This Guidance has been developed by the multi-agency Highland E-Safety Group and has been endorsed for use in Highland by key groups such as the ECS ICT Strategy and Informal LNCT.

The guidance can be accessed here
Social Networking Guidance for Professionals
On behalf of the Highland E-Safety Group I would like to say that we hope you find this helpful and informative.

If you have any specific comments please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Happy Safer Internet Day! To help celebrate and to raise awareness of new aspects of internet safety, The Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (CEOP) have announced their latest resources available for professionals working with children and young people, some of them might be suitable for use with Parents and Carers too. Sky News carried an interesting article yesterday here with news of these latest resources and concerns about ‘sexting’ and research from Beatbullying

New Resources for February 2011

‘Exposed’

CEOP has developed a suite of resources designed to tackle the issue of young people taking indecent images which are then circulated to a wider audience. These resources consist of a ten minute film called ‘Exposed’ and accompanying lesson plans. The materials show common ways young people get into this situation, explore the consequences of these actions and what they can do if they find themselves in this position.

‘Exposed’ is aimed at 14 to 18 year olds, although in practice you may feel the film is suitable for those outside of this range.

More information on the resource can be found at: www.thinkuknow.co.uk/teachers/exposed and www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_16/control/sexting/

You can download these resources from www.thinkuknow.co.uk/teachers/resources/ and selecting ‘Exposed’ under the 11 – 16’s tab. NB The Highland E-Safety Team issued Mobile Phone Guidance to Parents / Carers in Highland, this can be accessed here.

Suite of Resources for Young People with Special Needs and Disabilities

CEOP has developed a range of resources for professionals to use with young people who have special needs and disabilities. Three versions of an animation have been produced that convey messages in an appropriate format for this audience – available in , mild–moderate needs, moderate–severe needs and audio only.

Additionally, there is a dramatisation covering broadly similar issues involving actors who use British Sign Language.  There are two versions of this film, partial or full subtitles.  All films have an accompanying lesson plan and activities to highlight important themes.

You can download these from www.thinkuknow.co.uk/teachers/resources/ and selecting either ‘Know your friends with Josh and Sue’ or ‘Sam’s Real Friends’ under the SEN tab.

Interactive E-safety Game

There is a new internet safety game for 8 – 10 year olds called ‘Star Riders’.  This interactive game requires the user to answer questions about internet safety to increase the amount of time they have to collect stars and avoid nasty icons.  There is a leader board to encourage users to improve.  The questions users are asked will be changed every few months to reflect new themes.

You can access this game at www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/star-rider/

Here’s the video clip of the Exposed resource

CEOP Safer Internet Day Competition

Safer Internet Day 2011 is not far away now! The Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (CEOP) have provided a really good competition that you can use with any groups of young people, really cool prizes for the winners. It has two age categories 8-10 years and 11 – 16, so can be used for either upper primary or secondary schools and youth groups of any description.

A few details for you…The competition entry can be in any format you choose as long as it reflects the theme of ‘My Life Online’ and has parents/carers as its audience.

Here are some ideas of what you could do:

* Design a computer game – write down your ideas, draw them or maybe make a game with free software
* Produce a film – write a story, use pictures to plan your camera shots or use a camera if you have one
* Make an advert – create a poster or film an advert
* Create a cartoon – draw your own cartoon on paper or use a programme on your computer
* Create a photo blog – use free software or make a photo collage to send in
* Record a song – make up your own song with a catchy chorus
* Write a quiz – test parents on their knowledge and tell them what they should know

For all the details of the competition please go to www.thinkuknow.co.uk/mylifeonline

Dont forget! Safer Internet Day resource packs for primary and secondary schools are now available online. They can be downloaded at www.childnet.com by clicking on the ‘Safer Internet Day’ logo and following the links. Additionally, to support Safer Internet Day on the 8th of February 2011, the UK Safer Internet Centre will be launching a new website, www.saferinternet.org.uk, at the beginning of January.

We hope that all schools and youth groups in Highland will take part, if you need any further advice please speak to Louise Jones or Jim Henderson.

Ollie Bray, National Adviser for Emerging Technologies for Learning, explains the background to the creation of the tutorial here. Ollie has worked closely with Highland in developing their approaches to E-Safety and has been extremely helpful in supplying news, views and guidance.

The full clip and supporting guidance can be found here.

Why not use it as a Safer Internet Day activity as a CAT session for staff?

AVG have conducted some very interesting research summarised in the AVG Nursery  Infographic.

Babies and Children born now will have a much easier time accessing a ‘dossier’ of their life history as parents seem to share so much more information about young family members online.

