Tag: NSPCC

NSPCC warns of worrying levels of online child abuse as grooming crimes in Scotland continue to rise

Figures obtained by the NSPCC reveal online grooming crimes recorded by Police Scotland reach almost 3,000 in five years, with offences against under 13s rising by more than 60%.

Analysis of Freedom of Information data from Police Scotland shows that in 2021/22 there were 636 offences of Communicating Indecently with a Child, compared with 429 in 2017/18 – a 48% rise. For victims under the age of 13, there was a steeper rise with 369 in 2021/22 and 226 in 2017/18.

Data* from 41 UK police forces across the UK show an 84% rise in these crimes since 2017/18, with a total of more than 27,000 offences in the past five years.

The NSPCC says the sheer scale of offending shows the vital importance of ensuring that the Online Safety Bill effectively tackles child sexual abuse and has practical suggestions for how this is best done.

This should include giving the regulator, Ofcom, the powers to proactively tackle abuse in private messaging, making platforms work together to stop grooming pathways and stopping offenders from using social networks to organise abuse.

One 15-year-old girl who was groomed on multiple sites told Childline: “I’ve been chatting with this guy online who’s like twice my age. This all started on Instagram but lately all our chats have been on WhatsApp.

“He seemed really nice to begin with, but then he started making me do these things to ‘prove my trust’ to him, like doing video chats with my chest exposed. Every time I did these things for him, he would ask for more and I felt like it was too late to back out.

“This whole thing has been slowly destroying me and I’ve been having thoughts of hurting myself.”

Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said: “Online grooming is taking place at unprecedented levels and only concerted action will turn the tide on this tsunami of preventable abuse.

“The crucial Online Safety Bill is the opportunity to deliver the legislative change we urgently need to address head on these preventable crimes against children.

“We strongly welcome the Government’s ambition to deliver world-leading legislation. But as it seems increasingly clear that the pandemic has resulted in a long-term increase in the abuse threat, the current proposals must go further now to tackle online sexual violence and prevent avoidable abuse.”

The charity is asking the public to email their MP to support amendments to the legislation that aim to improve its response to child sexual abuse.

The NSPCC has set out a five-point action plan for the Online Safety Bill to systemically prevent avoidable child sexual abuse.

Polling shows widespread public support for the measures to be adopted so the legislation achieves its ambition of giving children receive a higher standard of protection online.

  1. Give the regulator powers to proactively tackle abuse in private messaging

Two thirds of child abuse is currently found in private messaging so the NSPCC welcomes that it will be in scope of the Bill.

But the charity wants Ofcom to be given power to proactively require firms to use technology to detect and disrupt grooming and the sharing of child abuse images.

  1. Make platforms work together to tackle grooming pathways

The NSPCC knows grooming doesn’t just happen on one site and offenders use well known grooming pathways to target children.

Companies should have a clear legal duty to address cross platform harm and legally co-operate with each other to disrupt grooming.

  1. Stop offenders from using social networks to organise abuse – breadcrumbing

Offenders perfectly legally use social media to form networks, then advertise a sexual interest in children and signpost to illegal child abuse content hosted on third party sites.

The NSPCC wants the Bill amended to combat the waysoffenders facilitate abuse on social media, which it says could prevent millions of interactions with accounts that contribute to grooming.

  1. Adopt a Violence Against Women and Girls Code of Practice

The Government should commit to a statutory code of practice on violence against women and girls to ensure the Online Safety Bill has a systemic  and enforceable focus on online sexual violence.

  1. A children’s watchdog that represents children’s needs

Children make up one in five UK internet users but are inherently vulnerable, according to the NSPCC. The charity said the Online Safety Bill can achieve its ambition to give children a higher standard of protection by creating a statutory watchdog to promote children’s interests, funded by a levy on the tech industry.

This user advocacy body would ensure child protection is front and centre of regulation, prevent harm by acting as an early warning system to flag emerging risks and call for swift action. This would be similar to the role played by Citizens Advice in the energy and postal sectors.

