includes the 'deepnude' it creates.

Children using these tools are unlikely to read the Terms of Service or Privacy Policy, so they face risk they might not understand.

Creation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM)

The IWF also reported that cases of 'self-generated' CSAM circulating online increased by 417% from 2019 to 2022. Note that the term 'self-generated' is imperfect as, in most cases, abusers coerce children into creating these images.

However, with the use of undress AI, children might unknowingly create AI-generated CSAM. If they upload a clothed picture of themselves or another child, someone could 'nudify' that image and share it more widely.

Cyberbullying, abuse and harassment

Just like other types of deepfakes, people can use undress AI tools or 'deepnudes' to bully others. This could include claiming a peer sent a nude image of themselves when they didn't. Or, it might include using AI to create a nude with features that bullies then mock.

It's important to remember that sharing nude images of peers is both illegal and abusive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What parents need to know about undress AI

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What is undress AI? Guide for parents and carers | Internet Matters. Learn about deepnudes and nudify apps and sites to keep kids safe.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Digital Resilience Toolkit - Internet Matters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Internet Matters ambassador Dr Linda Papadopoulos shares age-specific advice to help children learn how to navigate the online world and be more resilient.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Activate parental controls, Balance screen time and Check and Chat digital.

# data[].attributes.headline
Settings for filtering Internet Matters (Home and Mobile)

# data[].attributes.subject
Settings for filtering Internet Matters (Home and Mobile)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Broadband, mobile and WiFi providers offer filters to limit the inappropriate content a child might see. As these typically have to be set manually, you'll find a comprehensive list of parental control guides that we've created to make this process easier to follow with our step by step videos and visual instructions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We've pulled together some guides to help you with setting up and managing broadband and mobile network parental controls.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Remember a time when you knocked on a friend's door or called their landline to ask if they wanted to go out to play?

You watched films on VHS, recorded programmes off the TV, and listened to music on cassette tapes. If you wanted to buy something you went out to the shops. If you wanted to read a book, you headed for the library.

While some might call the pre-internet era the good old days, it's hard to deny that the online world offers endless opportunities for young people to make friends, have fun and learn new things.

But the internet also presents potential dangers we can't ignore. From bullying and mental health concerns to online grooming risks, these dangers can be difficult to spot.

What can we do to keep children safe online?

It's hard to keep up with the constant changes of the digital world. There seems to be a new app, social media platform, or game every other week. This can sometimes mean that children know more about the online world than we do.

As parents and carers, where do we start? Follow our tips and advice to get clued up on the digital world -​​​​​​and what your child is doing online.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Remember a time when you knocked on a friend's door or called their landline to ask if they wanted to go out to play? You watched films on VHS, recorded programmes off the TV, and listened to music on cassette tapes. If you wanted to buy something you went out to the shops.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These resources provide topics and suggestions for starting and having discussions with neurodiverse young people about their online experiences. The films explore the challenges that neurodiverse young people may face online with regards to rigid thinking, discerning who or what is truthful online and situations that can lead to strong emotions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These resources provide topics and suggestions for starting and having discussions with neurodiverse young people about their online experiences. The films explore the challenges that neurodiverse young people may face online with regards to rigid thinking, discerning who or what is truthful online and situations that can lead to strong emotions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How easy is it to change yourself in photos with the click of a button? How many people do it? And is it good for us?

Sometimes, seeing everyone else's #flawless posts can make us feel like we're not quite good enough.

But we shouldn't be letting filters and editing apps make us feel down. You're perfect just the way you are and online you're often comparing yourself to a person who isn't real.

As long as you learn to be body kind, that's the most important thing.

And remember, posting photos without filters can also still be loads of fun! Here are some top tips on how to take great #nofilter pictures.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How easy is it to change yourself in photos with the click of a button? How many people do it? And is it good for us? Sometimes, seeing everyone else's #flawless posts can make us feel like we're not quite good enough. But we shouldn't be letting filters and editing apps make us feel down.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Oops you can't see this activity!

To enjoy the Own It website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on.

For more help please visit the Own It FAQ

Oops you can't see this activity!

To enjoy this content you need to update your browser to the latest version.

