Child Sexual Exploitation

The internet and social media are a great way for young people to stay in touch but children and young people may not always understand how easy it can be for a stranger to make friends with them and manipulate them online. Many young people regularly communicate and share information online with someone they don't know and this puts them at risk of abuse.

Technology constantly changes, and the pace of change can be off-putting for adults: new sites, crazes and fashions come and go continually. It may seem daunting to keep up with what young people are doing.

Understanding children and young people’s online lives and activities can help parents respond to situations appropriately and effectively. Talking to your teenagers about what they do with technology, and what their concerns and experiences are, is an essential starting point. Asking children and young people to show parents how technologies and services work is a useful strategy that can provide an important learning opportunity and context for discussing online safety.

Thinkuknow

www.thinkuknow.co.uk - Thinkuknow offers the best help and advice to parents and young people about keeping safe online. Since 2006, Thinkuknow has been keeping children and young people safe by providing education about sexual abuse and sexual exploitation.

Thinkuknow aims to ensure that everyone has access to this practical information – children, young people, their parents and carers and the professionals who work with them. It also provides comprehensive resources and advice about sex and relationships and keeping safe online.

Other websites that provide online safety advice:

www.saferinternet.org.uk - provides online tools for safe use of social media

www.kidsmart.org.uk - an interactive site to explore with your child about staying safe online