PARENTS and carers know that children and young people are spending an increasing amount of time in the online world, writes Debra Radford, assistant director of NSPCC for North East, Yorkshire and Humber.

In recent years, that became something of a necessity while Covid restrictions meant they were unable to attend school, but there’s little sign of online use changing as technology remains a hugely important part of our lives.

Of course, being online can be a great thing – there’s a world of knowledge at children’s fingertips and they can stay in touch with friends or family on the other side of the world – but it’s important that we help them to understand the risks, as well as the benefits, which face them every time they log on.

One topic the NSPCC’s Childline service often hears about from young people is that some have shared images or videos of themselves with a partner or a friend, which they are now worried may be shared without their permission.

There are many reasons why a young person may share a self-generated sexual image. For example, they may share it for fun, to a boyfriend or girlfriend, or they may have been groomed or blackmailed into sharing this content.

We would never encourage children to share images of themselves online, but it does happen, and if they are worried about what might happen as a result of those images being shared, we are here to support them.

While the NSPCC supports young people with their worries about this, every year, thousands of self-generated images are also reported to the Internet Watch Foundation, and their research suggests that number is rising.

Our trained Childline counsellors know the devastating impact that the sharing of nude images can have on a young person.

Some young people have told our counsellors they felt embarrassed, afraid or hopeless, and others said they were filled with self-loathing about what had happened.

Some told Childline they were concerned that the images or videos which they had shared in confidence with someone close to them might have potential long-term impact on their future prospects. In some cases, young people said they had turned to self-harm as a way of coping with their situation and their fears.

No young person should have to feel that way, so with the help of the Internet Watch Foundation, we created a special tool to help children in this situation.

The tool is called Report Remove, and just as the name suggests, it allows young people to report images or videos of themselves that have appeared, or they’re worried might appear online.

Once the report has been made, the IWF will then work to have the content removed if it breaks the law, and our Childline counsellors are there to ensure that all young people are safeguarded and supported throughout the process.

The NSPCC is also continuing to propose amendments to the Government’s Online Safety Bill, which will help prevent online offenders from easily targeting children and young people.

Having regular and open conversations with your children about how they use the internet, and reminding them they can talk to you or Childline, could give them the confidence to speak up sooner rather than later.

Anyone under 18 can find details about Report Remove at www.childline.org.uk/remove or by searching ‘Report Remove’.

Adults supporting young people with this issue can phone the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 8005000 and email help@nspcc.org.uk for help.

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