Find out how to update your browser

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To enjoy the Own It website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. For more help please visit the Own It FAQ To enjoy this content you need to update your browser to the latest version. Find out how to update your browser

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Questions, answers and tools to help you make the most of your time online.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Online blackmail is an education resource which aims to help young people identify key characteristics of how blackmail manifests online, understand the impact it can have, and how they access help if they experience it.

The term 'online blackmail' is used to refer to the act of threatening to share information about an individual (including sexual images or videos) to the public, or their friends and family, unless a demand is met.

Anyone can be targeted by online blackmailers, but as young people begin to become more financially independent, this can be a point of vulnerability which offenders seek to exploit.

Our Online blackmail resource has been informed by the latest research, intelligence from the NCA, and engagement with young people and professionals.

Online blackmail has been awarded the PSHE Association Quality Mark, demonstrating that it supports safe and effective teaching practice and meets the PSHE Association's 'ten principles of effective PSHE education'.

The one-hour Online blackmail session can be delivered in schools, colleges, youth groups and other educational settings.
What young people will learn
Online blackmail, like all forms of online child sexual abuse, can manifest in different ways. As such, the session helps learners recognise the early signs of manipulative, pressurising and threatening behaviour, and identify different people and organisations that can provide help if they need it.

By the end of the session, learners will be able to:

Explain what online blackmail is

Describe the impact blackmail may have

Identify some controlling and manipulative behaviours online

Explain how to get help, and the different people and organisations who can provide support with problems young people face online.

Our approach
Like all CEOP Education resources, Online blackmail has been developed on the basis of our six values for safe, effective online safety education.

1. Safeguarding first.

2. Approach from the perspective of the child.

3. Promote dialogue and understanding.

4. Empower and enable children.

5. Never frighten or scare-monger.

6. Challenge victim-blaming attitudes.

If you are interested in learning more about the evidence base for this and similar approaches, we recommend you read the research report 'Key Principles of Effective Preventative Education', downloadable from www.thinkuknow.co.uk/professionals.
Asset list
1 x Online blackmail resource pack, including session plan and worksheets

1 x Online blackmail session slides

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Online blackmail education resource for 15-18 year olds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A one-hour learning session focussing on online blackmail (including for financial gain or 'sextortion'), helping 15 to 18 year olds in identifying risk and getting support when they need it.

# data[].attributes.body
Selection of activities and scenarios for KS2 around seeing upsetting content.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ofcom report: Almost a quarter of children aged 5-7 have smartphones

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A study of children’s online and media habits in the UK has found that a quarter of five to seven year olds have a smartphone and many are using social media.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Instagram testing tool that removes all recommended posts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Its reset feature would cleanse a user’s feed of personalised content suggested by algorithm.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Digital Parenting Pro | Parental Controls Guide | Vodafone UK

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Digital Parenting Pro is one of the UK’s largest parental controls & safety settings resources, created by Vodafone & in partnership with Digital Awareness UK.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Please click here if you are not redirected within a few seconds.

Mar 8, 2024 · Parents are using TikTok to share short videos about talented children [97], create family-centered content [53, 79], and illustrate the ...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the video op-ed above, three children confront their mothers about “sharenting.” They are members of the first generation whose entire…

# data[].attributes.body
Does contain swearing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
𝗘𝘅𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝗻𝘆𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀 🎭

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
"ShareWithCare": Telekom raises awareness for responsible use of children's photos on the Internet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Broadband Parental Controls & Mobile Network Settings | Internet Matters. Read our guides to help you set up broadband and mobile network parental controls.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Life in Likes | Children's Commissioner for England

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This Children's Commissioner's report on the effects of social media on 8-to-12-year-olds examines the way children use social media and its effects on their wellbeing. 'Life in Likes' fills a gap in...

# data[].attributes.body
What you post online can come back to haunt you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Struggling to keep up with the apps, games, and websites your kids are using? Common Sense's Parents' Ultimate Guides can help keep you up to date and answer your questions about all the latest platforms and trends. Whether you're trying to figure out if a new app is safe for your teen or if a popular game includes blood and gore, we've got you covered.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Struggling to keep up with the apps, games, and websites your kids are using? Common Sense's Parents' Ultimate Guides can help keep you up to date and answer your questions about all the latest platforms and trends.