Letters: NSPCC – Pride 2022

Dear Editor,

June is Pride month and events such as Pride Glasgow and Edinburgh Pride, this Saturday (25th June), will be celebrating the history of gay rights and related civil rights movements. 

Pride is a great way to encourage young people to feel comfortable to talk about their sexuality and gender identity, especially as at Childline we have delivered more than 4,000 counselling sessions to young people in Scotland and across the UK over the last year with worries about these issues.

Among these concerns, young people spoke to trained counsellors about experiences of coming out; questioning their sexuality or gender identity; gender dysphoria; discrimination and prejudice to sexuality or gender identity; and self-acceptance.

It can be a worrying time for young people who are facing these concerns, and it can be tough for parents and carers to know how to help.

One way for parents and carers to help their children feel confident to speak up is by simply having a conversation with them. Just by having a chat, or perhaps looking at some of the advice on the Childline or NSPCC websites, parents can help give young people the confidence to be proud of who they are.

Childline is also here for them. They can speak to a trained counsellor over the phone on 0800 1111 or via email or on a 1-2-1 chat via the Childline website.

Adeniyi Alade

Head of Childline

NSPCC Scotland

NSPCC Scotland encourages people to support Childhood Day to help keep children safe

As thousands of people come together across Scotland and the rest of the UK today to back the NSPCC’s Childhood Day, the charity is emphasising that everyone has a responsibility to keep children safe from abuse and neglect.

NSPCC Scotland is calling on communities to play their part in a collective effort and is encouraging people to log any concerns they have about a child, contact the NSPCC if they are unsure and support Childhood Day by donating.

Childhood Day is the NSPCC’s flagship day of fundraising that takes places on the second Friday in June every year.

Adults and children around Scotland are getting behind Childhood Day to help keep children safe, with communities hosting fundraising events and schools taking part in the NSPCC’s Big Breaktime. This is an extra hour of play where they can remember the special things about childhood whilst raising vital funds for the charity.

Caroline Renton, Supporter Fundraising Manager for NSPCC Scotland said: “Last year, the NSPCC Helpline made 897 referrals about abuse and neglect to agencies in Scotland. With the support of local people, ringing the NSPCC Helpline if they have concerns about any child, we can help protect children from abuse.

“As people get behind Childhood Day today, they demonstrate an understanding that we all have a responsibility to play our part to prevent abuse and neglect.

“There will be volunteers in towns and cities throughout Scotland collecting for the NSPCC, so we would be extremely grateful for your support.”

This year Lidl GB, who have supported the charity for five years and Sky Cares, Sky’s commitment to supporting the communities where their customers and employees live and work, are sponsoring the NSPCC’s Childhood Day as retail and media partners respectively. Both partners have helped to raise awareness of Childhood Day, as well as holding their own activities with their colleagues across the UK to help raise vital funds.

Following the launch of Childhood Day in April, the NSPCC has been encouraging people to volunteer at cash collections scattered across Scotland between May and early June, take part in the Big Breaktime, fundraise by hosting an event in their community or donate to the charity.

People can still get behind Childhood Day today and support the NSPCC by donating at nspcc.org.uk/donate

The NSPCC is urging anyone with concerns about a child, even if they’re unsure, to contact the NSPCC helpline to speak to one of the charity’s professionals.

You can call 0808 800 5000, email help@nspcc.org.uk or fill in the online form.

Letters: Schools invited to take part in The Big Breaktime on Childhood Day

Dear Editor,

Next month, for Childhood Day, schools across Scotland and the rest of the UK will come together to raise funds for the NSPCC. This will help us deliver our services and support children across the country.

Childhood Day is the charity’s flagship fundraising event, when the public are encouraged to embrace their inner child, celebrating play to put the fun into fundraising.

As part of the celebration on 10 June, we are encouraging schools and nurseries to take part in The Big Breaktime – an extra hour of play with pupils, staff and parents being encouraged to give a small donation towards funding vital NSPCC projects, like Childline.

https://youtu.be/mMcOHBaKkN0

Schools can sign up for The Big Breaktime via the NSPCC’s Childhood Day hub The Big Breaktime | NSPCC From there, they will be able to download lots of exciting resources to help them plan a Big Breaktime in their school.

