LHS
Safeguarding
SPOTLIGHT
Working together to keep our young people safe
Spring Term 2
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Contents
LHS sAFEGUARDING TEAM
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Tips for holding off letting your child have a social media account
Child-on-child abuse
Child Exploitation awareness day 18th march
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App Spotlight - whatsapp
UPDATE
Following last half term’s newsletter on the dangers of Vaping. We invited the school nursing team into school to run workshops with pupils in 9, 10 & 11. Pupils engaged with the workshop fantastically and hopefully found the information and strategies useful.
Next half term as part of our PSHE programme, a team from the West Mercia Police are coming into school to run workshops on online safety.
What does DSL mean?
The designated safeguarding lead takes the lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection (including online safety and understanding the filtering and monitoring systems and processes in place) within school.
Responsibilities include:
- providing advice and support to other staff on child welfare
- safeguarding and child protection matters
- taking part in strategy discussions and inter-agency meetings
- contributing to the assessment of children
Deputy DSL
Any deputies are trained to the same standard as the designated safeguarding lead. Activities of the designated safeguarding lead can be delegated to appropriately trained deputies
What is it?
Child-on-child abuse
Child-on-child abuse refers to any inappropriate behaviour between children that is abusive in nature. This type of abuse is so named because it typically involves individuals who are similar in age or developmental stages. Child-on-child abuse can occur either inperson or online, and it can happen anywhere – at school, in the park, or even within the confines of a child's own home via internet-connected devices. This type of abuse encompasses physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, harassment, exploitation, bullying, coercive control, and initiation rituals. It is important to keep in mind that childon-child abuse can cause harm to both the victim and the perpetrator. There is often a complex web of reasons why a child may engage in abusive behaviour towards another.
Spotting signs
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- withdrawn or mood changes
- Not wanting to go to school or spend social time with specific friends
- changes in the times spent online
- asking for money or giving belongings away/losing belongings
18th March 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the National Child Exploitation Awareness Day. The day aims to highlight the issues surrounding Child Exploitation; for 2024 we are encouraging everyone to think, spot and speak out against abuse and adopt a zero tolerance to child exploitation.
Criminal Exploitation
Child Criminal Exploitation is common in county lines and occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18. The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. Child Criminal Exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.
County Lines Exploitation
County lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas within the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of “deal line”. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons.
Child Sexual Exploitation
Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.
Child Trafficking
Child Trafficking is defined by the Palermo Protocol and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
They’re just being a typical teenager
TWICE ABUSE
THINK THINK
aren’t they?
EXPLOITATION CAN HAPPEN TO ANY CHILD, ANYWHERE.
Question what you think you know. Question what you see and hear.
TAKE ACTION NOW TO PREVENT CHILD EXPLOITATION
SAY SOMETHING, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS.
Crimestoppers
0800 555 111
OR
Police
101
For more information about how you can prevent this from happening visit stop-ce.org or to help give children a voice donate online at stop-ce.org/donate
Missing
Day or Night
Missing from home or education. Not knowing where they are or who they are with.
Change in appearance
Clothing, personal hygiene, talking differently, tired.
Change in behaviour
Have they become unusually secretive, fearful or withdrawn, aggressive, distanced themselves from family and friends, involved in anti-social behaviour.
New places
Discovering they have been going to new places where they have no obvious connections.
Online use
Spending more time online. Secretive activity, refusal to come offline. Have they distanced themselves from family, friends and usual activities?
EXPLOITATION
SPOT THE SIGNS
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Injuries
Unexplained bruises, cuts, burns, marks. Reluctance to seek medical attention.
Coping mechanisms
Alcohol/drug use/self-harm – what they may be doing or using in order to cope.
Change in friends
Sudden changes in who they are ‘hanging out’ with including meeting new people from social media.
Possessions
Unexplained items e.g. New clothing, money, phone, drugs.
HELP US STOP EXPLOITATION
SAY SOMETHING, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS. CONTACT:
Crimestoppers OR 0800 555 111
Police OR 101
WWW.STOP-CE.ORG
Contact Children's Services: 0151 6062008 9-5
0151 677 6557 (out of hours)
IFD@wirral.gov.uk
In an emergency always dial 999
Would you know the signs....?
Delaying Your Child's Access to Social Media
In light of recent tragic incidents involving children, there is a growing push to restrict social media access until the age of 16.Various reports link social media to these incidents, prompting concerns about its negative effects on children. Despite this, more primary school children are creating their own accounts or using those managed by parents. If you would prefer your child not to engage in social media at a young age, how can you address this with them, especially when their friends are already active on these platforms?
Whats App
What is WhatsApp?
WhatsApp is a social messaging app from Meta that is used by over 2.7 billion people every month. It lets users message others via their mobile network, Wifi network or, via WhatsApp Web, their broadband network. Users can send text, voice and video messages, make voice and video calls and share information and documents.
How it works
WhatsApp let users send messages and content to contacts added to their account. To use the service in the UK, users must be 16-years-old or older (or 13+ if signing up from 16 February 2024).
Only people who have a WhatsApp account can send and receive messages through the app or WhatsApp Web. However, depending on your child’s privacy settings, anyone can contact them or add them to group chats. By default, the app shows whether a message was delivered, read, seen or played. These are called Read Receipts. However, users can disable Read Receipts in the app’s settings.
Parent Guide
Review Privacy Settings
WhatsApp has a range of privacy and security settings to keep users safe. Work with your teen to customise groups, app access, live location and more to help them take ownership. Click here for a step-by-step guide on setting up WhatsApp for safety.
Personal Information
Make sure your child understands what personal information is. This could include their full name, where they live, what school they go to and questions about their family members.
Remember that questions like their mother’s maiden name, pet’s name or similar topics might indicate someone is searching for security details.
Talk about the importance of keeping that information private on WhatsApp.
5 tips
Customise Contacts
Show your child how to report and block unwanted contacts. Also, talk about reasons they might need to take those actions.
Then, work with them to add their friends and family. Review and talk about their contacts regularly.
Check in!
Once you’ve done all of the above, check in with them regularly to review settings and how they use WhatsApp.
Remind them that these reviews and chats are about their safety, not about your trust in them. If they wonder why it’s necessary, make sure you give them the time to help them understand.
Work together to decide on boundaries to support them.
Support
If something goes wrong or they see something worrying on WhatsApp, make sure they know to come to you, and talk about other sources of support.