Well-Being &
E-Safety Support
TikTok ‘family safety mode’ gives parents some app control
It will let parents link their own TikTok accounts to their child’s – and turn features on and off remotely. That includes a “restricted mode” that tries to filter out inappropriate content, and turning off messaging. TikTok has an age limit of 13, but many pre-teens still use the Chinese-owned app.
A recent survey by UK media regulator Ofcom found that TikTok was used by 13% of all children aged 12-15 in 2019 – up from 8% the year before.
Inside My Head: What is an anxiety disorder?
This week is Children’s Mental Health Week and thanks to campaigners like 16-year-old Molly and her group – We Will – they are breaking the stigma surrounding mental health.
Molly is from Cumbria, where she has found mental health services are not always able to do enough to help young people in her area.
Bullying: Teachers share their stories in video for pupils
A group of secondary school teachers has made a powerful video highlighting the impact of the bullying they suffered at school, to the pupils they now teach.
One in four children and young people show signs of addiction to smartphones
Love them or hate them, smartphones have become ubiquitous in everyday life. And while they have many positive uses, people remain concerned about the potential negative harms of excessively using them – especially in children and teens.
Anti-Bullying Week 11th – 15th November
Children call for change, as poll reveals they avoid school, social media and social life to escape bullying.
Heads Together legacy project, Shout, launches in the UK
Heads Together are excited to see the launch of Shout, the latest in a series of Heads Together legacy programmes.
Shout is a free, 24/7 text messaging service, connecting people experiencing mental health crisis to trained volunteers who provide help at a time when it is most needed…
Anti-bullying work should never stop, teachers told
Teach pupils that you don’t have to like someone in order to respect them, says director of anti-bullying service.
Prejudice and racism are complex social problems, not isolated to schools. But it’s clear that schools can play a hugely valuable role in helping to bring about social justice and change by addressing these issues through education, learning and fostering positive relationships..
Social media could be classed as ‘addiction’ under calls to protect children from harm.
Addiction to social media should be classed as a disease and tougher regulations are needed to protect children from firms operating in an “online Wild West”, MPs have said.
In a new report looking at the impact of social media on mental health, politicians say platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram should be regulated by Ofcom and forced to adhere to a statutory code of conduct…
Instagram biggest for child grooming online – NSPCC finds
Sex offenders are grooming children on Instagram more than on any other online platform, a charity has found.
Police in England and Wales recorded 1,944 incidents of sexual communication with children in the six months to September 2018, the NSPCC said.
Instagram was used in 32% of the 1,317 cases where a method was recorded, Facebook in 23% and Snapchat in 14%.
Baroness Massey: We must equip young people to make sensible choices about use of the internet and to have the skills to combat bad influence
Labour peer Baroness Massey of Darwen writes following her House of Lords question on ‘Strengthening controls over internet providers in the light of concerns over child bullying and suicide’.
In the House of Lords this week, two pieces of business in the House of Lords Chamber focused on children’s safety and well -being. Firstly, a statement on the proposals for draft regulations and guidance on for relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education.
Safer Internet Day – Tuesday 5th February
Safer Internet Day – Tuesday 5th February
Safer Internet Day aims to inspire a national conversation about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively. It is a global campaign celebrated in over 140 countries around the world.
Safer Internet Day
Safer Internet Day – Tuesday 5th February
Safer Internet Day aims to inspire a national conversation about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively. It is a global campaign celebrated in over 140 countries around the world.
A group of students were asked about giving and receiving consent online in a series of situations from their daily lives. Conversations centered around some of the more complex scenarios that young people might face online. The thought provoking topics encouraged in-depth discussions about consent in a connected world.
Connected Christmas
Have a Happy and Safe Connected Christmas
Read some top tips to protect yourself, your family, finances and connected devices.
Pupils with mental health disorders spend more time online
Nearly 30 per cent of 11- to 19-year-olds with mental health problems spend more than four hours on social media per day
Students with mental health disorders tend to spend more than twice as much time on social media as their peers, according to research by the NHS.
