Online Safety

Online Safety is the generic term that refers to raising awareness about how children, young people and adults can protect themselves when using digital technology and in the online environment and provides examples of interventions that can reduce the level of risk for children and young people.

The breadth of issues classified within online safety is considerable and ever evolving, but can be categorised into four areas of risk:

• Content: being exposed to illegal, inappropriate, or harmful content, for example: pornography, fake news, racism, misogyny, self-harm, suicide, anti-Semitism, radicalisation, and extremism;
• Contact: being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users; for example: peer to peer pressure, commercial advertising and adults posing as children or young adults with the intention to groom or exploit them for sexual, criminal, financial or other purposes;
• Conduct: online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes, harm; for example, making, sending and receiving explicit images (e.g. consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi-nudes and/or pornography, sharing other explicit images and online bullying; and
• Commerce: risks such as online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing and or financial scams.

The term digital (data carrying signals carrying electronic or optical pulses) and interactive (a message relates to other previous message/s and the relationship between them) technology covers a range of electronic tools. These are constantly being upgraded and their use has become more widespread as the internet can be accessed easily on mobile / smart phones, laptops, computers, tablets and games consoles.

Social networking sites are often used by perpetrators as an easy way to access children and young people for sexual abuse and criminal exploitation. In addition radical and extremist groups may use social networking to attract children and young people into rigid and narrow ideologies that are intolerant of diversity: this is similar to the grooming process for sexual abuse and exploits the same vulnerabilities. “Online Grooming” describes the process of developing a friendship or relationship with a child online, with the intention of sexually abusing or exploiting them – this could also include criminal exploitation and radicalisation. Online exploitation can/may:

• Occur through online chats, pictures, videos or webcams and the young person may never physically meet their abuser.
• Being online then move offline.
• Be perpetrated by individuals or groups, males or females, other children or adults.
• Be a one-off or a series of incidents over time.
• Affect any young person under the age of 18 years.
• Involve threats, blackmail, or coercion.

Online abuse may also include cyberbullying or online bullying (see Bullying). This is when a child is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child using the internet and/or mobile devices. In the case of online bullying it is possible for one victim to be bullied by many perpetrators. In any case of severe bullying it may be appropriate to consider the behaviour as child abuse by another young person.

The term ‘sharing nudes and semi-nudes’ is used to mean the sending or posting of nude or semi-nude images, videos or live streams by young people under the age of 18 online. This could be via social media, gaming platforms, chat apps or forums. The term ‘nudes’ is used as it is most commonly recognised by young people and more appropriately covers all types of image sharing incidents. Alternative terms used by children and young people may include ‘dick pics’ or ‘pics’.

Many professionals may refer to ‘nudes and semi-nudes’ as:

• Youth produced sexual imagery or ‘youth involved’ sexual imagery;
• Indecent imagery. This is the legal term used to define nude or semi-nude images and videos of children and young people under the age of 18;
• ‘Sexting’. Many adults may use this term, however some young people interpret sexting as ‘writing and sharing explicit messages with people they know’ rather than sharing images;
• Image-based sexual abuse. This term may be used when referring to the nonconsensual sharing of nudes and semi-nudes.

The motivations for taking and sharing nude and semi-nude images, videos and live streams are not always sexually or criminally motivated. Such images may be created and shared consensually by young people who are in relationships, as well as between those who are not in a relationship. It is also possible for a young person in a consensual relationship to be coerced into sharing an image with their partner.

Incidents may also occur where:

• Children and young people find nudes and semi-nudes online and share them claiming to be from a peer.
• Children and young people digitally manipulate an image of a young person into an existing nude online or use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate a new nude or semi-nude image of a young person.
• Images created or shared are used to abuse or blackmail peers. Situations could include:
  • Children and young people selling nudes or semi-nudes of others online;
  • Children and young people coercing a peer into sharing a nude or semi-nude to blackmail them for money, further images, or force them into illegal activity;
  • Children and young people hacking a peer’s account to share images more widely without consent to publicly shame.
• Children and young people create and share a nude or semi-nude with an adult who has presented themselves as someone under the age of 18 to groom, sexually abuse or blackmail them.

Creating and sharing nudes and semi-nudes of under-18s (including those created and shared with consent) is illegal, which makes responding to incidents involving children and young people complex.

Making, possessing and distributing an ‘indecent’ image of someone under 18 is illegal (Protection of Children Act 1978 (England and Wales) as amended in the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – even if that image is of themselves. ‘Indecent’ is not defined in legislation and does not always mean nudity; however, semi-nude images are likely to be defined as indecent if they include sexual posing, touching or overtly sexual images. The term ‘indecent images’ also include pseudo-images which are computer-generated images that otherwise appear to be a photograph or video. These may be created using tools such as photo/video editing software, deepfake apps and generators (to combine and superimpose existing images or videos onto other images and videos), and AI text-to-image generators.

However, if a young person is found creating or sharing indecent images, the police can choose to record that a crime has been committed but that taking formal action is not in the public interest.

The chapters relating to Organised and Complex Abuse and Allegations Against Staff or Volunteers should be borne in mind depending on the circumstances of the concerns.

