‘My 17-year-old son was arrested for sharing child abuse images – he said it was a relief’
- A mother has described how her autistic son became one of the thousands of under-18s caught viewing or sharing indecent images of children.
- Research published in February found some people viewing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) said they had become desensitised to adult pornography, leading them to seek more violent material.
- The Lucy Faithfull Foundation is a charity offering support to online sex offenders, and reported that last year, 217,889 individuals were concerned about their own or someone else’s sexual thoughts or behaviour.
- For more, please visit The Guardian website.
More young people being radicalised online, says UK counter-terror officer
- A senior counter-terrorism officer has warned that children and young people are increasingly being radicalised online.
- Det Supt Andy Meeks reported this was due to spending long periods on the internet during the pandemic.
- The UK Home Office figures released last week showed that the number of children arrested on suspicion of terror offences reached a record high last year.
- For more, please visit The Guardian website.
‘Sneaky’ social media ads are luring young into gambling, say campaigners
- Researchers at Bristol University have argued that harsher rules are required to crack down on betting firms’ use of “sneaky” social media postings and campaigns that may lure young people into gambling.
- The research found many children do not recognise these promotions, known as content marketing, as advertising.
- It warns that this may lead to children following betting companies on social media, increasing the likeliness that they sign up when they turn 18.
- For more, please visit The Guardian website.
The following stories may be regionalised:
NSPCC reveals one in five have child abuse concerns in Wales
- According to the NSPCC, over a quarter of adults in Wales have had concerns over a child potentially being abused. However, one in five UK adults who had concerns did not take action.
- Barriers to action include uncertainty about whether the situation was abuse, fear of escalating the situation, and inability to provide evidence.
- The charity is launching its ‘Listen up, Speak up’ campaign, offering workshops in English and Welsh on recognising signs of abuse and taking appropriate action.
- For more, please visit the Yahoo News website.
Young carers in England and Wales ‘forced out of education’ by benefit rules
- According to a group of more than 200 organisations and representatives, young carers in England and Wales are being blocked from staying in education by benefit rules that unfairly penalise them.
- An estimated 37,000 young people in England and Wales provide more than 50 hours of care each week, most often to a family member.
- However, the rule makes them ineligible for the government’s carer’s allowance if they study for more than 21 hours a week, meaning they cannot take a full course of A-levels, BTecs or T-levels.
- For more, please visit The Guardian website.
