30 April 2024

Dear Parents and Carers,

Safeguarding and welfare – being alert to financially motivated child sexual extortion

You may have noticed in the press yesterday that the National Crime Agency has raised the level of risk to young people from online activity. Globally, there has been an increase in reports of children and young people being forced into paying money after an offender has threatened to release information, nudes, or semi-nudes of them. There are also increasing risks noted from artificial intelligence generated or altered images.

The National Crime Agency have noticed increased risk especially for males, aged 14-18.

To offer reassurance, we have not at this time noticed or been made aware of any current risk or incident affecting our children. At the University School we work on the basis that ‘it could happen here’. It would be naïve to think otherwise given the influences and connections our children can come into contact with – and alongside you we work to educate our children to make informed and wise choices, and stay safe.

We routinely offer lessons and information to our children about online risks, e-safety, and decent and respectful conduct online. In light of the raised national alerts I have asked our pastoral and safeguarding teams to take time across coming days to revisit and reinforce important aspects of learning and safety.

An information sheet is attached here, and further details from the National Crime Agency is available via the link below, which you may like to engage with the National Crime Agency website.

I would encourage that at home you:

• Speak openly with your child about their online activity, where you permit it. As a parent, whilst understandable, you should not worry that it is an invasion of your child’s privacy
• This includes discussing risks, and to avoid contact with people they do not know
• Check and use privacy settings on any social media platforms used
• Ask them to speak to you or an adult in School if they find themselves vulnerable – or if they receive any inappropriate or threatening communication
• Inform your child to be protective, so that messages and data (including photos) they send to others are appropriate and legal
• Help your child understand that it is illegal for a child to take explicit photos or videos of themselves or someone else, or to share such images with others, even if recipients are the same age.

Like you, we are aware of the risk of anxiety and the risk to wellbeing should things go wrong. The advice offered by the National Crime Agency wherever needed about online misconduct and extortion is:

• Reassure your child that they have done the right thing by telling you or seeking help
• Reassure also that any abuse they receive is not their fault
• Don’t pay
• Stop contact
• Block
• Avoid deleting anything
• Report (… to School, the police, or the CEOP safety centre: Child Exploitation and Online Protection)

We recognise that keeping children safe online presents different and often difficult challenges. If you ever have concerns or feel you would like guidance or support, do reach out to either your child’s Pastoral Manager, or our Safeguarding Manager Mrs Christina Heard (c.heard@uobschool.org.uk) here at the School.

Thank you as ever for your partnership with the School.

Yours sincerely,

Colin Townsend

Principal