To sign up to the Big Breaktime, all you have to do is visit the NSPCC website, search for The Big Breaktime and fill in your school’s details with the registration form.

Paul Cockram

Head of Fundraising

NSPCC Scotland

Childline launches mental health campaign aimed at boys

  • Boys less likely to talk to Childline about mental health issues than girls
  • Childline launches ‘We All Feel It’ campaign to help boys who are struggling to ask for help with their mental health

Childline has found, in Scotland, boys are four times less likely to talk with the service’s trained counsellors about their mental health than girls, and even less likely to come to them when they have suicidal thoughts.

New statistics from the NSPCC-run service show that in 2020/21 counsellors carried out 2,054 sessions with girls about mental health issues compared to 493 with boys in Scotland.

When it came to counselling sessions about suicidal thoughts and feelings, they delivered 891 with girls but just 103 with boys.

Which is why Childline has launched it’s ‘We All Feel It’ campaign, to support young males whoare struggling to speak about their mental health, and to help them before they reach crisis point.

The campaign video features popular clips from the world of sports, social media and gaming to reflect the emotions some young people may struggle to articulate. It encourages boys in particular to use Childline to help them make sense of anything that has upset or worried them.

Childline insight  

Childline counsellors hear from boys in Scotland who say they feel isolated in their experiences and are reluctant to reach out for help due to the stigma they feel around sharing their feelings.

One boy told a counsellor: “I’m feeling suicidal, depressed and rubbish. I tried to kill myself recently but got talked out of it.

“My dad is really violent and has been hurting me for years. I usually miss school when he leaves marks on me. I’ve also been arguing with my step-dad and sometimes it gets quite bad. People just watch it happen.

“I feel like my parents hold things against me. I have thought about running away but it’s hopeless. I usually sit and play computer games to distract myself from it all.”

Another male, aged 18, told Childline: “I usually have thoughts about suicide, mostly when I am feeling stressed but sometimes when I am not under any stress too.

“This all started about two years ago when school was starting to get stressful and I had to start thinking about my future.

“I am a very personal person and I never open up to anyone – I just feel shy and this is my first time ever talking to anyone about these thoughts.”

Suicide is a complex issue and there is rarely one single factor or event that leads someone to take their own life. It is usually a combination of lots of different individual, community and societal factors interacting with each other to increase risk.

‘We All Feel It’

Developed with creative agency Livity, the campaign aims to resonate with boys and remind them Childline is always there and ready to support them, with whatever they are experiencing, 24 hours a day.

Alex Gray, Service Head of Childline, said: “At Childline, we know how hard it can be for children to speak out about their mental health.

“In particular, it can be really challenging for boy’s due to the pressures they feel around not showing emotion and appearing strong due to toxic masculinity.

“At Childline, we want to remind all children that sharing their mental health concerns with a trusted adult or a Childline counsellor is a brave thing to do, and it will enable them to get the help and support they need.

“Talking about mental health issues early on can prevents things escalating and can save a young person’s life.

“We hope that by putting the spotlight on male mental health we can help boys understand that they are not alone.”

Children and young people can contact Childline for free, confidential support and advice, 24 hours a day on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk.

Childline has been supported by the Postcode Children’s Trust for four years and it has recently given the service crucial funding of £1,000,000 – the equivalent of running Childline for an entire month – enabling counsellors to continue to save lives.

NSPCC urges Scottish Government to support early childhood

Hundreds of baby booties knitted by public

People from across Scotland have knitted hundreds of baby booties to help the NSPCC campaign for better support for young children and their parents.

The child protection charity is urging the Scottish Government to prioritise resources for early years services, as it sets out its spending plans for 2022/23 at Holyrood tomorrow (Thursday, December 9).

NSPCC Scotland received 435 pairs of baby booties, after it put out a call for people to knit in support of its Fight for a Fair Start campaign. The charity has sent over 120 pairs to MSPs with message cards to raise awareness of the importance of investing in early childhood. The remaining booties are being donated to families supported by the NSPCC and other organisations.

