Internet, Photographs and Mobile Phones

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Web Enabled, Internet Technology/Social Networking
3. Internet
4. Photographs
5. Mobile Phones, Social Networking Sites and Apps

1. Introduction

Safe use of the internet and mobile phones is important for all children; when a child is first placed with you, you will be told about their background and whether the internet, photographs and mobile phones contributed towards any abuse they have suffered. You should plan their use safely for all children in your care, but will need to make sure children who have had an issue with the internet / mobile phone are safeguarded. You should ask the child’s social worker for advice and information.

Your knowledge of different media will vary but it is important that ALL foster carers develop an understanding of different electronic devices, the internet and social media, and that you learn how to safeguard children when using the internet and mobile devices. Foster carers should also be aware of and alert to the signs of grooming behaviour. Grooming is when someone builds an emotional connection (often online) with a child to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse or exploitation.

If you are concerned that a child/young person is being bullied over the internet or mobile phone, you should talk to them about it, record what is happening in the daily record and speak to the child’s social worker as soon as possible.

For more advice on cyber bullying please see – Cyber bullying -Advice for Parents and Carers (Department for Education, 2014).

2. Web Enabled, Internet Technology/Social Networking

You should take an active interest in a child’s use of the internet, particularly with a child who is new in placement; school homework is an ideal opportunity for this. Have a discussion about the positive and negative sides of the internet and explain that if they are not sure about a site or see something upsetting online they should talk to you.

Some suggested guidelines are;

• Time limits on computers should be agreed with the child/young person;
• Appropriate internet security should be used on the computers to avoid access to inappropriate material;
• You should set clear ground rules on the use of the internet;
• Computers should be in areas of the house where adults can see what is being looked at rather than in a bedroom;
• If a young person has a laptop then decide with them where and when they can use it if they are accessing the internet;
• You should show an interest in the internet and encourage young people to be open about any concerns or problems;
• Never allow a child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they "meet" on the internet without first speaking to the child’s social worker;
• The child should never respond to messages that are rude, threatening, or makes them feel uncomfortable. Encourage the child to talk to you about messages like this. If the child receives a message or sees something on-line that you are concerned about keep a copy and make a note in the daily record;
• Remember that people online may not be who they say they are.

Teaching children how to stay safe online is important and can help when they start to use social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter.

Where children / young people use social media, you should try and ensure that the child's profile and postings contain nothing that might expose their identity or whereabouts.

Social networking sites are websites where you can create a profile all about yourself and contact other people. You can also upload photos, music and videos to share with other people, and on some sites, chat to other people on forums. Popular social networking websites include Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter.

You should go through the site's terms and conditions, explaining them to the child - it's important you both understand them. You should try to equip the child with the skills to decide who to trust, even when they have not met the person face-to-face and talk to the child/young person about what makes a real friend.

Social networking sites can be used by perpetrators as an easy way to access children and young people for sexual abuse. The Serious Crime Act (2015)  introduced an offence of sexual communication with a child. This applies to an adult who communicates with a child and the communication is sexual or if it is intended to elicit from the child a communication which is sexual and the adult reasonably believes the child to be under 16 years of age. The Act also amended the Sex Offences Act 2003, so it is an offence for an adult to arrange to meet with someone under 16 for the purposes of committing a relevant offence having communicated with them on just one occasion (previously it was on at least two occasions).

Radical and extremist groups may use social networking to attract children and young people into narrow ideologies that are intolerant of diversity: this is similar to the grooming process and exploits the same vulnerabilities. The groups concerned include those linked to extreme Islamist, or Far Right/Neo Nazi ideologies, extremist Animal Rights groups and others who justify political, religious, sexist or racist violence.

Children may be drawn to adopt a radical ideology through a failure to appreciate the bias in extremist material; in addition by repeated viewing of extreme content they may come to view it as normal.

‘Internet Abuse’ relates to four main areas of abuse to children:

• Sharing and creating abusive images of children (although these are not confined to the Internet);
• Grooming a child or young person for the purpose of Sexual Abuse;
• Exposure to pornographic or other offensive material via the Internet; and
• The use of the internet, and in particular social media, to engage children in extremist ideologies.

It should be noted that creating or sharing explicit images of a child is illegal, even if the person doing it is a child. A young person is breaking the law if they:

• Take an explicit photo or video of themselves or a friend;
• Share an explicit image or video of a child, even if it's shared between children of the same age;
• Possess, download or store an explicit image or video of a child, even if the child gave their permission for it to be created.

However, if a young person is found creating or sharing images, the police can choose to record that a crime has been committed but that taking formal action is not in the public interest.

With effect from 29 June 2021, section 69 Domestic Abuse Act 2021 expanded so-called 'revenge porn' to include threats to disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress.

3. Photographs

You should try and take photographs regularly of the child/young person to help record their life; it may also help when putting together their Life Story book. See Keeping Memories. Children who are old enough should be asked for their permission before a photograph is taken.

You should be clear on who can give consent for the child to have their picture taken or be filmed for school etc.

4. Mobile Phones, Social Networking Sites and Apps

Smart phones can be used for text messages and instant messages (e.g. snap chat, whatsapp). They can also be used to, take, send and receive pictures, video clips and audio, as well as access to the internet which means a child can download pictures and videos.

If a child/young person sends pictures of themselves, friends and where they live, it can have security implications for other children in the placement.

Most young people have mobile phones and it is imperative that looked after children are not discriminated against simply because they are in the care system;  they should have the same opportunities as their peer groups whilst being mindful of the safeguarding issues.

Young people should be encouraged to share details of how they communicate with others online and an agreement reached between the young person, social worker and foster carer about how safely to do this.

The following provides a guide for when when a child or young person in placement has a mobile phone:

• Age appropriate use of the phones – Can the child take their phone to school? Do they need to hand in their phone at the end of the evening before they go to bed?
• Safety – does the phone have internet access and, if so, have the carer, social worker and child all signed the contract to agree that the carer will periodically check the phone for appropriate and safe usage? If it has been agreed that the phone will not be checked, this should be documented;
• Where there are concerns about the use of the phone, you should report them to the child’s social worker and discuss appropriate sanctions – should the phone be removed?
• Where evidence suggests that the child’s mobile phone is placing the child at risk the phone can be removed as an immediate measure. If this occurs it should be reported to the supervising social worker or support worker, and agreement reached as to who should inform the child’s social worker;
• Contact with birth families can often be the source of distress and upset. If the use of a mobile phone in impacting negatively on contact with families this should be reported and consideration given to what measures can be taken by the child’s social worker to address this;
• How is the credit for the phone managed? It is the responsibly of the young person to maintain credit for their personal phone with your support. Consideration should be given to pocket money, activities and any part time working undertaken by the young person. Appropriate support to encourage ordinary ‘teenage behaviour’ in relation to current mobile phone communication should be considered carefully. It is imperative that looked after children are not discriminated against simply because they are in the care system and they should still be given the same opportunities as their peer groups whilst being mindful of the safeguarding issues.

Mobile phone network providers operate a barring and filtering mechanism to prevent those under 18 years accessing 18 rated content. The service can be provided for both contract and pay as you go phones. You are advised to explore this with the network provider that a child/young person uses or see what other services they offer.