# data[].attributes.body
Alternative to Google for children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kiddle is a safe search engine, offering a safe web, image, and video search. Results are vetted by editors.

# data[].attributes.body
Alternative search engine for children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Designed and Developed by Will Earp and Matt Rosser, SWGfL (https://swgfl.org.uk/)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Swiggle.org.uk - Child Friendly Search Engine for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Swiggle is a friendly search engine for kids aimed at Key Stage 2. With educational search results, Swiggle is fun and simple for children to use when learning to search the internet. There are also tools and information on how to stay safe online.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Designed and Developed by Will Earp, South West Grid for Learning Trust Ltd

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
#Influencer – Exploring how Influencer Culture can Impact a Young Person’s Wellbeing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SWGfL are diving into the world of social media influencers and the impact their content can have on a young person’s wellbeing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fake news and BBC My World - BBC Bitesize

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out how to spot fake news online and which sources to trust with BBC My World.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
‘Sickening’ Molly Russell and Brianna Ghey chatbots found online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The foundation set up in her memory said it would cause “further heartache to everyone who knew and loved Molly”.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sway: Create and share interactive reports, presentations, personal stories, and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sway is an easy-to-use digital storytelling app for creating interactive reports, presentations, personal stories and more. Its built-in design engine helps you create professional designs in minutes. With Sway, your images, text, videos, and other multimedia all flow together in a way that enhances your story. Sway makes sure your creations look great on any screen.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An expert has said the 'greatest peril' to humanity caused by AI is already happening. Voice-clone scams generated by AI have been replicating people's voices to scam people

An expert on cybersecurity has said the biggest threat posed by artificial intelligence (AI) is already having an effect, as people are scammed out of their money.

Scammers have been replicating people's voices to scam people they know in a process known as 'AI cloning'.

Wasim Khaled, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Blackbird.AI, said the voice-cloning is "indistinguishable from human speech".

He told the US Sun: "AI voice cloning allows for the creation of more convincing deep fakes, and a deluge of voice samples from public figures like politicians and celebrities yields high-fidelity results...

"This technology is now more accessible than ever - a quick search returns dozens of low-cost or free providers."

Research by cyber protection company McAfee shows that criminals need just three seconds of someone's voice to clone it.

Khaled argued generative AI's "greatest peril" is its ability to confuse people and their understanding of what is real and what is fake.

"Voice cloning, along with other rapidly expanding commercially available generative AI capabilities, is yet another risk factor that muddles the information environment," he added.

Thankfully, the cybersecurity expert said technology should be developed soon that will pre-warn people a voice message could be a scam.

A mum in Scottdale, Arizona retold the horrifying moment scammers used AI to copy her daughter's voice and stage a fake kidnapping in a ransom call.

Jennifer DeStefano delivered emotional testimony in a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month, explaining a phone call she received in January that was supposedly from her 15-year-old daughter Brianna, whose voice was screaming on the other end.

The cry for help continued before a male voice told the scared mum: "Listen here. I have your daughter.

"You call the police, you call anybody, I'm gonna pop her something so full of drugs.

"I'm gonna have my way with her then drop her off in Mexico, and you're never going to see her again."

Jennifer, who had been told the kidnapping was for a $1million ransom, was outside a dance studio where her younger daughter Aubrey had a rehearsal at the time.

She had picked up the phone despite it being an unknown number because Brianna (also known as Brie) was training for a ski race at the time and was away from home.

Aubrey, 13, was left shaking and crying listening to screams she thought belonged to her sister.

The call wasn't revealed as a scam until after a 911 call had been made and a confused Brianna called her mum to tell her she was ok.

The grim 911 call was recorded by the Scottsdale Police Department and a parent at the dance studio said a "kidnapper" would not "let her talk to her daughter."

Data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) indicates Americans lost $2.6 billion in 2022 to imposter scams and schemes are getting increasingly sophisticated.

FBI spokesperson Siobhan Johnson said families lost around $11,000 on average in similar scams.

In a statement, the FTC said: "A scammer could use AI to clone the voice of your loved one.

"All he needs is a short audio clip of your family member's voice - which he could get from content posted online - and a voice-cloning program. When the scammer calls you... (it will) sound just like your loved one."