The charity says providing support for very young children and their families is vital because people’s experiences in early childhood affect their future mental and physical health. It wants to see substantial investment in specialist services that support the parent-infant relationship, which is so important for a child’s healthy development.

Joanne Smith, Policy and Public Affairs Manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “A baby’s experiences can greatly impact the rest of their life. Yet, this is a stage of life that is too often overlooked and under-supported.

“Too many children in Scotland do not have a fair start in life. Last year, around half of those on the child protection register and over a third coming into the care system were younger than five years old.

“We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received from the Scottish public for this campaign. And we hope our MSPs also show their support for the needs and rights of vulnerable infants by pushing for greater investment in the early years.

“The Scottish Government needs to act with a matter of urgency because we know that providing early support to families can prevent harm and, in turn, change life trajectories.”

In studies carried out before the pandemic hit, NSPCC Scotland found that very few services across the country specifically addressed the emotional and developmental needs of children under the age of two.

And the charity is concerned the pandemic has put babies at greater risk, with Public Health Scotland data revealing a higher than expected proportion of children having one or more developmental concerns recorded at their 13-15-month review, since February this year.

Daisy*, a mother-of-two, had her eldest child taken into foster care during the first lockdown because of a breakdown in family relationships and was referred to the NSPCC’s Together for Childhood2 project in Glasgow.  She was struggling with her mental health and managing her children’s needs. An NSPCC practitioner supported her and worked through the Circle of Security parenting programme3 with her.

Daisy* said: “The Circle of Security parenting work made me realise the way I was parented has affected the way I was parenting my kids. Even though I thought my upbringing was good, there were obviously tactics my parents used that have affected the way that I was parenting my kids and it’s obviously not been healthy. 

“My parents didn’t listen when I went to them with my problems and I was guilty of that with my kids before doing the Circle of Security work.  It’s been very helpful to realise that’s not the way things should be, so I’ve put an end to that and have found new strategies to better my relationship with my kids and how they feel about themselves as well. 

“I used to use distraction, even with the baby when he was crying, like jangling a set of keys in his face to distract him and make him laugh. But now I pick him up and give him a cuddle and be with him and how he’s feeling. 

“He calms down much quicker and his smiles come naturally again, rather than me trying to force them, because he’s feeling better, because I’ve tended to that need that he had, because he just wanted a cuddle and love.”

People can show their support for our Fight for a Fair Start campaign by signing our petition here.

Child abuse image crimes in Scotland pass 3,000 in five years

Calls for stronger Online Safety Bill

  • Child abuse image offences recorded by Police Scotland up 13% last year and reach over 3,100 in just five years
  • ‘Social media being used as a conveyor belt to produce child abuse images on an industrial scale’
  • NSPCC sets out five-point plan to strengthen Online Safety Bill so it decisively disrupts the production and spread of child abuse material on social media

More than 3,000 child abuse image crimes were recorded by Police Scotland over the last five years, the NSPCC has revealed today.

Data obtained from Police Scotland shows the number of offences relating to possessing, taking, making, and distributing child abuse material peaked at 660 last year (2020/21) – up 13% from 2019/20.

The NSPCC previously warned the pandemic had created a ‘perfect storm’ for grooming and abuse online.

The charity said social media is being used by groomers as a conveyor belt to produce and share child abuse images on an industrial scale. It added that the issue of young people being groomed into sharing images of their own abuse has become pervasive.

The NSPCC is urging the UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries to seize the opportunity to strengthen the Online Safety Bill, so it results in decisive action that disrupts the production and spread of child abuse material on social media.  

The child protection charity said that behind every offence could be multiple victims and images, and children will continue to be at risk of an unprecedented scale of abuse unless the draft legislation is significantly strengthened.

Ahead of a report by Parliamentarians who scrutinised the draft Online Safety Bill expected next week, the NSPCC, which has been at the forefront of campaigning for social media regulation, set out a five-point plan to strengthen the legislation so it effectively prevents online abuse.

The charity’s online safety experts said the Bill currently fails to address how offenders organise across social media, doesn’t effectively tackle abuse in private messaging and fails to hold top managers liable for harm or give children a voice to balance the power of industry.

