Alarming: 40% of young people face pressure to share sexual pictures

Teachers are to be trained in how to deal with ‘sexting’ at school as the trend of sharing explicit photos and videos continues to grow.

Last year an NSPCC study revealed that 40 per cent of young people had taken part in sexting and suggested that girls were under immense pressure to join in the craze.

The guide for teachers which was launched today offers tips on how to support the victims of sexting and how to find out when the practice had been going on.

Danger: More and more schoolchildren are involved in sharing sexually explicit photographs (picture posed by model)Danger: More and more schoolchildren are involved in sharing sexually explicit photographs (picture posed by model)

Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Headteachers, welcomed the guidance for teachers.

‘The problem of sexting – and the exposure of children to pornographic images through mobile devices – poses real and serious challenges for parents, head teachers and school staff,’ he said.

‘It exemplifies the way technology blurs the boundaries between school life and the wider world.’

The brochure – entitled ‘Sexting in schools: advice and support around self-generated images’ – complements other resources available to teachers, including ‘So You Got Naked Online’, produced last year.

Peter Davies, chief executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, which helped develop the new document, said: ‘There are very real risks with this activity by young people, from bullying to the sharing of these images among sex offenders.’

The CEOP had seen an increase in young people sharing sexual images and videos of themselves with their peer group, he said.

Guidance: Teachers are being instructed in how to cope with sexting incidents in school (file photo)Guidance: Teachers are being instructed in how to cope with sexting incidents in school (file photo)

Last October, the Internet Watch Foundation found that 88 per cent of self-generated, sexually explicit online content featuring young people had been taken from its original location and uploaded onto other websites, usually without the consent of the subject.

Statistics from the children’s charity Beatbullying suggested 38 per cent of young people have received a sexually explicit text or email, while 25 per cent have received a sexual image they found offensive.

Research by the charity also suggested over half of teachers knew pupils were creating and sharing explicit material of themselves.

The new teachers’ pack will include advice about how to respond if children tell teachers they have been involved in sexting, as well as how to handle explicit images, manage student reaction and prevent further incidents.

Case studies in the document highlight the devastating impact the sharing of explicit images can have on children’s lives and the challenges faced by schools in dealing with it.

Read more: Mail Online

Comments (2)

  1. Government should introduce Sex education in schools, this will help in minimise sexual immorality in our society.

  2. Government should introduce Sex education in schools, this will help in maximising sexual immorality in our society.

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