A new online safety campaign aimed at raising awareness of ‘self-generated’ child sexual image sharing is set to launch in Jersey this month.
The multi-agency campaign, which has support from NSPCC Jersey and the Jersey Safeguarding Partnership Board, aims to bring together all those working with children and families in the Island to help meet the social and digital challenge.
The new campaign is set to launch with a free conference in Jersey for professionals working with children and families in the Island to explore responses to online harms- from everyday online behaviours to the worrying 12-fold increase in the amount of self-generated child sexual images online.
An online survey undertaken by Internet Matters in 2020 found that 4% of 13-year-olds, 7% of 14-year-olds and 17% of 15 to 17-year-olds said they had shared a nude or sexual photo of themselves with someone else.
Those attending the fully-booked conference on Thursday this week will hear from online safety experts, including those with lived experience, and a network of multi-agency professionals.
Attendees will be able to learn from the latest research and insights around child sexual abuse and image sharing and have an opportunity to debate and discuss Jersey’s response to safeguarding children online.
Speakers at the event will include representatives from the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse and the Internet Watch Foundation.
Minister for Children and Families, Connétable Richard Vibert said: “This is a hugely important, and very current topic, so I am delighted that key partner agencies are working together to highlight the risks to islanders.
“It is vital that parents, carers and educators continue to work together and build upon what is already in place, to ensure we are best protecting and guiding our children and young people in this ever-changing environment.”
Kate Briden, Chief Officer for Justice and Home Affairs said: “This conference is a crucial opportunity to bring professionals together so that those who work with children and young people, no matter where that is, all have an up to the minute understanding of these emerging issues. They may not be easy to talk about but that does not make them go away. We need to be well equipped for the modern, digital world our children and young people – and adults – need to navigate, well informed and safely.”
Emma Motherwell, NSPCC Local Campaigns Manager for the South West & Channel Islands, said: “As part of the Safeguarding Partnership Board we are pleased to be working alongside our partners in Jersey to bring forward this campaign which we hope will help professionals, parents and carers to protect children and keep them safe.
“This conference will give professionals the opportunity to find out what they can do to help children navigate the digital world and keep them safe from harm. The rise in self-generated child sexual material is extremely concerning and we want to make sure that we can prevent children from experiencing this form of harm.
“We look forward to working with professionals, parents and carers to tackle this key issue of online safety which has been identified as a priority here in Jersey.”
While the conference launches the campaign to professionals, work has already begun to develop approaches to support education professionals, parents and carers. An education group is working together to develop support for primary schools across the island, while a parents and carers group will be leading on a parent-facing campaign to provide information, guidance and help with online challenges.