A reintroduction to the IWF – looking at the important work they do

The IWF (Internet Watch Foundation), which makes up one third of the UK Safer Internet Centre, is a leading organisation removing child sexual abuse imagery from the internet. It’s a tough job, but a vital one, not only for the victims of this hideous abuse who we work to protect from the torment of having the images of their abuse shared again and again, but also for internet users who want peace of mind that the internet can be a safe place.

What does the IWF do?

We are one of the world’s leading charitable hotlines identifying and removing illegal content online and receive tens of thousands of reports from internet users every year, who are often distressed after stumbling across images and videos of children being sexually abused. From our office in Cambridge, our 13 analysts proactively search for child sexual abuse content from across the globe to remove it from the internet. We assess the imagery and then, if it is illegal, we have it taken down.

You might be surprised about the reach of abusive content on the internet. We recently revealed a 37% increase from 2016 to 2017 in the number of child sexual abuse URLs which have been reported to us (57,335 in 2016 to 78,589, as reported in our 2017 Annual Report). We also revealed that unfortunately, offenders are getting cleverer at evading detection and the images of the abuse are increasing in severity. The report makes for shocking reading, but it is essential that the scale of child sexual abuse imagery is known by all. You can read more on our 2017 Annual Report here.

In May we published our new webcam research, titled Trends in Online Child Sexual Exploitation: Examining the Distribution of Captures of Live-streamed Child Sexual Abuse. Using a sample of more than 2,000 incidents, it analysed the spread of permanent captures and recordings of live-streamed child sexual abuse content. Shockingly, 98 percent of the victims were 13 or younger, and 96 percent of the victims were in their own home environment, such as their bedroom or bathroom. You can read more about it here.

Our work not only stops the re-victimisation of children whose suffering is shared again and again online, but also helps to identify new victims who we may be able to help rescue. We work with law enforcement agencies, governments, the internet industry and others such as charities and hotlines across the world to track these children down so they can be rescued, while their images are removed.

Our Analysts

We’d like to introduce you to Peter*, he’s one of our analysts and can better explain why the work we do is so vital.

Peter’s story: “A public report came in for a website showing a lot of child sexual abuse imagery. There were many, many images and videos on that site. They were of children showing themselves in sexual positions or performing sexual acts on webcams. One set of images showed a girl and by her appearance, her clothes, the décor in her room and things in the background, I could tell that she was in the UK. I called a few other analysts over to help me assess the images and after investigating a bit more with a few online searches, we managed to come up with a potential location for her. We sent the report to CEOP, the UK Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, and they then contacted the local police. In less than two days we got the message that the girl had been safeguarded by the police. She was 12 years old and had been groomed for years. I’ll never forget the feeling of absolute joy that we had helped this girl. That’s probably the highlight of what I’ve done at the IWF so far.”

*Peter’s name has been changed to protect his identity.

Our Members and our goal

The IWF helps the internet industry join the fight against online child sexual abuse imagery by providing world-class specialist services to our Members, which include internet service providers, phone companies and social media companies.

We’ve also launched 21 international reporting websites, known as Reporting Portals, in countries across the world. Online child sexual abuse imagery is a global problem, which demands a global solution. The internet doesn’t respect geographical borders, which is why we work together with partners across the globe, now including Public Interest Registry, so one day we can live in a world without child sexual abuse imagery.

What can you do?

If you stumble across child sexual abuse imagery online, or come across it in your line of work, you can make a report simply and easily at: iwf.org.uk

The report can be made completely anonymously, or if you’d like to receive feedback or an update on your report you can enter your contact details. Every report made could save a child from continued abuse or stop the revictimisation of that child every time their image is shared and seen. Please spread the word about the work of the IWF to your colleagues, friends and family, to protect children all around the world.

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“But everyone else is playing it!” – How do I decide if a game is right for my child?

Childnet, a partner in the UK Safer Internet Centre, give advice for parents and carers, looking at the ways in which you can decide what games and apps are suitable for your children.

Every day, our Education Team are in schools across the country talking to children, young people, teachers and parents about their experiences online and how they can stay safe on the internet.

In this series of blogs we look to answer some of the most frequently asked questions from these sessions. 

“But everyone else is playing it!”

This is something parents tell us they hear a lot from their children. As each new gaming fad or craze progresses, children can sometimes feel like they’re the only one who’s being left out. However, it can be helpful for parents to dig a little deeper.

It’s important to remember that just because everyone at school is talking about a game, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are playing it. 

