Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
Incidents of online abuse are ever evolving with ‘sextortion’ the latest issue to make the headlines.
The Keeping Safe Online area of Hwb has all the latest support and practical help for teachers on emerging, high priority issues and information on the current trends in online behaviour of children and young people.
Sextortion
Sextortion is financially motivated sexual extortion.
It is on the rise globally with reports of children and young people being forced into paying money or meeting another financial demand (such as purchasing a pre-paid gift card) after an offender has threatened to release nudes or semi-nudes of them.
The latest support for schools from the National Crime Agency (NCA) is now available bilingually on Hwb.
It includes a template letter for parents and carers to make them aware of the recent rise in reporting of sextortion.
Sharing nudes and semi-nudes guidance has been created for teachers to help respond to incidents and gives a legal context.
Hwb has also produced a 10 minute video about sharing nude images which is designed to help schools:
- Plan their approach to preventing and responding to incidents
- Understand current image sharing safety concerns, including sextortion and AI-generated media
- Access confidential advice and the reporting services available
Social media training
Two thirds of children aged 3-17 use social media apps. Last year, children in the UK spent an average of 2 hours a day on TikTok
These numbers are growing so understanding how to help young people use social media safely is vital.
A new video is available to help schools.
It covers how a school can safely manage its own social media presence, with further guidance available here.
It provides information on how schools can understand and spot emerging social media related issues and harmful behaviours, such as powerful online influencers and misinformation.
It navigates schools through the Keeping Safe Online area of Hwb to find the right sources of support and the best ways to talk to children and young people about these issues.
Help for parents and carers
Resources are available for schools to share with parents and carers:
- Leaflet: Supporting your child when they are online
- Social media and gaming app guides: an overview of the most popular apps, such as TikTok, Snapchat and Call of Duty.
- Video to direct parents and carers to the Keeping Safe Online area of Hwb