What traditionally has been photos or antenatal scans included in baby books or family albums are now being increasingly posted and shared online. I’m sure most young people cringe when they go back home at a later stage only for the ‘bottom drawer’ family albums and mementos to come out! But what if they were online from the beginning? Thanks mum! But some parents or carers might not see any harm in what they are doing…….now.

This might seem to be on the face of it, fairly amusing, but what happens when the picture of home life isn’t so rosy, children become abused or stalked later in life, what if  they become looked after or for what ever reason need to be protected for someone harmful. What if they go on to be famous, wish not to have a public life etc? Just a few issues that could be considered when discussing this.

The full article about this research can be found here, courtesy of AVG. I’m particularly thankful to them for producing the infographic and allowing it be used freely.

We would recommend this is added to any internet safety evening presentations for parents / carers you might be developing. We will include this aspect in our Internet Safety and Responsible Use Training courses.

The use of social networks has had a major impact for adoptive families,  communications with birth families previously carefully managed through agencies has been become increasing difficult due to the ease of people tracing and contacting family members through social networking sites.

Two really helpful books have been produced by the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) if you wish to know more.

Facing up to Facebook, A Survival Guide for Adoptive Families

Social Networking and Contact, How social workers can help adoptive families.

Thanks also to my colleague Ollie Bray he highlighted the AVG research too on his recent blog

We’ve just discovered that 8th February 2011 is the planned date for SID 2011! What will you plan to do? Check our ‘Safer Internet Day’ page  for ideas on this site or go here for further details.

In Highland, we have a partnership approach to promoting e-safety by encouraging children and young people to use new technologies safely and responsibly. This has involved a programme of education about internet safety in our school communities.

As part of our approach we would like to offer all Parents and Carers of pupils in Highland Secondary Schools advice on the use of mobile technology. We also wish to raise awareness and specifically highlight the dangers of young people finding themselves in uncomfortable or compromising situations.

Research reported by the BBC has indicated that there is an alarming increase of instances of young people receiving unwanted images / texts or sending inappropriate images of themselves. Using phones in this way has become known as ‘sexting’, which is defined as ‘the act of sending sexually explicit images, videos or messages electronically’.  There are also future implications for young people who may not know that they could be breaking the law by receiving or sending such images. They also may be unaware that images may be circulated far and wide without their permission or knowledge.

Mobile Technology Advice – Questions and Answers

Owning a mobile phone for the first time can be very exciting and be seen as a step towards independence. As newer mobile phones become highly developed and internet accessible, they are more akin to a personal handheld computer which is constantly online, think about the same kinds of risks you would talk about with your child as if you had purchased a mini computer with integrated webcam.

What can I do to keep my child safe?

In purchasing a mobile phone, discuss firstly what your family boundaries might be, financially, insurance, theft and appropriate usage. This also may include not sharing their number with strangers or posting it on social networking site profiles.

Keep lines of communication open with your child to ensure that they are not afraid to tell you if they have received an image or are being pressurised to send any inappropriate photos of themselves. Remind them to report any images they receive to yourself or an adult they can trust. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (CEOP) Report Abuse Button is a way of them finding out about how to report concerns too. The CEOP Report Abuse button can be found at www.thinkuknow.co.uk and on many social networking sites.

Remind them to switch off location devices such as Bluetooth^® and maps that automatically update where they are. However some parents may wish, at certain times, for these devices to be kept switched on so that a young person could be located in emergency situations. Keeping Bluetooth^® switched off keeps the device safe from receiving unsolicited images or videos. To prevent unauthorised use it may be advisable to use a password pin to unlock the phone to activate.

Remind them of the future consequences of pictures or text messages that can be widely distributed without permission or knowledge only to embarrassingly re-surface at a later date!

Mobile phone theft is often opportunistic and it is wise to remind them that they should not leave their phone in full view unattended. Each Highland secondary school will also have a policy on using mobile phones and this should be adhered to.

Remind them of street safety; it is important to be extra careful when walking, running, crossing roads or riding a bike whilst using music players on mobile phones, browsing the internet, chatting or texting.

What is the law regarding images and ‘sexting’?

The future costs for children who find themselves the subject of a Police investigation are potentially severe. They may find themselves charged with offences under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 in relation to making, possession and distribution of indecent images of children.

Ultimately this may lead to them finding themselves convicted of a serious sexual offence and placed on the Sex Offender’s Register.

What about Cyberbullying?

Being targeted by Cyberbullying, which is the use of mobile phones or technology to deliberately upset someone can be very distressing. If your child receives abusive calls or messages, it is important that they do not respond. They should report this to a parent / carer, trusted adult or teacher rather than delete the message so that evidence is kept.

Cyberbullying may also involve recording/videoing events without permission and uploading them to the internet, videoing events on mobile phones may also be a good discussion point with your child.

