Sexting and Online Safety

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According to a BBC report, thousands of children have been investigated for Sexting. But what is sexting and what guidance is there to help keep children safe?

Sexting, AKA Sexy Selfies

EduCare's Product Development Lead for Education, Dawn Jotham, is an experienced Pastoral Lead for schools and during her time in education worked with police services, almost on a daily basis. She has shared the following advice:

"The Sexy Selfie culture is unfortunately seen in schools on a regular basis. Far too many young people see it as a normal process in relationships and friendship groups. Young people appear only to become concerned when the pictures get circulated around school or in the community and they become the victim of bullying and teasing. The realisation that these pictures will still be in circulation later on in life is a message that needs to be driven home, educating our young people is paramount."

Sexting: guidance and advice

On 15 August the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) published non-statutory guidance on managing incidents of sexting by under-18s. The guidance indicates that although sharing sexual images of themselves is illegal and risky, it is often the result of curiosity and exploration. They state that children need education, support and safeguarding, not criminalisation. 

As reported on the Youth Justice Legal Centre website, in January 2016, the NPCC, Home Office and the DBS agreed a new outcome code for youth-produced sexual imagery. Outcome 21 sates: “Further investigation, resulting from the crime report, which could provide evidence sufficient to support formal action being taken against the suspect is not in the public interest. This is a police decision.”

This allows the police discretion to take no further action if it is not in the public interest, even though there is enough evidence to prosecute. Using this outcome code is likely to mean the offence would not appear on a future enhanced DBS check, although not impossible, as that disclosure is a risk-based decision.

Schools and colleges should also read the Department for Education’s (DfE) Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Online Safety

Our online training course, Online Safety, covers the sexting phenomenon. The course was written in partnership with Jonathan Taylor, an author, Social Media & Online Safety Consultant, and former Covert Internet Investigator within the Metropolitan Police Child Abuse Investigation Command.

Online Safety is included in EduCare for Education^®, our bestselling e-Learning service that combines multiple essential Safeguarding and Duty of Care training courses with a robust reporting suite that evidences learning to inspectors.

Get in touch to find out more.

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