A major new survey, published today, shows that youth mental health problems have grown over the past 20 years to the extent that three children in every classroom are now likely to have a disorder.
Children’s Mental Health a Big Worry for Parents
Mental wellbeing of children among parents’ biggest worries
Children’s mental health is amongst the greatest concerns parents have for their children, on par with physical health and academic performance, according to a new study.
The survey of more than 1,000 UK parents with children from 4-18 years old asked parents to share the level of worry they put on a number of factors for their children. One in seven parents said they “worry a lot” about their child’s mental health, physical health and academic performance. 19% said they worried a lot about their child’s future financial prospects, which was the only concern that ranked higher than mental health, physical health and academic performance, according to the study commissioned by Bupa.
Twitter will publicly shame users until they delete their bad tweets
There’s nothing like a little public pressure to get someone to clean up their act.
Twitter announced a change on Wednesday that will make it clear when someone has posted a tweet that violates Twitter’s terms of service.
Now, when Twitter has determined that a Tweet has crossed the line, a gray box with a message will appear, in place of the original tweet, that reads “This tweet is no longer available because it violated the Twitter Rules.” It will also include a link to Twitter’s terms.
Region’s teenagers warned about dangers of ‘sexting’Instagram promoting accounts which ‘incite’ self harm, Telegraph investigation reveals
Young people with smart phones need to be better educated about the dangers of sending sexually explicit messages and imagery.
An 18-year-old, who’s remaining anonymous and is calling herself Jane for this report, is issuing a stark warning to others after being tricked into sending naked photos of herself when she was just 14. She has joined Fixers, the campaign that gives young people a voice.
Facebook adds new tools to stem online bullying
Facebook says it will add new tools to help users avoid unwanted or hurtful comments, amid growing concerns about cyberbullying on social networks
Facebook on Tuesday stepped up ways to battle bullying and harassment at the leading social network.
The initiative calls for new tools and programs to help users control “unwanted, offensive or hurtful experiences on Facebook,” global head of safety Antigone Davis said in a blog post.
Instagram promoting accounts which ‘incite’ self harm, Telegraph investigation reveals
Instagram is promoting accounts which “incite” young people to self-harm, a Telegraph investigation has found.
Users of the popular social media network who like self harm accounts are being “recommended” similar accounts and graphic images to see and follow..
Video games that allow in-game purchases to carry Pegi warning
Many titles offer in-game purchases, which create a post-purchase revenue stream for publishers.
Physical video games are to include a new warning icon on their packaging if they offer in-game purchases, Pan European Game Information (Pegi) has announced.
Paedophiles are using Facebook and WhatsApp to groom children as young as nine
A new law came in to place to help protect children last year
Children as young as nine in the West Midlands are being groomed on Facebook and Instagram. A total of 21 offences of sexual communication with a child were recorded by West Midlands Police since the new law came in to place in April last year.
Social Media Age Restrictions
According to a recent survey for CBBC News it suggests that more than three-quarters of children aged 10 to 12 in the UK have social media accounts, even though they are below the appropriate age limit. Among the under-13s, 78% were using at least one social media network, despite being below the age requirement and more than one in five underage children have faced online bullying.
Please be aware of the recommended “safe and responsible” use of social media sites using the age appropriate visual attached.
Kids struggle to hold pencils due to too much tech
Kids struggle to hold pencils due to too much tech
For children born into the digital age, technology is a fundamental part of everyday life. However, healthcare professionals have recently raised concerns that this overuse of touchscreens and tablets is preventing children from developing the most basic skills such as how to write.
Mental health risks to girls who spend more than an hour a day on social media – new study
For tweens and early teens, the rise in time spent on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Instagram and other social media is really quite dramatic.
Culture minister Matt Hancock recently suggested the government could impose limits on the amount of time children spend on social media. In February, the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee launched a new inquiry to examine the health risks to children and young teens of increasing amounts of time on social media.