It comes as tech and key science experts recently expressed their concerns over AI and the future of humanity in a statement published on the Centre for AI safety.

The signed letter published last month argues that "mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Greatest peril' to humanity generated by AI already happening, expert warns

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An expert has said the 'greatest peril' to humanity caused by AI is already happening. Voice-clone scams generated by AI have been replicating people's voices to scam people

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This guide to artificial intelligence will take you through how you can use AI to support children in different ways. But what is AI?

Artificial intelligence is a field of study in computer science. It deals with creating machines that are 'intelligent' and can perform tasks like a human.

AI uses information from various sources to provide its information. So, while a tool like ChatGPT might seem intelligent, it is really simply following instructions and information given to it to respond.

Informally, someone might use the term AI or artificial intelligence to refer to the tools themselves.

Guide to AI tools

The following are some popular tools from our interactive guide to artificial intelligence. Learn more by exploring the full guide below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A parent's guide to artificial intelligence (AI) | Internet Matters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about popular AI tools and how you can use them to help your child and family build skills, develop creativity and have fun at home.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. These processes include learning, reasoning, and self-correction. There are some really advanced AIs that can understand human speech, pictures, and even talk like a human. AI has been talked about a lot recently, but it was first introduced in the 1950's as part of machine learning, where scientists created intelligent computers and robotics that could learn from humans to increase their ability and accuracy.

With AI being talked about more and more, people have become concerned about how it will work and impact our use of technology. As with a lot of new innovations though, it's important that we don't worry. AI works by using special rules and patterns, much like how our brain works. It learns from lots of data and makes decisions based on what it has learned. The more data it gets, the better it becomes at making decisions, just like humans get better with practice.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Designed and Developed by Will Earp, South West Grid for Learning Trust Ltd

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Artificial Intelligence and Online Safety

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Get information, guidance and support around the use of Artificial Intelligence in schools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Cyberbullying: Understand, Prevent and Respond

Guidance for Schools

Cyberbullying is a form of bullying, and research reveals it has increased to affect 12% of young people in this country. This Guidance is designed to support schools in preventing and responding to cyberbullying. The Guidance comprises of four main sections below. This work has been assisted by a range of experts in this area who formed part of an Advisory Board, as well as the voice of young people on this subject area. We also received great examples from schools of what they are doing in this area.

You can view or download the Guidance as a complete document, and below we have the four sections that make up this full Guidance, including further resources and examples from some schools.

Topics

Type

Donate

Even a small donation can support the development of our online safety resources and help our Education Team to connect with more children and young people.
Donate

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cyberbullying is a form of bullying, and research reveals it has increased to affect 12% of young people in this country. This Guidance is designed to support schools in preventing and responding to cyberbullying. The Guidance comprises of four main sections below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The inquest heard Mia's parents had several times raised concerns with JFS staff that Mia was feeling lonely and isolated.

Yet Mr Janin said neither he nor his wife had any idea of the true extent of what his daughter had been going through.

The day after Mia returned to school after lockdown was lifted, Mia's mother Marisa discovered her lifeless body in her bathroom at the family home in Harrow.

Mr Janin said: "Suddenly I heard a horrible scream from my wife. This time everything stopped for me and my wife. Life changed completely."

In statements to the inquest, Mia's friends said their JFS friendship group was nicknamed the "suicide squad" in the months before Mia's death.

They also told police one of Mia's TikTok videos was shared to a Snapchat group, created by male pupils at JFS, where they mocked her.

Another child reported the boys used the group chat to share faked nude photos of the girls.

"Kids were manipulating images of girls. And Mia was one of them. And took it very badly," Mr Janin said.

Coroner Mr Murphy said at the inquest there was no evidence images or video about Mia were circulated in the group, except for that TikTok video.

JFS has said it only knew about the group after Mia's death. When Mia died in 2021, she was the third child suicide at the school in five years.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mia Janin took own life after bullying - inquest

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Schoolgirl Mia Janin's last voice note is released to the BBC as an inquest into her death concludes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Bullying can happen to anyone. Whether it’s online, at home or in school, no one has the right to hurt you or make you feel bad. If you or someone you know is being bullied, we’re here to help.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Education professionals can access free online safety resources, the latest guidance and policy developments and book training.