Over the course of the pandemic, mental health in the UK has worsened by 8.1%, with young people and women most affected as the groups who already had been struggling with mental health issues prior to the outbreak of Covid-19. We know from emerging research that self-harm referrals and presentations at A&E departments temporarily dropped (by
This week marks Children’s Mental Health Week across the UK. As we continue to navigate our way through the Coronavirus pandemic and find ourselves at home more than usual, it’s critical that we look after our mental health - especially children and young people. Being at home more inevitably means we’re spending more time
Join our Safeguarding Hub Newsletter Network Members of our network receive weekly updates on the trends, risks and threats to children and young people online. What is Coronavirus? An explainer for Children Our animated video has reached over 350,000 views on YouTube. Watch Video on youtube
For many teachers and parents, safety at school used to mean visitor passes and school gates. However, with education now taking place online from the kitchens, make-shift studies and bedrooms of students, classroom safety may seem less of a concern. With a rise in incidents such as ‘lesson bombing’, it’s clear that the classroom
This is a safeguarding alert following multiple reports of a new surge in ‘lesson bombing’ during remote learning classes at schools. We have been alerted to a recent trend in ‘online lesson bombing’ from police forces, members of Our Safer Schools Community, and news reports. In one area there have been 15 recent incidents
What is this alert about? This safeguarding blog contains a TikTok alert for your immediate attention. We have been alerted to reports of the tragic death of a 10-year-old girl in Italy. It has been reported that she died after taking part in the so-called ‘blackout’ or ‘choke challenge’ on the video-sharing platform TikTok.
Join our Safeguarding Hub Newsletter Network Members of our network receive weekly updates on the trends, risks and threats to children and young people online. What is Coronavirus? An explainer for Children Our animated video has reached over 350,000 views on YouTube. Watch Video on youtube
It was a cold winter morning just after the Christmas break. Mrs Phillips, the school secretary, had just got into work after being stuck in heavy traffic. She had thrown off her coat and sat down at her desk ready to face the mountain of emails which had landed in her inbox since before the
Many of us, including young people, use WhatsApp daily. It’s established itself as a messaging giant in the world of social media. But there are more names arriving on the scene which could put more pressure on WhatsApp as it battles to defend its privacy policy due to a recent backlash. It concerns how
Why have you received this alert? We have been alerted to the risk of potential grooming and abuse on the Avakin Life platform by members of our network. Our online safeguarding experts have reviewed and tested the game, and discovered a number of potential risks to young people. The major risk is that
Join our Safeguarding Hub Newsletter Network Members of our network receive weekly updates on the trends, risks and threats to children and young people online. What is Coronavirus? An explainer for Children Our animated video has reached over 350,000 views on YouTube. Watch Video on youtube
The UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) have updated its non-statutory guidance on Youth Produced Sexual Imagery (YPSI), which is entitled ‘Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people’ and replaces ‘Sexting in schools and colleges: responding to incidents and safeguarding young people’ (2016). The guidance has been
Join our Safeguarding Hub Newsletter Network Members of our network receive weekly updates on the trends, risks and threats to children and young people online. What is Coronavirus? An explainer for Children Our animated video has reached over 350,000 views on YouTube. Watch Video on youtube
In digital safeguarding we know that standing still is falling behind. Our team of online safety experts have been working tirelessly to make sure you have the right information in your pocket, when you need it. In the last few weeks there have been a number of major changes to the most popular social
4 min read Snapchat has released its new Spotlight feature to its 67 million daily active users. In this article, our team of online safety experts unpack the risks and functionality of the new feature and provide practical advice for empowering and protecting the young people in your care on this popular platform.
Twitter is the latest social media platform to announce that they are launching a disappearing feature. The new feature called ‘Fleets’ is now available to its 321 million users worldwide after several trials in Brazil, Italy, India, and South Korea found that Fleets ‘made people talk more on Twitter’. Although Twitter’s user base does
‘Let’s get to cunch-line’ From the Children’s Commissioners 2019 report ‘Gaming the System’ we know that around 93% of children in the UK play video games and this leisure time has benefits for their development. Despite these benefits, we know that some features of online games can and do present risks to children and
All children and young people have the right to learn in a safe and healthy environment that’s free from bullying, harassment, and intimidation in all forms. Unfortunately, bullying still happens inside and outside of school, but most cases are resolved quickly. Bullying is best understood as a set of harmful behaviours directed at one
WhatsApp has now launched its disappearing messages feature and our team of online safety experts are busy testing this function. Sign up to our Safeguarding Hub Newsletter to keep up to date with alerts and changes like this one. WhatsApp has announced that they are releasing a Disappearing Messages function, which will
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 Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic has disrupted the lives of people all over the world, whilst bringing monumental change to how we teach and care for children and young people. Unfortunately, a major theme of the pandemic has been the spread of misinformation. The internet has played host to
Do you receive our Safeguarding Alerts? Receive regular updates to help you safeguard children in a digital era. Creative Activity Pack As the lockdown begins to ease, we could all benefit from less screen time, give children in your care the opportunity to get away from
Do you receive our Safeguarding Alerts? Receive regular updates to help you safeguard children in a digital era. Creative Activity Pack As the lockdown begins to ease, we could all benefit from less screen time, give children in your care the opportunity to get away from
Do you receive our Safeguarding Alerts? Receive regular updates to help you safeguard children in a digital era. Creative Activity Pack As the lockdown begins to ease, we could all benefit from less screen time, give children in your care the opportunity to get away from
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
Feeling a strong connection online? Be cautious! Learn how to spot the signs of catfishing and protect yourself, and those in your care, from online predators. Our online safety shareable provides essential information on identifying red flags, verifying online profiles, and taking action if you suspect a catfish.
Covering:
Stay up to date on all things safeguarding with a dedicated resource designed for professionals, parents, and carers and delivered directly to your inbox every week.