Try talking to other parents and asking if their children playing it. It’s easy for these kind of things to get exaggerated and you may find that far fewer of your children’s classmates are actually playing it than it may have initially appeared.

“Well maybe not everyone is! But so-and-so definitely is!”

This can be a real challenge for all parents – you don’t want to be the reason your child is left out, but you also have a responsibility to keep them safe and make sure they are playing games that are appropriate for them.

Regardless of how many of your child’s classmates are using a new app or game, it’s vital you make your own judgement about how suitable it is.

There are a few different ways to make this judgement – but research is key. Downloading and using the game or app yourself is a great idea to experience first-hand what your child may be exposed too. Understandably for some parents, this can seem a little intimidating but it will also mean you’re well placed to support your child if you go on to let them use it too.

Alternatively there are other places you can go for more information:

NetAware – this is a collaboration between O2 and the NSPCC. It is available as both a website and mobile app. Parents can get information on some of the most popular services with young people, including the types of content children could be exposed to when using a service and what other parents are saying about it.

Common Sense Media – this organisation provide detailed information on a vast number of games, apps, films, television programmes and even music. They include a breakdown of the type of content children might be exposed to, photos from within the gameplay and written reviews from both parents and children.

“So can I get it? Please…”

Once you’ve made your decision it’s time to break the news to your child. Whatever conclusion you’ve come to, this is a fantastic opportunity to start a conversation more generally about online safety.

If you’ve decided that you are happy for your child to play the game then it’s worth setting some boundaries.

You could use this opportunity to set time limits per day or per week. You might want to use the game as a reward after chores or homework are complete. Perhaps you want your child to turn off the chat function or set up their account so that they can only talk to friends they already know.

Our family agreement provides advice and a framework that can help families set clear expectations for safe and positive internet use.

If you’ve decided the game isn’t suitable, then it’s important to explain to your child why. It may be useful to show them what you found in your research to help them understand your concerns. This way they know that you’re not just saying no to be mean, but because it’s your job as a parent to protect them.

Another good idea is to set a timeframe for reviewing the decision:

“At the moment I think the content on this game would be too scary for you and I’m concerned about the ability to chat with strangers. If you still want the game in two months’ time, then we’ll sit down again then and talk about it some more.”

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Book a UKSIC training session

As part of our work as a partner in the UK Safer Internet Centre, SWGfL delivers a range of online safety training and briefing sessions across the whole of the UK.

With the school summer holidays coming up, this means weeks of (relative) freedom for teachers and pupils alike. It also means that schools cannot be involved in their pupils’ online safety in the coming months. This is a great time to squeeze in some online safety training or book early for the new school year, to ensure young people know how to stay safe online, and parents and teachers know how to combat any problems they may encounter.

With exams and other end of year commitments we know that it’s a busy time of year for schools, but with one of our bespoke training sessions, one of our highly experienced experts could come and equip your pupils, parents and staff with the knowledge they need when it comes to navigating the online world.

The training sessions are a great tool for learning how to use the internet in a positive way, and how parents and their kids can engage with it together. While there are several worrying aspects of the online world, there are also lots of really great ways that young people can interact and create their own online spaces.

Tailor-made

Our training sessions can be tailored to meet your school’s needs and cover specific areas of concern for discussion, these could include:

• gaming,
• sexting,
• screen-times or
• keeping identities or personal details safe.

Sometimes the trickiest thing can be knowing how to talk to young people about the way they use the internet.

Concerns around particular apps, cyberbullying and social media are commonplace, and it can be difficult to know how to tackle these issues and start this kind of dialogue with young people.

Training you can Trust

When it comes to seeking training from external bodies, it can be difficult to decide on which provider to trust. It’s important that you are confident on who they are and the quality of the content they are delivering. UKCCIS has produced this helpful guidance for schools on Using External Visitors to Support Online Safety Education.

Who we are

Our consultants come from a range of backgrounds; the police, schools, IT, children’s charities and social development research, and they all have years of experience in online safety. The variety in experience and expertise of our consultants ensures that you will receive high quality training you can trust.

If you book one of our training sessions you can also be safe in the knowledge that SWGfL works alongside organisations like the UK Council for Child Internet Safety, the Department for Education, the NEN Safeguarding Group, Welsh Government, Scottish Government, OFSTED and many more in the UK and around the world.

Easy to digest

Online Safety is an ever-changing entity, and it can seem overwhelming, but once you break it down the solutions become more realistic.

If you understand tools like parental controls on games and privacy settings, this can make a fundamental difference to the way in which a child interacts with the internet, and could keep them safe.