The NSPCC is critical of the industry response to child abuse material. A Facebook whistle-blower recently revealed Meta apply a return-on-investment principle to combatting child abuse material and don’t know the true scale of the problem as the company “doesn’t track it”.

And research by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has raised concerns about whether some platforms have consistent and effective processes to takedown child abuse images, with some companies pushing back on removing abuse images of children as young as ten.

NSPCC Chief Executive, Sir Peter Wanless, said: “The staggering amount of child sexual abuse image offences is being fuelled by the ease with which offenders are able to groom children across social media to produce and share images on an industrial scale.

“The UK Government recognises the problem and has created a landmark opportunity with the Online Safety Bill. We admire Nadine Dorries’ declared intent that child protection is her number one objective.

“But our assessment is that the legislation needs strengthening in clear and specific ways if it is to fundamentally address the complex nature of online abuse and prevent children from coming to avoidable harm.” 

The NSPCC’s five-point plan lays out where the Online Safety Bill must be strengthened to:

  1. Disrupt well-established grooming pathways: The Bill fails to tackle convincingly the ways groomers commit abuse across platforms to produce new child abuse images. Offenders exploit the design features of social media sites to contact multiple children before moving them to risky livestreaming or encrypted sites. The Bill needs to be strengthened to require platforms to explicitly risk assess for cross platform harms.
  2. Tackle how offenders use social media to organise abuse: The Bill fails to address how abusers use social media as a shop window to advertise their sexual interest in children, make contact with other offenders and post digital breadcrumbs as a guide for them to find child abuse content. Recent whistle-blower testimony found Facebook groups were being used to facilitate child abuse and signpost to illegal material hosted on other sites.
  3. Put a duty on every social media platform to have a named manager responsible for children’s safety: To focus minds on child abuse every platform should be required to appoint a named person liable for preventing child abuse, with the ultimate threat of criminal sanctions for product decisions that put children in harm’s way.
  4. Give the regulator more effective powers to combat abuse in private messaging: Private messaging is the frontline of child abuse but the regulator needs clearer powers to take action against companies that don’t have a plan to tackle it. Companies should have to risk assess end-to-end encryption plans before they go ahead so the regulator is not left in the dark about abuse taking place in private messaging.
  5. Give children a funded voice to fight for their interests: Under current proposals for regulation children who have been abused will get less statutory protections than bus passengers or Post Office users. There needs to be provision for a statutory body to represent the interests of children, funded by an industry levy, in the Bill.

The NSPCC is mobilising supporters to sign an open letter to Nadine Dorries asking the UK Culture Secretary to make sure children are at the heart of the Online Safety Bill.

The NSPCC’s full analysis of the draft Online Safety Bill is set out in their ‘Duty to Protect’ report.

Dame Esther sends message of support to children in Scotland

  • December 2020 saw Childline deliver a record number of counselling sessions across the UK for a single month*
  • NSPCC launches its ‘Here for Children’ TV Christmas Appeal
  • On 21st December, NSPCC supporters will take to the streets to walk 5K so the NSPCC can be here for children this Christmas, as landmarks across the UK, including the Glasgow Science Centre and the Camera Obscura in Edinburgh, light up green in support of the charity 

Childline is here for every child struggling or feeling alone this Christmas, is Dame Esther Rantzen’s message to children in Scotland after UK counselling sessions about loneliness peaked during last year’s festive period.

The NSPCC-run service Childline, which has bases in Aberdeen and Glasgow, can today reveal the service delivered a record number of almost 600 monthly sessions about this concern to children across the UK last December.

From April 2020 to March 2021 there were 6,039 counselling sessions about loneliness with children from across the UK, marking an all-time high for a single year. This is an increase of nearly half (49%) over the past four years.

The NSPCC has long highlighted that many children and young people struggle with loneliness and isolation. The data released today suggests that these feelings were exacerbated during the pandemic, as schools were closed, and they were forced to stay at home. Children shared with Childline’s counsellors that these experiences were particularly acute over the festive period, as households were unable to mix.

