Safeguarding Update
All schools have been contacted recently by the National Crime Agency and Education Authority Child Protection Support Services, and encouraged to share with parents some information around the rise in reporting of financially motivated sexual extortion within the UK (a type of online blackmail often known in the media as ‘sextortion’). This type of crime involves an adult threatening to release nude or semi-nude images and/or videos of a young person, unless they meet a financial demand. Anyone, of any age or gender, can be targets, however a large portion of cases in the UK have involved male victims aged 14-18.
Parents/Guardians are encouraged to have frequent and open conversations with your child about staying safe online and the importance of using privacy settings on their accounts to restrict who can contact them.
If you are made aware this is happening to your child, the advice is:
- Don’t pay as there is no guarantee that this will stop the threats;
- Stop all communication and block the contact;
- Avoid deleting anything that could be used as evidence; and
- Report to the police by calling 101, or 999 if there is an immediate risk of harm to your child.
The following resources may be helpful:
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/a-parents-guide-to-privacy-settings
https://onlinesafetyhub.safeguardingni.org/sharing-nudes-and-semi-nudes
Earlier this year, we wrote to all parents regarding concerns with young people vaping. The Public Health Agency have recently launched a campaign to support parents if they suspect or know their child is vaping. Vaping can help some people quit smoking, but many young people who vape were not previously smokers, and these young people are more likely to start smoking than those who never vape. The health advice is simple and clear: young people and people who have never smoked, should not vape. Further advice and support can be found on the PHA website:
https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/vaping-factsheet
https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/talking-your-child-about-vaping
If you have any concerns around you child and either of these matters, please feel free to contact a member of the College Safeguarding Team.