If you had just begun to wrap your head around cryptocurrencies and Deepfakes, we have news for you – there’s another online trend on the rise! The digital craze of NFTs has exploded in popularity over the last few months and it doesn’t show any signs of stopping. Our beginner’s guide
Do you know how much time you spend on social media? What about the children in your care? Instagram users may have noticed a recent addition to the app with the launch of the platform’s Take a Break feature. This opt-in feature will prompt users to ‘step away’ from the
As a parent or carer, you might be deciding to give your child their first phone, tablet, or laptop (or third, fourth, fifth – even a new update). This is a big decision! The responsibility and freedom that comes with owning a device is a big step for children – and you! It might even
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is typically understood as an offline issue. In our line of work, however, we are seeing increasing reports of online sexualised abuse and harassment towards women and girls. To remedy this issue, we need to understand that online risks have offline roots. November 25th marks the International Day for
Once upon a time, chatting with friends outside of school meant using a landline. Playing games with pals involved knocking on their doors. Being bullied by other pupils was confined to school hours. Now, the virtual world has created a 24/7 timeframe for children and young people to become the targets
We can all conjure up a mental image of a “bully” – someone mean, troubled, and angry who takes out these feelings on others. You might imagine a person from your life or a character from a film or television show. But what happens when the “bully” in question is the child in your care? This is a
INEQE Safeguarding Group have been alerted to a number of incidents concerning the online targeting of teachers and school professionals by students. Pupils have been creating online posts that ridicule, harass, or otherwise bully staff on social media sites, such as TikTok and Instagram. The nature of these posts includes photographs of
Every day, we see the release of new apps and new features that promise to help keep you more connected to others. One of the most popular online spaces for children and young people to connect is Discord. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about this platform and why it presents
Instagram has recently changed its link sharing in Stories feature to allow all users access to add links. Previously, this ability to add links into Stories was limited to those with verified accounts or users with a certain number of followers. It was first introduced in August 2021 as the main link-sharing method, replacing the
Apple has released the latest update to their mobile system following a recent security breach much covered in the media. With iOS 15, there are multiple new features that change some of Apple’s core products in a big way. Our online safety experts have looked at all the new features in this update to
Header Image ©& TM 2021 Marvel ©2021 CPIL. All Rights Reserved You may have recently seen popular gaming platform Fortnite in the news due to its ongoing legal battle with Apple. Because this game has always been popular with younger children and teenagers, we are often asked, “Is it safe
What is it? The Scottish Government recently released the new National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland, the first update since the previous guidance in 2014. The non-statutory guidance describes the responsibilities and expectations for how safeguarding professionals and agencies should work together with parents, families, and communities to prevent and
What is it? The Age Appropriate Design Code (sometimes referred to as The Children’s Code) is a new code of practice that sets out standards of age-appropriate design for “information society services” that are likely to be accessed by children. In other words, it’s new requirements for any companies that offer services online that are
Date Published: 21st May, 2021 If you have a gamer in your household, chances are you’ve heard the word “Twitch” being used. The name sounds fun, age-appropriate, and harmless and it would be easy to assume it is a type of game or a new slang word. In reality, Twitch is a far more
As we quickly become the ‘go-to’ provider for safeguarding training we have now launched our updated prospectus in response to your feedback for training to help you respond to safeguarding in our changing world. We know the challenges of finding the time to keep yourself up to date – so we’re here to make
Instagram is set to release a new feature called Reels in the UK, potentially by August 2020. We have been keeping track of the release and here is what we know so far. Reels is Instagram’s attempt to match TikTok’s dominance of short form video sharing. The feature is aimed at Instagram’s
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present challenges for safeguarding professionals and parents across the UK. We asked you what your concerns are in relation to keeping young people and children in your care safe online during this time. It is clear young people are spending more and more time online, exposing themselves to higher
For some regions across the UK it is half term and we have developed a Creative Activity Pack for children and young people to stay active. As the lockdown begins to ease, we could all benefit from less screen time. So, be sure to download our Creative Activity Pack and give children in your
Key Points Gaming Disorder has been classified as a mental health condition by the World Health Organisation The NHS has launched a service to tackle gaming disorder Gaming Disorder has multiple symptoms including irritation and lack of sleep Young people with pre-existing mental conditions may be more susceptible
Zoom is a video conferencing platform which was founded in 2011 and is currently available on desktop, mobile, tablet and browser. The platform allows users to run meetings, webinars, share files and live chat with others. Zoom’s capacity to broadcast and host video chats with up to 100 others has made it popular
Do you receive our Safeguarding Alerts? Receive regular updates to help you safeguard children in a digital era. This is why your connection may be slow, right now! A lot of us are spending more time at home at the moment, practicing what is now known as social
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic continues to impact daily life for families, schools, and safeguarding professionals. During uncertain times it is critical to have access to the latest information, advice, and guidance. As we continue to monitor the guidance at a national and regional level, we see varying responses. To ensure you receive the correct information
The Skull Breaker or ‘jump trip’ challenge is the latest trend to make the news, but it’s not exactly new. It involves asking a person to jump high off the ground and then kicking their legs as they land, causing them to lose balance. This challenge has been reported in the US, where
What is Google Stadia? It’s a cloud gaming service where users can play and stream video games to YouTube. How does it work? Stadia requires an internet connection, but no console. The platform can be accessed through Google’s Chrome browser on desktop and It’s also set to be available on
The demand for Safeguarding Information Recent findings from Ofcom tell us that 83% of adults have concerns about harms to children on the internet (Ofcom, 2019). So, it is no surprise that there’s now unprecedented demand for safeguarding information, advice and guidance from parents, carers and safeguarding professionals. This appetite for information about online