Dame Esther Rantzen, Founder of Childline said: “At Childline we know how painful Christmas can be for some children, particularly when the media is filled with pictures of families happily celebrating together, and they are feeling alone and unloved. A child once described it to us as like looking through a shop window where everything inside is warm and bright, and you are outside where it’s cold and dark. 

“The festive period can be especially difficult for children who are struggling with their mental health or are in homes that are unsafe. Given the impact of the pandemic, it is no surprise that this year we’ve seen record numbers of children from across the UK get in touch with us about loneliness.

“The lockdowns exacerbated these feelings for some young people, especially when schools had to close, and they couldn’t see the friends and family they loved and needed.

“Last Christmas was one of the toughest in living memory, bringing with it great sadness and challenges for many children. And we want to remind children in Scotland who are struggling or feeling alone that our Childline counsellors, working from bases across the UK including Glasgow and Aberdeen, are there for them whenever they need to talk to someone, and that they can contact us by phone or on-line, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.”

The charity can also reveal that loneliness is particularly affecting younger children. In 2020/21, there was a 47 percent increase in counselling sessions with children aged 11 and under when compared to the year before.

Young people who contacted Childline about loneliness also talked about being unhappy, feeling unloved and generally low. Some described it as a dark experience that was overwhelming. As well as loneliness, the top reasons children turn to the service for support with their mental health include anxiety and stress, low mood, and depression.

Childline is staffed by 1,200 Childline volunteer counsellors across the UK and last month celebrated its 35th birthday.

A 14-year-old boy from Scotland told a Childline counsellor: “I self-harmed a couple of days ago after being clean for a year and it triggered a panic attack. I think I self-harmed because I felt lonely and bored.

“I just don’t know what to do anymore and really regret what I have done. I am bored with life and am lonely because I don’t get to see anyone because of COVID. I don’t have the energy to arrange to meet up with anyone.”

In response to concerns about children this Christmas, the NSPCC has launched its ‘Here for Children’ TV Christmas Appeal. The advert sees Childline counsellors taking calls at Christmas from children struggling with loneliness and isolation, suicidal thoughts and feelings and physical abuse.

Christmas can be a very challenging time for children who suffer from abuse, neglect and are struggling with their mental health. Cut off from school and other support, it is vital they have somewhere to turn.

The NSPCC is reaching out to the public to support its Here for Children Appeal and make a donation, so Childline counsellors can answer a child’s call for help this Christmas.

Despite the challenges of the past 18 months, as well as seeking support from Childline counsellors, young people accessed Childline online resources, information, and tools to support their mental health in ways and at times that were most convenient and helpful to them.

Childline saw huge increases in the number of young people using the website to access information, advice and resources.

Landmarks light up green as people walk for children

On the 21st December, which is the longest night of the year, hundreds of people will walk 5K to support the NSPCC.

On this night, landmarks across the UK, including Glasgow Science Centre and the Camera Obscura in Edinburgh, are also supporting the charity by lighting up and turning the NSPCC’s trademark green colour. The people taking to the streets to walk and the landmarks lighting up green represent the hard-working Childline counsellors who are there for children, offering a beacon of light in their darkest times.

The Childline service is here for children every day, even on Christmas Day.

Children can contact Childline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. When a child needs help, Childline can be a lifeline. When a child feels like they have nowhere else to turn to, it’s vital that the NSPCC is here, ready to listen and support children across the UK.

Anti-Bullying Week: Childline advice and counselling sessions for children in Scotland

Anti-bullying week (Nov 15th – 19th) is an annual event in the UK that aims to raise awareness of bullying of children and young people, and highlights ways of preventing and responding to it.

The year’s campaign theme, One Kind Word, has been co-designed with young people before being adapted by the UK’s leading anti-bullying organisations, including respectme in Scotland.

Childline data – Scotland

  • In 2020/21, Childline delivered 334 counselling sessions about bullying to children living in Scotland.
  • More than a quarter (29%) of these were about online bullying.
  • In 2019/20, Childline delivered 558 counselling sessions about bullying (in person and online) to children living in Scotland.
  • The data shows that there was a 40% reduction in total counselling sessions about this issue in the year of the pandemic, which included lockdowns and children not attending school for months. However, there was only a fall in counselling sessions about bullying in person (464 sessions in 2019/20 and 238 in 2020/21). There was no reduction in the number of sessions for online bullying (94 sessions in 2019/20 and 96 sessions in 2020/21).

