Child Centred Police Advice
What is Sexting?
Sexting can cover a broad range of activities. It can range from the consensual sharing of an image between two children of a similar age to instances of children being exploited, groomed, and bullied into sharing images, which in turn may be shared with peers or adults without their consent.
All reports of sexting by under 18s will be recorded as a crime. Recording a crime does not mean the person will have a criminal record.
A police officer will establish the facts. This will include assessing whether there are any aggravating factors such as the presence of exploitation, coercion, a profit motive or adults as perpetrators in the creation of the images. If there are aggravating factors or significant risks are identified, the police will take control of the incident and an investigation will take place.
If there are no aggravating factors, we will support victims and assist a school and family through education and intervention.
If you are under 18, think before you take an explicit photo or share it
If you take or share an image of yourself via your phone, tablet or computer always think, “would I be happy for my family, future employer or local police officer to see this?”
Once taken and sent, you have no control over what happens to the image and it could be sent to anyone and posted anywhere on the internet. Once you press send, it is no longer in your control
What can parents/guardians do to help?
- Consider placing the computer/device in a central area of your home where you can monitor it frequently. Get your children used to involvement early. Ask what they're looking at and finding, or who they're visiting.
- Establish age-appropriate ground rules, including time limits, acceptable areas to access and reasonable penalties - such as denying internet access - if the rules are broken.
- Use blocking and filtering programs available as software or online. They will enable you to monitor or limit your children's net access. Ask your Internet Service Provider for advice
- Warn your children frequently about the dangers of the internet, just as you warn them about the dangers of drugs, talking to strangers etc.
- Explain the importance of keeping personal information a secret - real names, home address, phone number, sports clubs etc.
- Tell your children never to respond to an angry, obscene or threatening message. Remind them to call you or another trusted adult if they come across something that makes them feel uncomfortable.
- Be on the alert for signs of trouble:
- Overuse of the computer, especially at night.
- Bad or explicit language - your child learned it from somewhere, perhaps online.
- Obsession with violent fantasy games.
- Unexplained long distance numbers on your phone bill. Your child could be in contact with a stranger.
- Online friends; if you child makes online friends with another local child and asks if they can meet in person, first talk to the child's parents. Set up a meeting with the other child and parent, make it at a public place and accompany your child.
- Report inappropriate online activities. Contact the police immediately if an adult (or a person you suspect to be posing as an adult) tries to set up a meeting with your child. This could be a very dangerous situation.
More information can be found at:
CEOP Education (thinkuknow.co.uk)
Sexting: advice for professionals | NSPCC Learning
Parents and Carers - UK Safer Internet Centre
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