Let us know what your school or parents are worried about, and we can cover it. Getting these dialogues started is the most important thing to ensuring children’s online safety and happiness in the future.

How to book

If you are interested in booking one of our training sessions, visit https://swgfl.org.uk/training-events/training/ to see the different types of training sessions. By clicking ‘Enquire Now’ and filling out your details we find a dedicated consultant according to your requirements.

We are already taking bookings for the new school year. Get in touch today!

Training

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Meet the Childnet Film Competition Finalists 2018

Over the last few months young people from across the UK harnessed their creativity and entered the annual Childnet Film Competition. We are delighted to announce the 6 schools who have been shortlisted as finalists and who will see their films on the big screen at the BFI London on the 3rd July.

This year sees the ninth annual Childnet Film Competition inviting young people aged 7-16 to create short films to inspire their peers to use technology safely, responsibly and positively.

Harnessing the positive power of digital creativity, the project gives young people an opportunity to take the lead in educating and empowering their school communities and across the UK.

The Childnet Film competition is delivered as part of Childnet’s work in the UK Safer Internet Centre.

The 2018 Film Competition

Young people were asked to create a film around the theme of ‘Connect with respect - a better internet starts with us!’

This year we had more entries than ever before, and all of the entries were of an extremely high standard. We would like to thank all of the schools who entered, and we hope it was an educational and fun experience for you and your pupils.

Meet the finalists

Primary Finalists:

• Grange Primary School – Connect with respect
• St Anne’s Primary School - Connect with respect Rap
• Trinity Church of England Primary School – Footprints

Secondary Finalists:

• Esher Church of England High School – One post
• Queen Mary’s Grammar School – A better internet
• The Ferrers School– Game Over

On Tuesday, 3rd July the finalists will get to see their films on the big screen at the BFI on London’s South Bank, find out where they have placed in the competition and receive their prizes.

The films will be available to view on the Childnet website on the 3rd July following the finalists’ event.

Who decides the winner?

We have a team of expert judges deciding who will take home the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes in each category. The judging panel are:

• Lisa Prime - Children’s Events Programmer at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
• Catherine McAllister - Lead for online safety and Head of Safeguarding in the Children’s department, BBC
• David Austin OBE - Chief Executive, British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)
• Joanna van der Meer - Film Tutor and Family Learning Programmer, BFI Southbank

The Childnet Film competition will be open again for entries next year so keep an eye out for news on our social media and website.

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Young People Urged to Help Tackle Online Hate

Online hate speech is a growing problem, with abusive comments from peers one of the key causes of upset online for young people.

This is why SWGfL, a partner in the UK Safer Internet Centre, is working alongside six organisations in five countries to help deliver SELMA, a new two year partnership project that aims to tackle the problem of online hate speech by promoting mutual awareness, tolerance, and respect.

As part of the project, SWGfL is looking for young people in the UK aged between 15-18, to form teams and submit an idea about how to tackle online hate. The team with the best suggestion will be invited to develop and pitch their idea at the Hacking Hate hackathon in December.

The hackathon will see six teams from across Europe take part in a Dragon’s Den style competition at the Facebook Digital Learning Centre in Berlin on the 5th and 6th December, with all travel costs and accommodation covered by the SELMA partners.

The hackathon will bring together young people, teachers, parents, and other professionals and carers to “hack” online hate speech. It offers a fantastic opportunity for young people from across Europe to meet, learn new skills and share ideas on how to tackle online hate speech.

For more information on SELMA, the hackathon and how to take part, visit the SELMA “Hacking Hate” hackathon page and keep up to date on Twitter using the #hackinghate.

online hate

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Online challenges and peer pressure

Advice for parents and carers to help start a conversation with young people about the risks associated with online challenges.

The internet is full of great content to engage and educate young people. Challenges online are popular among young people and some challenges, such as the ASL Ice Bucket Challenge and the No Makeup Selfie, can promote and raise money for great causes.

However some of these challenges aren’t for a good cause, challenges such as ‘pain challenges’, and Neck Nominate videos can harm young people and adults who take part. All children and parents need to be ready to deal with such challenges, whether they are rumoured or real.

Talking about peer pressure

One of the key issues raised over online challenges is that of peer pressure. Young people can sometimes be drawn into these challenges because it is what all their friends are doing and saying ‘no’ can seem like a very hard thing to do.

Children’s charity Childline have support for young people who are worried about peer pressure online and can be contacted via their website or on 0800 1111.