Childline data – UK wide

  • In 2020/21, Childline delivered 6,654 counselling sessions about bullying.

One teenage girl who contacted Childline about bullying said: “School was not great today. Due to the coronavirus there are new rules, and I have to sit next to the most horrible boy ever in almost every class. 

“He tells me to do stuff, calls me names, spreads rumours and tells me I should hurt myself. I am so fed up with it and I can’t get away from him.”  (Girl, aged 14, from Scotland) 

Adeniyi Alade, Head of Childline in Scotland, said: “Each year, we hear from hundreds of children in Scotland who are being bullied. We know that the pandemic has been extremely tough for children as they have grappled with home schooling, being isolated from family and friends and worries about the virus. On top of this, some children were also being bullied.

“Children experiencing bullying online have told our counsellors that during lockdowns it felt even more overwhelming. The extra time they were spending online for their education, entertainment and to keep in contact with friends and family was making the bullying feel inescapable.

“Although for other children, the lockdowns provided some respite from the bullying they had previously experienced. But this meant that they felt anxious at the thought of returning to school.

“As we continue to move out of the pandemic and adjust to the new normal, it is essential that children know where to turn to for support. Our trained counsellors are always here for children and believe that no child should have to deal with bullying alone.”

Advice from NSPCC and Childline

For children

  1. Share how you are feeling with other young people. Childline’s online message board is a non-judgemental space where you can speak to other children who are in a similar situation to you about your experiences and feelings. This can help you feel less alone and will give you an online support network that you can turn to.
  2. Talk to an adult you trust about the bullying you are experiencing so you feel less alone and so that adult can support you. This could be a parent, teacher or you can speak to a Childline counsellor on 0800 1111 or online at childline.org.uk
  3. Take a break from your device if you are being bullied online and do something you enjoy such as sport, listening to music or art.
  4. Remember the bullying is not your fault.
  5. Get into a healthy routine and make sure you look after yourself by eating healthily, getting enough sleep and taking time out for yourself.
  6. Report and block someone if they are sending you messages online that upset you.

For Adults:

Signs to spot that your child may be being bullied online:

  • Not wanting to go to school or take part in normal activities.
  • Getting anxious or angry if you go near their device.
  • Feeling withdrawn, upset or angry at home.
  • Problems sleeping or eating.
  • Having angry outbursts that seem out of character.
  • Spending more or less time online than normal.

Signs to spot that your child may be being bullied in person

  • Belongings are getting lost or damaged.
  • Physical injuries such as unexplained bruises.
  • Being afraid to go to school.
  • Not doing as well at school.
  • Being nervous, losing confidence, or becoming distressed and withdrawn.
  • Problems with eating or sleeping.
  • Bullying others.

What to do if you think your child is being bullied

  1. Talk to your child and remind them to come to you with anything that might be making them feel anxious or sad.  If your child speaks to you about an experience of bullying that they’ve had online or in person, try to remain calm and don’t overwhelm them with questions and reassure them that it will be ok, and that you’re always there for them.
  2. Show them how to report or block a message that they’ve received from someone online that upsets or worries them.
  3. Don’t take their device away if they’ve had a negative experience online. Although you may want to do this if they are upset, this may make them feel like whatever has happened is their fault.  Instead, suggest they take some time away from the app they received the messages on and do another online activity they enjoy like playing a game. 
  4. Know where you can get further support. Adults can call the NSPCC helpline for advice on 0808 800 5000. There is also further advice on the NSPCC website.

Scottish sporting bodies back campaign to help keep children safe in sport

  • One in five parents wouldn’t know who to turn to for help if they had any welfare concerns in relation to their child’s sport/leisure clubs
  • Campaign kicks-off to help parents understand their role in keeping children safe and who they can turn to for help
  • Scottish Athletics, Scottish Gymnastics and Netball Scotland join in supporting the NSPCC’s and Children 1st’s Parents in Sport Week

A group of Scottish governing sporting bodies has backed a joint NSPCC and Children 1st campaign which is raising awareness of where parents can turn if they have concerns about their child’s sports club.