Where can I find further help or advice?

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (CEOP) has a dedicated website that is for all children, young people, professionals, parents and carers. www.thinkuknow.co.uk

You can also find out more about the Facebook ‘Report Abuse’ CEOP application here too. We recommend all Facebook users add this application to their profile.

Childnet International www.childnet.com advice and guidance and a specific section called ‘Know it All’ advice for Parents and Carers.

General mobile phone advice and safety www.mobilephonesandsafety.co.uk

Also, check with your preferred mobile phone service provider, they may have further advice and guidance on specific networks and internet access.

What should I do if I am concerned about a child?

Tell someone what your concerns are – speak to a teacher, a doctor, a social worker, a police officer or school nurse.

Phone 01463 703488

or contact the National Child Protection Line on: 0800 022 32 22

For General Enquiries e-mail:CPAdmin@highland.gov.uk

Protecting Highlands Children, for information on the work of the Highland Child Protection Committee

www.protectinghighlandschildren.org

Northern Constabulary is urging Facebook users across the Highlands and Islands to add a new application to make them safer online.

The Force today made the ‘app’ available on its official Facebook page  www.facebook.com/northern.constabulary to help protect children and young people in the Highlands and Islands.

The UK’s national law enforcement agency dedicated to child protection – the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre) – and Facebook, the biggest social networking site, have joined forces to develop the initiative.

For the first time, it will give all Facebook users in the UK – and especially those aged between 13 – 18 years – direct access to CEOP’s advice and reporting centre ‘ClickCEOP’ giving them the very latest help on online safety as well as a dedicated facility for reporting instances of suspected grooming or inappropriate sexual behaviour.

The access will be provided via an ‘app’ that users can add or bookmark so it appears on their profile, as not only a constant source of help and reassurance for them but also as a strong visual signal to their friends, family and others that they are in control online.

The Force is also using the Twitter service to provide the public with a direct link between Northern Constabulary and the public. The service will be used to update members of the public with information on road closures, advice during major incidents, appeals for information and crime prevention advice to name but a few.

You can “follow” the Force’s tweets by visiting www.twitter.com/NorthernPolice and signing up to the Twitter service if you do not do so already.

The Facebook ‘app’ http://apps.facebook.com/clickceop will be backed by a new CEOP profile – ClickCEOP – that will look to engage with young people to help raise the profile of online safety. The move is also being supported by an advertising campaign on Facebook that will encourage take up. This will include an automatic advert appearing on every profile of users aged between 13-18 years inviting them to add the app.

A Force spokesperson said: “The internet is an amazing place where we can connect with each other and have fun, but we know that young users of social networking sites can be vulnerable.

“This announcement by CEOP represents a significant step forward in keeping young people safer on Facebook and we would urge all Facebook users in Highlands and Islands to add this application. If you are a parent on Facebook, add the app and encourage your children to do so too.

“This will act as a visible deterrent to offenders and your child will receive regular online safety tips from CEOP, so you can feel reassured that they are better protected online.”

As well as adding the ClickCEOP app, there are a number of ways in which young people can stay safe when using Facebook:

* Make sure privacy settings are set to private so the only people who can see your page and information are your friends

* Some people lie about who they are online so only add friends who you know in the real world

* Block or delete people who upset you or send nasty messages

* Tell a trusted adult if you have a concern about something that has happened to you online

Jim Gamble, Chief Executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre said: “Today represents a huge step forward. By adding this app, Facebook users will have direct access to all the services that sit behind our ClickCEOP button and this should provide reassurance for the many parents whose teenage children use Facebook.

“We know from speaking to offenders that a visible deterrent could protect young people online. We urge all Facebook users not only to add the app, but also to bookmark it so that others can see that they’re in control online. Our dialogue with Facebook about adopting the ClickCEOP button is well documented ¿ this is a good day for child protection.”

Joanna Shields, Facebook’s Vice President for EMEA said: “Nothing is more important than the safety of our users, which is why we have invested so much in making Facebook one of the safest places on the internet.

“There is no single silver bullet to making the internet safer but by joining forces with CEOP, we have developed a comprehensive solution which marries our expertise in technology with CEOP’s expertise in online safety.

“Together we have developed a new way of helping young people stays safe online and backed this with an awareness campaign to publicise it to young users. It is only through the constant and concerted effort of the industry, police, parents and young people themselves that we can all keep safe online – whether on Facebook or elsewhere.”

CEOP’s new Facebook page will contain polls, news alerts and status updates. The page will look at topics that teenagers care about, such as celebrities, music and exams and will link these subjects to questions about online safety. The CEOP page will also give users the option to add the new ClickCEOP application.