BBC3 have also created a new video, looking at the impact of online pain challenges in particular. In this video challenges the YouTubers posting potentially dangerous videos, this can be used as a good tool to start a conversation with your child about the consequences of partaking in challenges, whether they be offline or online.

Advice for parents

The internet is constantly changing, and new issues, challenges and online platforms are arising all the time. We would advise parents and carers to have an open and honest conversation with their children. Ask your children about what they’re seeing online and be prepared to talk about some difficult topics such as self-harm, suicide and negative influences online. The NSPCC has some great advice for when you need to talk about difficult topics.

It’s important that your children feel that they are able to come and talk to you about any issues they may be having online. Although it may seem difficult to have this conversation, we have some conversation starters that can help you to start a discussion with your family about their time online.  

Other things to consider to keep your child safe online are:

• Age restrictions: Think about the age restrictions on the sites your family use. Common Sense Media and Net Aware are great sites to see what other parents think of the age ratings on different platforms so that you can make an informed decision about whether your family should be using them. Our social media guides gives an in depth look at the age requirements and safety features on popular social media sites.
• Privacy setting: Most social networking sites have privacy settings to help you manage the content you share and who you share it with; you can decide if you want your posts to be shared with your online friends and followers only or with the public. You can also decide who can contact you on sites you use within the privacy settings.
• Block and report: Make sure you child knows that they can block or report any user that makes them feel uncomfortable online. Childnet have some guidance on how to make reports on different websites.

If you are worried about a child:

• Young Minds is a children’s charities which focuses on young people’s mental health https://youngminds.org.uk
• Papyrus is the national charity for the prevention of young suicide. https://www.papyrus-uk.org

Other helpful links:

• Our Parents’ Guide to Technology gives advice about smartphones, gaming devices, tablets and other internet-connected devices we also have a parents guide to the parental controls offered by your home internet provider.
• With our Social Media Guides you can find out more about the safety features available on these popular social networks. 

For professionals working with children

If you are a Professional worried about a child you can contact the Professionals Online Safety (POSH) Helpline.

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SWGfL publishes report into What Causes Young People Upset Online

SWGfL, a partner in the UK Safer Internet Centre, has today (Thursday 21 June 2018) published a report that explores what causes young people upset online. 

The report into ‘what causes young people upset online’ is the second in a series, titled Young People, Internet Use and Wellbeing in the UK. Compiled by Professor Andy Phippen from Plymouth University, the series explores the role of technology on young people’s wellbeing.

Each report in the series will have a specific area of focus, such as gender, age differences, and what harmful content means to young people. It assesses data provided by more than 8,200 young people from the ages of 9 - 18 across over 100 schools in the UK. 

Read the Full Report

Key findings

The key findings from this analysis centre on what “upset” means for children and young people going online and challenges our strategies to protect them from this upset. What causes upset is broad and variable, depending upon both gender and age of respondents.

The report contains testimonials and quotes from young people about the things that they have seen online which have caused them upset.

In general, upset is most commonly caused by:

• Abusive comments from peers and others they interact with online
• Stories in the news and media that can be upsetting (for example, terrorist incidents, child suffering, and natural disasters)
• Animal abuse – videos that show animal cruelty, images of harm to animals, upsetting stories related to animals, etc.
• Upsetting content, such as shocking videos produced by YouTubers, content showing people being hurt, acts of self-harm, etc. 

This research raises further questions around what motivates young people’s online behaviours, and it is clear that this is an area that requires further research. Over the coming years SWGfL, as part of its work as a partner in the UK Safer Internet Centre, will be working with HeadStart Kernow to explore the subject, as well as the social and emotional impacts of the online world, in order to inform future support for schools, families and communities.re

Andy Phippen, Professor of Social Responsibility in IT at the University of Plymouth said:

“What is clear from these findings is that we need to develop critical thinking and digital literacy that goes beyond whether content is “good” or “bad” and explore how it makes people feel and how we might counteract how upset is caused.

“We need to move beyond “online safety” to better understand how we develop resilience in young people so they can deal with what they see and do online, rather than hoping they avoid it completely.”

David Wright, Director of SWGfL and the UK Safer Internet Centre, said:

“We have seen over recent months that some aspects of being online is having a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of children and young people. 

“This report clearly highlights that while there are clear “online” elements here, they go beyond protecting young people from online issues. Just as in the offline world, some things cause distress or upset, and we need to help equip young people with the tools they need to deal with this as they grow up.“

Download the Infographic

Read the Full Report

This article was originally published by SWGfL

screen time

peer abuse

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