The Online Safety Act 2023 introduced new criminal offences including:

• Sending a message with information the sender knows to be false with the intention of causing non-trivial psychological or physical harm to a likely audience without reasonable excuse;
• Sending a message with a threat of death, serious injury, rape or serious financial loss where the sender intends the recipient to fear that threat will be carried out (or is reckless as to whether the recipient has such fear);
• Sending or showing an electronic communication with flashing images with the intention to cause harm to a person with epilepsy;
• Communicating, publishing or showing material capable (and with the intention) of encouraging or assisting the serious self-harm of another, even if the sender cannot identify the recipients and even if the self-harm does not occur;
• Intentionally sending or giving images of any person’s genitals to another person with the intention to cause the recipient alarm, distress or humiliation, or for the purposes of sexual gratification whilst reckless as to whether the recipient will be caused alarm, distress or humiliation;
• Four offences in relation to intentional sharing or threatening to share intimate images without consent, which do not necessarily require proof that the sender intended to cause alarm, distress or humiliation. (This replaces the previous offences relating to so-called ‘revenge porn’ where there was a requirement for an intention to cause distress).

There is some evidence from research that the abusive behaviour of people found in possession of indecent images/pseudo images or films/videos of children may escalate and they may become involved directly in child abuse themselves.

In particular, an individual's access to children should be established during the assessment and section 47 investigation to consider the possibility that they may be actively involved in the abuse of children including those within the family, within employment contexts or in other settings such as voluntary work with children or other positions of trust.

Any indecent, obscene image involving a child has, by its very nature, involved a person, who in creating that image, has been party to abusing that child.

There is a correlation between online risk and real-life vulnerability which means care-experienced children have an increased risk of encountering online harm. Young people with prior offline vulnerabilities are at greater risk of harm online than children and young people with none. For example, young people with eating disorders, looked after children and young people and those with communication challenges may use technology to communicate and socialise in ways they cannot achieve without it. Denying online access to children can be abusive in itself (e.g., loss of opportunity to develop resilience, risk of alienation, risk of turning to secret devices).

Often issues involving child abuse become known through an accidental discovery of images on a computer or other device and can seem to emerge 'out of the blue' from an otherwise trusted and non-suspicious individual. This in itself can make accepting the fact of the abuse difficult for those who know and may have trusted that individual. Partners, colleagues and friends often find it difficult to believe and may require support.

The initial indicators of child abuse are likely to be changes in behaviour and mood of the child victim. Clearly such changes can also be attributed to many innocent events in a child's life and cannot be regarded as diagnostic. However changes to a child's circle of friends or a noticeable change in attitude towards the use of computer or phone could have their origin in abusive behaviour. Similarly a change in their friends or not wanting to be alone with a particular person may be a sign that something is upsetting them.

Children often show rather than tell that something is upsetting them. There may be many reasons for changes in their behaviour, but if we notice a combination of worrying signs, it may be time to call for help or advice.

When communicating via the internet, young people tend to become less wary and talk about things far more openly than they might when communicating face to face.

Both male and female adults and some young people may use the internet to harm children.

Children and young people should be supported to understand that when they use digital technology they should not give out personal information, particularly their name, address or school, mobile phone numbers to anyone they do not know or trust: this particularly includes social networking and online gaming sites. The Digital Passport is aimed specifically at Looked After Children but may be a useful resource that can be adapted for any vulnerable child.

If they have been asked for such information, they should always check with their parent or other trusted adult before providing such details. It is also important that they understand why they must take a parent or trusted adult with them if they meet someone face to face whom they have only previously met online.

Children and young people should be warned about the potential risks and consequences of taking/sharing sexually explicit pictures of themselves or other children online. It is essential, that young people understand the legal implications  However, it is important to ensure they understand the law is there to protect them from abuse. The initial risk posed by sharing nudes and semi-nudes may come from peers and others in their social network who may share the images. However, once an image has been sent, it can then be shared with others or posted online.

Where young people are voluntarily sending/sharing sexual images or content with one another the Police are likely to use the 'outcome 21' recording code. This allows the Police to record a crime as having happened but for no formal criminal justice action to be taken. Crimes recorded this way are unlikely to appear on future records or checks, unless the young person has been involved in other similar activities which may indicate they are at risk.

The discretion about whether to disclose non-conviction information rests with each Chief Constable managing the process.

In some cases adults may also groom a young person into sending such images which can then be used to blackmail and financially exploit them – see Safeguarding Children Abused Through Exploitation Procedure.

Legislation, Statutory Guidance and Government Non-Statutory Guidance

Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people

Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment between Children in Schools and Colleges (September 2021)

Ofsted Review of Sexual Abuse in Schools and Colleges (including Online) This report is useful reading for everyone working in schools or with children and young people

Good Practice Guidance

The Risk of Online Sexual Abuse (ROSA) Project - report on research with young people between the ages of 10-18 who had exhibited technology-assisted harmful sexual behaviour (TA-HSB)

Useful Websites

UK Safer Internet website

CEOP, thinkUknow website

Childnet Advice on Sexting

NSPCC Report Remove Tool - The tool enables young people under the age of 18 to report a nude image or video of themselves which has appeared online. The Internet Watch Foundation will review these reports and work to remove any content which breaks the law.

UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) Digital Passport - a communication tool to support children and young people with care experience to talk with their carers about their online lives.

Social Media as a Catalyst and Trigger for Youth Violence (Catch 22)

The Dark Web Explained (for Professionals)

Internet Matters - advice for professionals, parents and young people on a wide range of digital safety issues including the digital passport.

Refuge and Risk: Life Online for Vulnerable Young People - research into the risks and dangers for vulnerable young people online. The report discusses the types of risk they encounter which is exacerbated by the vulnerabilities.

Information for Children/Carers

Child Safety Online - A Practical Guide for Parents and Carers whose Children and Using Social Media.

Talking to Your Child About Online Sexual Harassment (Children’s Commissioner)

The Dark Web Explained (for Parents and Carers)

Online Safety SEND Resources