I’m concerned about the level of personal information young people at our project are sharing on social websites. I’ve been told that some are “sexting”, including sending explicit photos of themselves to their boyfriends.
This is becoming an increasingly worrying problem. Many young people are unaware of the risks involved in sharing high levels of information about themselves online.
Think about running a workshop to help them understand how to use the internet safely. Ask for support from staff who provide personal, social and health education, or even police who are keen to support young people to stay safe online.
“Sexting” must be addressed at management level. If you have evidence that sexual images of young people are being passed around – with or without the knowledge or the consent of the young people involved – this is a safeguarding issue. It can legally be defined as sexual assault and owning an indecent image of a child. The Thinkuknow website has useful information including an online reporting button. You should familiarise young people with it too.
Answered by Jeanie Lynch, who works for Barnardo’s and has 25 years’ experience of working with vulnerable children and families
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