Safeguarding never stands still, with new concerns forever springing up. 

So it’s important that all staff keep themselves up to date and informed on safeguarding trends and issues. Here are two of the latest to be aware of. 

Sextortion

Social media can be an incredibly dangerous and divisive place, especially for vulnerable children. Sextortion is when victims (often teenage boys) are tricked into sending nudes and then blackmailed.  

Perpetrators will pose as young, attractive girls online and spark up conversations. They will find out details about them and soon turn the conversation to things of a sexual nature. They then ask them to send nude images or to go on webcam, naked. 

Once this happens, the offender will send a message telling them that they have the images saved and will publish them online, send them to their school and their families, unless they pay them.

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In many cases, payment is made through online gaming gift cards. In some cases, it has gone from initial contact to blackmail within an hour. In most cases, the perpetrators are criminal gangs, usually based abroad.

This callous act can have incredibly serious consequences. In December, Murray Dowey took his own life. When police gained access to his phone, it became clear that he was the victim of sextortion. 

These gangs prey on teenagers because they know that they are vulnerable. It will be incredibly difficult for a teenage boy to approach their parents to tell them what they have done. On top of that, there is the fear that those images will be leaked to everyone. They make them feel like paying is the only option. 

It’s important that we continue to educate students on the dangers of social media, and help parents and carers to understand the murky world that exists online. 

Spiked vapes

Anyone working in education will know just how much of an issue vaping is at the moment. It seems like you can’t go anywhere without seeing teenagers puffing away on one and schools, sadly, are no different. 

Unfortunately, there is now a further concern arising from vaping, as teenagers are being given vapes that are spiked with drugs. If you know where to look, you can easily open SnapChat and have a vape laced with THC, the active component in cannabis, delivered to you.

However, some are being unknowingly spiked with Spice, which is a synthetic cannabinoid designed in a lab to mimic the effects of cannabis, which can cause severe chest pain, seizures, extreme anxiety and suicidal thoughts. 

Many people are unaware of the fact that a vape can be spiked, leaving people vulnerable, especially on nights out. There are reports of women being offered vapes on a night out, then finding themselves slumped on the floor, unable to move.

Students need to firstly understand the dangers of vaping, and secondly that if they are to vape, they shouldn’t be sharing a vape with anyone or accepting a vape from anyone else. 

If you speak to young people, they will tell you that passing a vape around a party, or even at school, is increasingly common. This leaves young people at risk of serious harm, both physically due to the health risks associated with vaping, but also due to something possibly happening to them after being spiked. 

It is vital that staff and students are aware of these issues so they can safeguard themselves effectively. It can be really easy to become a victim. But with some knowledge and forewarning, our young people will be equipped to recognise these potentially dangerous situations and keep themselves safe.

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