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
Date Published: 14th May, 2021 A study taken in 2020 showed that 72% of parents don’t understand gaming jargon used by their children. It’s important to understand what these words mean, as some of them can be violent or dangerous. We’ve compiled a cheat sheet of the most common words used by the gaming community and what they mean
Date Published: 12th May, 2021 This year, the 10th-23rd of May marks Foster Care Fortnight: an annual campaign which highlights the power of fostering and the fostering community. These two weeks offer a chance to consider the passion, dedication and commitment that is practised by Foster Carers everyday whilst also highlighting the need for more people to consider giving it a go. The theme of
We know that our increasingly online world is one of constant change. Every day brings a new update, a new feature, a new platform. With each “new” something comes a new potential risk. It is important to be aware of what these are, and how they can factor into the lives of children
Yesterday, Newsweek reported that TikTok users were warning each other that a group of men had been discussing the 24th of April as a national day of carrying out rape and sexual assault. This worrying online trend was reportedly started by a group of up to six men who claimed that all sexual assault was legal on this day, while encouraging their followers to commit these crimes. Several other news outlets have begun
Snack is a video dating app where users share short videos to match with others. This app is described as ‘video first’ for its use of short videos in place of how photos are usually used on dating apps. Think ‘TikTok’ meets ‘Tinder’. Users record a short video of themselves and upload it onto their profile. They can then watch other people’s recorded videos, swiping right or left on each one
This new feature is currently being rolled out, as it becomes available our online safety experts will provide updates on the new function. What's Happening? Instagram is rolling out a new feature called ‘Live Rooms’, which will allow users to ‘go live’ and broadcast with up to 3 other people to their audience. This new feature
We first alerted our networks and the public last year, to dangerous activities happening on Omegle. Following recurring press reports, and concerns from parents and safeguarding professionals, we’re again pushing this alert to our networks. Last year schools across the UK were warned about a well-known chat room. Some schools issued warnings to parents and carers urging
With over 1.5 billion downloads across 155 different countries, TikTok has soared in popularity. Some of you have recently got in touch to ask for more information about TikTok and its safety settings. To help you support the children and young people in your care, we have made a short video overview of
The internet is no stranger to harmful or disturbing content. Earlier this week, our safeguarding network was alerted to several young people mentioning ‘Rule 34’ as a potential source of information regarding sex. But what is the so-called Rule 34 and could it be harmful to children and young people? What is Rule 34?
The pandemic continues to impact how children and young people use online spaces. Now more than ever, it is essential to understand new and emerging apps, games and platforms that can present online risks to children. We are particularly concerned about the surge in the use of ‘friend-finding’ Apps, as authorities have previously warned during the pandemic that around 300,000 online offenders pose a threat to children in the UK. A recent report
Building emotional resilience in young people is essential for their development. The UK is facing a mental health crisis among its young people, with leading youth mental health charity Young Minds reporting that 1 in 6 young people have symptoms of a mental disorder such as depression or anxiety. On the 10th of October,
Just like the real world, there are spaces, people, and places online which can be frightening or distressing for young people. Parents and policymakers have expressed concern at the sheer amount of inappropriate material that is freely accessible online, such as pornography or violent videos. Harmful content can include live news, violence, sexualised content
With over 30 years’ experience in education leadership, Dawn Hewitson is a Designated Safeguarding Lead and teaches Computer Science and Secondary Education at Edge Hill University. She sat down with us to discuss how to respond to sexting and image sharing. “If a child talks to you about
Listen to our CEO outline the change of INEQE Safeguarding Group and Safer Schools working arrangements, priorities and thanks. Featured Posts Do you receive our Safeguarding Alerts? Receive regular updates to help you safeguard children in a digital era. What is
There is nothing wrong with gaming in moderation, but if you are concerned that a young person in your care has problematic behaviours toward gaming, it’s best to seek support. So far there have been several treatment options identified including therapeutic counselling, medication and/or self-help groups. Healthy habits can support young people to