Teen sexting may be more common than you think
At least one in four teens are receiving sexually explicit texts and emails, and at least one in seven are sending sexts, a new study suggests.
Sexting can be a healthy way for young people to explore sexuality and intimacy when it’s consensual, said lead study author Sheri Madigan of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the University of Calgary in Canada. The trouble is that when it’s coerced, or when sexts are shared without permission, it can feel a lot like cyberbullying, with many of the same dangerous mental health consequences.
Social media sites harming pupils´ mental health, heads warn
Headteachers are calling for new social media laws to keep children safe, amid concerns that youngsters’ use of these sites is harming their mental health.
Most school leaders have received reports of pupils being bullied or being exposed to unsuitable material – such as sexual content or hate speech, with some saying this is happening on a daily or weekly basis, according to a small-scale poll by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL).
Gambling-style apps offered on Facebook without age checks
Fears grow over children’s risk of addiction as fixed-odds betting terminal supplier offers ‘social games’ aimed at young people
The company behind thousands of the UK’s fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) is offering gambling-style apps on Facebook without age checks, prompting allegations that children are being exposed to the risk of addiction.
Earlier this month, the industry watchdog warned that more than 60,000 children were either gambling addicts or were in danger of becoming hooked. Experts have warned that games mimicking real-life gambling are the “number one risk factor” for developing a problem later in life.
Schools ‘should help children with social media risk’
Schools should play a bigger role in preparing children for social media’s emotional demands as they move from primary to secondary school, England’s children’s commissioner says.
Anne Longfield said she was worried many pupils at that stage became anxious about their identity and craved likes and comments for validation.
Her study said children aged eight to 12 found it hard to manage the impact. The government said it was working with schools on online safety education.
The report into the effects of social media on eight to 12-year-olds claimed many children were over-dependent on “likes” and comments for social validation. It said children approach a “cliff-edge” as they move from primary to secondary school, when social media becomes more important in their lives.
Why online child sexual abuse must be taken more seriously
Research shows online abuse can be just as devastating for young people as offline abuse, although it’s often seen as less of a concern by professionals
Relatively little is known about the impact of sexual abuse involving online and digital technology. To improve understanding of the effects of this type of abuse, the NSPCC commissioned researchers from the universities of Bath and Birmingham to explore and compare how online and offline sexual abuse impacts young people, and how professionals respond to it. The report reveals some thought-provoking findings.
Facebook takes on online suicide challenges
Facebook on Friday said it is working with suicide prevention partners to collect phrases, hashtags and group names associated with online challenges encouraging self-harm or suicide.
Young people want social media firms to act on bullying
Around 80 per cent of young people think social media companies should do more to tackle cyber bullying, according to a study.
Almost half have experienced threatening, intimidating or nasty messages and 14 per cent have been a victim of online bullying in the last month, research by YoungMinds and The Children’s Society found.
Social media is as harmful as alcohol and drugs for millennials
The word “addiction” brings to mind alcohol and drugs. Yet, over the past 20 years, a new type of addiction has emerged: addiction to social media. It may not cause physical harms, such as those caused by tobacco and alcohol, but it has the potential to cause long-term damage to our emotions, behaviour and relationships
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Child Online Safety:
A practical guide for parents and carers whose children are using social media
View the Guide: Social Media Guidance for parents UKCCIS – Dec 2015 (pdf)
O2 and the NSPCC have joined forces to help parents and families in the UK learn how to keep kids safe online.
They have launched a free helpline where you can get advice from experts on the following topics:
- Setting up parental controls on your computer or other devices
- Help adjusting privacy settings
- Understanding social networks
- Concerns about online gaming
- App advice
- Online bullying
- Downloading
- Strangers online
- Online addiction
- Paying for extras
- And much more…………..
Helpline opening times:
Monday – Friday: 9am to 7pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am to 6pm
Bank Holidays: 10am to 4pm
The number for the helpline is 0800 800 5002. For further information see www.o2.co.uk/nspcc
