In June 2021 Ofsted concluded that the prevalence of child-on-child sexual harassment and abuse was so widespread that, for some, incidents are ‘so commonplace that they see no point in reporting them’ and ‘consider them normal’. SWGfL and The Marie Collins Foundation has created a support service for professionals working with children and young people in tackling harmful sexual behaviours, funded by the Home Office and in collaboration with the Department for Education.
Nearly all LGBT young people (96%) say the internet has helped them understand more about their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Nine in ten LGBT young people said they can be themselves online. But being LGBT online can also present some specific risks. Two in five (39 %) LGBT young people aged 13-19 have met up with someone they met and talked to online (All statistics are from Stonewall's School Report).
.Gov campaign:
'This website brings together advice and resources to help you keep the children in your life safe.'
I hope you've had a restful and happy summer break and you spent time with family and friends. After over 30 years working in education, and supporting organisations who work with young people, I've come to a single conclusion; The only thing that truly matters is that we are kind and supportive to the people around us. Whether they are colleagues, students, family, friends or neighbours - everyone deserves kindness.
I've worked in the area of online safety for almost 10 years and I provide face to face support and training to schools, colleges, charities and a range of organisations with a responsibilty for young people. I also specialise in providing support, resources and information via social media. Over the summer break I shared a range of articles and links on subjects as diverse as radicalisation, fake news and the impact of social media on body image and mental health.
There were also more quirky links to digital citizenship. Did you know 30 million Facebook users have died in the first 8 years of its existence?
Hurricane Harvey was the cause of wide spread devastation.. and fake news. There's that shark again.
Also, in August Safer Internet Day 2018's Theme was announced.
When we try to engage with young people, and help them to become safe and confident digital citizens, it is very important that our messages and resources are relevant and engaging. That's why I share these things with you.
You can be up to date and informed and relevent when you support young people by simply doing one or more of the following:
You could follow my tweets on Twitter
Or, Like or Follow my Facebook Page
Or perhaps you'd find my Instagram feed a little easier to digest?
It's possible you prefer the more formal world of LinkedIn, I post resources there too.
Or.. just go old school and visit the website
I'm here to help you. If you'd like me to come to your school or organisation around Safer Internet Day 2018 then let me know, That's always a busy time for me and my diary does fill up quickly.
If you've yet to arrange your annual esafety update for your colleagues - I can help with that too.
People like you think my support has value
Take care out there
Simon
The best way to stop yourself from becoming a victim is to be very careful about who you befriend online, especially if you’re considering sharing anything intimate with them.
If you’re worried about anything you or your child come across online, you should report it immediately to the relevant organisation and to the site where you or your child saw it.
The links take you directly to the report pages of organisations who can offer advice. You can also report problems directly to social networking sites.
Learn more here
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