Dear Editor
With the school holidays approaching, everyone is keeping their fingers crossed for good weather and the opportunity to spend a bit of time outdoors. However, on the likely rainy days and with two weeks to fill, children and young people will have plenty of free time to explore the online world.
There’s no doubt the internet is a brilliant resource in a child’s learning and development but, unfortunately, it also contains far too many dangers. Viewing inappropriate content is a real risk and the selfie culture and use of social media is also fuelling increasing problems with some young people inadvertently putting themselves at greater risk of sexual exploitation and grooming by online predators. Additionally, the fact that many young people are exploring the online world behind closed doors makes it very difficult for their parents to know what they are doing and therefore to protect them.
In 2017/18, the PSNI recorded 82 offences of Sexual Communication with a Child and we continue to see and rise of abuse and child grooming via the internet and social media. This figure shows that it is more important than ever for parents to know what their children are doing online and that it is essential that they educate themselves about the world their children are inhabiting.
Parents must be able to have open and honest conversations to enable young people to tell them if they feel worried or scared about anything they’ve been involved in. We know that many parents feel daunted by the prospect of this but the NSPCC’s Share Aware page can help facilitate these discussions so parents can ensure their child knows they can talk about anything that is worrying them online. Our Net Aware tool can also give parents information and advice on the top apps used by children, giving them the information they need to start those important conversations, and our dedicated NSPCC/O2 helpline is available on 0808 800 5002.
Children can also contact Childline online or over the phone on 0800 1111 anytime. The earlier parents start to talk to their children, the better. A series of simple conversations can be all it takes to make a huge difference in keeping children safe when exploring the online world.
Yours sincerely,
Neil Anderson
Head of the NSPCC in Northern Ireland
First Floor, Lanyon Building
Jennymount Business Park
North Derby Street
Belfast
BT15 3HN