These are deeply concerning reports of very vulnerable children being criminalised and treated like adults. As I have repeatedly said, we must take a safeguarding first approach to these children - they should be in care, receiving support and advocacy.1/2 theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/a…

🆕Important NSPCC research out today

Since 2017, UK police have recorded 34,000 online grooming offences - up 82% over the six years.

A number of reasons for this, but fundamentally because social media platforms are unsafe by design for children.
bbc.co.uk/news/technolog…

This was a great funders' collaboration and thrilled 26 youth-led and youth-centered initiatives for responsible tech have received funding from it. Check them out!

The Eurobarometer on Online Child Sexual Abuse reveals two things - how bad people think the situation has got, and how willing people are to do something about it.

Read my new blog 👇

commissioners.ec.europa.eu/news/eurobarom…

#EUvsChildSexualAbuse

In care from early teenage years.
Had to threaten 'corporate parent' with legal action.
Home was a hostel.
Remanded to custody.
Told baby would be removed minutes after birth.
Gave birth alone in cell, aged 18, calls for help ignored. Personal Adviser only after baby died.

Poppy's experience shows many barriers prevent children from telling someone about sexual abuse.

Our analysis for BBC News (UK) shows police have recorded the highest levels of child sexual abuse than ever before, yet still abuse of many thousands of children remains unidentified 1/6

.Anna Edmundson of the NSPCC said, 'Unaccompanied children entering the UK require protection and support whatever their immigration status . . . this ruling rightly reinforces how that protection and support is best provided by local authority care.' dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/artic…

A judgment suffused with humanity, legal rigour and common sense from Mr Justice Chamberlain, starting from changing the parties' preferred acronym to emphasise the human element.

Judgment: judiciary.uk/wp-content/upl…
Summary: judiciary.uk/wp-content/upl…

I am concerned by the number of children who are deprived of their liberty each year.

Rather than being housed in specialist children's homes, many are currently living in deeply inappropriate placements such as caravans & without access to education.

childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/blog/children-…

This outcome confirms what ECPAT UK has consistently said, that this practice of housing unaccompanied children who arrive in the UK entirely outside any statutory child protection safeguards, is unlawful and cannot be described as an emergency response two years on.

ECPAT UK wins legal challenge on the unlawful accommodation of unaccompanied children in hotels outside of care! #CareForEveryChild

High court finds Kent County Council and Home Office acted unlawfully.

Read more here:
➡️ ecpat.org.uk/News/ecpat-uk-…

WE ARE HIRING

We are hiring for a newly created role - Project Lead, Children, Families, and Justice

Find out more about the role and how to apply: nuffieldfjo.org.uk/news/job-vacan…

This is an important thread.

What’s happened/happening to asylum seeking (usually unaccompanied) children is nothing short of a SCANDAL.

The UK Government have a duty to protect these children from harm. And they have failed.

#Europeans agree: #Online #ChildSexualAbuse is a serious problem and the #EU can't wait any longer — it is time to act now!

👉 Hear their views on #ChildSafety #Online : bit.ly/SurveyEU_CSA

👉 Join the #ChildSafety ON movement: bit.ly/ChildSafetyON_

#EU vsChildSexualAbuse

✅Holding senior tech bosses accountable if they fail to protect children

✅ Making sure women and girls have protections online

✅ Making sure tech companies have tools to protect children from harmful content

Thank you for helping us make a difference 🤝

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🚨 #OnlineSafetyBill update!

We want the Online Safety Bill to keep as many children safe as possible.

Thanks to your help and support, the Govt. have listened and made the bill even stronger.

We're pleased to see these three big changes introduced recently 👇

🧵 [1/2]

Only 2% 🇪🇺 citizens (and 4% in 🇬🇧) consider user privacy more important than detecting online child abuse.

Yet again, companies opposing proportionate measures to incentivise tech solutions & balance fundamental rights are out of step with their customers and public opinion

Today, the #IllegalMigrationBill received Royal Assent. The College is deeply concerned that a number of the provisions within the new law will now have direct consequences for some of the most vulnerable children in our society. 🧵rcpch.ac.uk/news-events/ne…

Children's charity the NSPCC backed the powers in the bill, telling the BBC it set out 'a balanced settlement that should encourage companies to mitigate the risks of child sexual abuse when designing and rolling out features like end-to-end encryption'. bbc.co.uk/news/technolog…

THIS 👇 feels particularly meaningful these days. It is also one reason why many amazing people are focused on preventing child sexual abuse as well as the tackling crimes of producing and distributing CSAM — despite the challenges. Wishing strength to you all.