Safeguard ing Ch i ldrenBoard

Fa lk land Is lands

Safeguard ing Ch i ldrenBoard

Fa lk land Is lands

www.falklands.gov.fk/more-information/FISCB

Looking at, sharing or taking photographs or videos of children or young people naked, in sexual poses or being sexually abusedAlthough this material and the sites that host it are illegal, people are still able to gain access to them and some will actively seek them out. Some people send abusive images to others who have a sexual interest in children. This file sharing can be between people who do not know each other and can involve people all over the world.

Photographs and videos are most often taken with a digital camera or mobile phone. Many hand held devices can take photographs, make videos and connect directly to the Internet, making the sharing of such material even easier. Images may also be shown to children and young people by someone who is intent on sexually abusing them and wants to ‘normalise’ the activity in the eyes of the child.

Encouraging children and young people to hold sexual conversations, perhaps leading to pressure to engage in, and talk about, sexual behaviour and online ‘grooming’Abusers can use the Internet to communicate and form ‘friendships’ with children and young people with the intent of abusing them either online or in person. The abuser could be anywhere in the world and will find out information about their potential victim and try to establish the likelihood of the child telling someone. Chat rooms and social networks are common places for such behaviour to start.

Online abusers sometimes pretend to be younger than they are and may change their gender, give a false physical description of themselves and send pictures of other people, pretending that it is them. But sometimes they don’t pretend at all, and children still agree to talk, and sometimes to meet.

The abuser may engage their victim in sexual conversations, and encourage them to perform sexual acts over webcam. Such behaviour takes place online, without physical contact, and can leave the child frightened and scared to talk about what has happened. In many circumstances grooming online is faster and results in children trusting an online ‘friend’ much more quickly than someone they had met face to face.

‘Sexting’ ‘Sexting’ is the deliberate sending of sexual images by text, email, MSN or through social networking sites. For example, this could be a picture of a young person exposing themselves or in a state of undress. There could be many reasons why young people would want to take these sorts of pictures and send them to someone else, it could be that they are in a relationship and want to prove their love, or it could be that someone is wanting to start a relationship with someone else, or it could be that they find it exciting or want to show off. Sexual images of people under 18 are illegal to have or to send to others. While sexting may seem acceptable or fun to young people, it is important we know that it could result in serious consequences within the school or with the police. We should also remember that once an image has been sent, we no longer have control over it and it could end up anywhere.

What do we do if we have a concern?If you think your child, or another child you know, is at risk of being abused online we must take action.

It can be hard to think that a child you know is at risk of being abused and it can be hard to decide what to do.

Reporting concerns to the police or social services can seem daunting and you may have worries about what action might be taken. You may also wonder if you will be taken seriously by the authorities, and if any action will be taken at all.

But, talking about our concerns is the first step to keeping children safe. The police and social services are ready to listen, and take action.

Call the NSPCC & FISCB helpline on +500 28888 for information, advice and support or if a child or young person is in immediate danger, call 999.

Safeguard ing Ch i ldrenBoard

Fa lk land Is lands

Safeguard ing Ch i ldrenBoard

Fa lk land Is lands

www.falklands.gov.fk/more-information/FISCB

Look out for our leaflets and SMART Rules cards. Find practical advice and information on how we can protect our children and what to do if we have a concern at:-

Top Tips to help keep your children safe online

We know it’s hard to keep track of what young people do online, particularly when they use the Internet unsupervised in the night, but there are things we can do to help keep our children safe.

1When buying a computer, mobile phone, gaming device or any new

technological item, find out which Internet safety tools are available to help manage your child’s Internet access. Install software that can filter inappropriate material and allows you to monitor what they are doing online.

2 When your children are young, place the computer where you can always

see the screen. By doing this, you will help them develop a pattern of safe use of the Internet which may help them when they get older and want more privacy online.

3 Help your children to enjoy their time on the Internet but also encourage

offline activity, for example – playing with their friends, participating in family activities and developing hobbies. Set boundaries around when and for how long your child can use the Internet. Although it’s tempting, try to discourage your children from using the Internet during unsociable free data windows.

4 Talk to your child about keeping their personal information personal. Teach

them not to give out details such as their name, date of birth or telephone number. If they’re signing up for email, chat or onto a website, get them to use a nickname and make sure that it’s one that does not identify their date of birth or have sexual connotations.

5 Teach them not to give out personal information about their family

or friends.

6 Talk to them about the need to be careful of ‘friends’ online because they

might not be who they say they are.

7 Be open – take an interest in their online world just as you would in

the offline one. Talk to them about what they’ve seen or sites they have visited, just as you might talk to them about a book they’ve read or a film they’ve seen.

8 Educate your children to use the Internet wisely and to become critical

users, encourage them to question whether the information they are receiving from people is true.

9 Let them know that they can tell you if they become uncomfortable with

anything that happens on the Internet and acknowledge that it may be difficult for them to do this. They may have said things they are embarrassed about and wouldn’t want you to know. Help them learn that we all make mistakes when growing up and that you can help.

10 Ensure your children understand the danger of meeting up with someone

they have only met online whether that person says they are a man, woman or child and that they should never go on their own.