Spotlight on Safeguarding

Earlier this year, this photo made headlines and brought consent to the forefront. But what exactly is consent and why should we teach children and young people about it? Consent is giving your agreement freely, after fully understanding what you're agreeing to. It's important for children to understand what this means for them, how to ensure they have consent from others, and howto say no if they feel uneasy.

The Importance of Discussing Consent with Your Child

Empowering your child to make informed decisions about their bodies is crucial in preventing sexual abuse. It also teaches them to respect other people's boundaries. While it may seem daunting, adopting a "drip feeding" approach can make it more manageable. Instead of having one big, uncomfortable talk,try to bring up the topic in casual conversation. This can make the discussion feel more natural for both you and your child.

Teaching Children and Young People about Consent

When talking to children about consent, it's important to consider their age and level of comprehension. Typically, around the age of 11 or older, it may be appropriate to begin discussing intimate relationships and physical contact. Here are some helpful tips for initiating this conversation with children in this age group.

• Use examples from TV shows. Start discussions with comments like, "I'm not sure his body language shows he's completely happy with the situation. What do you think?"
• Ask a straightforward question such as, "Do you ask your friends if they want a hug before giving them one?"
• Encourage them to think about whether they would feel comfortable saying "no" if someone touched them inappropriately.

Sharing intimate images is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 and can have serious repercussions. Make sure your child understands the law about intimate images Discuss the importance of respecting other people's privacy and not sharing images of them without their consent Non-intimate image sharing can also be harmful. Children may use edited images to ridicule someone, which can be considered a form of bullying.

If your child has become a victim of inappropriate image sharing, it's important to take action immediately. Take screenshots of the post for evidence, report it through the social media app, and inform the police Although young people today have the ability to send and receive images on their mobile devices, they may not be aware of the laws about sharing images of others. It is important to educate children about responsible image sharing to prevent any negative consequences.

Below are some important points to keep in mind:

• Sharing intimate images is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 and can have serious repercussions. Make sure your child understands the law about intimate images
• Discuss the importance of respecting other people's privacy and not sharing images of them without their consent
• Non-intimate image sharing can also be harmful. Children may use edited images to ridicule someone, which can be considered a form of bullying
• If your child has become a victim of inappropriate image sharing, it's important to take action immediately. Take screenshots of the post for evidence, report it through the social media app, and inform the police

Snapchat is a widely popular app that allows users to create multimedia messages in the form of 'Snaps'. Snaps can consist of short videos with filters, effects, and captions. However, it's important to understand the potential risks associated with using Snapchat, especially for children. Here's what you need to know:

• Messages on Snapchat disappear after they've been viewed, making it hard to monitor
• The lack of message retention can encourage children to post risky content such as abuse or inappropriate images
• It is easy to screenshot Snaps and share
• Although the original poster will be notified that a screenshot has been taken, there is no way of stopping someone from sharing
• The Snap Map feature allows users to share their location, which can be dangerous
• The Discover feature gives access to inappropriate content
• Children can easily receive unwanted contact from other users, including unknown adults

Safety Features

• Family centre gives parents an overview of how their child has been using the app and who they have been communicating with.
• Turn on Ghost mode to prevent other users from seeing your child's location. This can be done by accessing the app settings.
• If your child has used their true age to create their account, they should only be able to communicate with other children, or adults who share mutual connections. Remember, this only applies if the adult has not falsified their own age

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