An online survey*, conducted on behalf of the NSPCC by YouGov, has found that 20% of parents** who had children in sports and leisure clubs, would not know who to speak to if they had any worries about a child’s welfare at the club.

Now, Scottish Gymnastics, Scottish Athletics and Netball Scotland are backing Parents in Sport Week (4-10 October 2021) – an annual campaign run by the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) and Children 1st, aiming to equip every parent with the safeguarding knowledge they need, and highlight the important role parents play in youth sport.

Doc McKelvey, Scottish Gymnastics CEO, said: “Many sports around the world, including ours, have had cause to focus and self-reflect following complaints on different issues. Scottish Gymnastics fully supports this campaign which highlights how important parents and carers are in helping keep children and young people safe in sport.

“Gymnast welfare is at the heart of everything we do, and wellbeing and protection is a priority in our clubs and programmes. We have embarked on a long-term project to ensure all our members, parents and carers know more about safeguarding and child protection, how to identify and raise concerns, and give them the confidence to do so. We are grateful to the NSPCC and Children 1st for helping raise awareness and empower parents.”

Claire Nelson, CEO of Netball Scotland and the Strathclyde Sirens, said: “We are once again proud to support NSPCC Scotland’s and Children 1st’s Parents in Sport Week. The campaign this year aims to ensure parents have access to the right resources, tools and information to feel confident that their children can return to, and most importantly enjoy, sport safely.

“After such a challenging year we know that many parents and children are feeling anxious about restarting clubs and activities, so this campaign will provide vital support to empower families to get back to doing what they love.”

David Fallon, Head of Development for scottishathletics, said: “We are delighted and proud to once again support the ‘Parents in Sport Week’ campaign, led by NSPCC Scotland and Children 1st.

“We will work with our clubs and members to promote the campaign toolkit, and encourage as many parents and guardians as possible to understand the important role they play in the bigger safeguarding picture of sport.

“We hope that by promoting this campaign, more parents will ask those important questions around safeguarding when their child takes part in athletics in Scotland, helping us to ensure our clubs are offering a safe, fun, and engaging environment.”

As part of the campaign the children’s charities have issued three key safeguarding tips for parents in relation to children’s sport:

  • Every club should have a child welfare officer in post – familiarise yourself with who that is and their contact details;
  • Check if your club has a safeguarding policy in place and understand how that keeps children safe;
  • Know that the NSPCC helpline is there if you have any questions or concerns. You can reach the helpline on 0808 800 5000 or at help@nspcc.org.uk

Children 1st provides a helpful guide for parents on finding a safe sports club for their child. And, this year, the NSPCC has launched new resources aimed at parents, to help them understand their role in keeping children safe and who they can turn to for help if they have any worries about their child’s sport.

Resources include a free e-learning course for parents on keeping their child safe; a new animation which helps parents identify when something might be wrong in their child’s sport; and the new NSPCC CPSU Parents Hub – an online destination providing safeguarding information for parents.

Paul Stephenson, Senior Consultant at NSPCC’s CPSU, said: “We’re proud to be running our annual Parents in Sport Week campaign once again, alongside Children 1st, to help more parents be a significant part of their children’s sporting lives.

“Since launching the campaign five years ago, countless sports bodies, clubs and coaches have supported our work and worked hard to develop better relationships with parents and carers.

“This year, we want to provide the tools needed to help parents and carers access important information to help keep their children safe in sport, to spot poor practice and to empower them to speak out. We’re also continuing to support the tireless work sports clubs put into involving parents in their safeguarding process.

“Sport is a huge part of childhood, with many young people spending countless hours practicing, playing and making new friends, and it is so important that every parent feels confident about ensuring their child is safe and having fun.”

Parents who have any worries about their child’s experience in sport or physical activity can seek advice from the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing: help@nspcc.org.uk.