Internet grooming threat on the rise
BY VIVIENNE AITKEN Health Editor ONE Scots child in 17 has been sent or shown a naked image by an adult, a poll suggests.
The shocking finding by the NSPCC also found Scots youngsters were more likely to be shown such images than those anywhere else in the UK.
More than 2000 children in Scotland were surveyed about online risks.
One in 17 schoolkids had been sent or shown a naked or semi-naked image by an adult and one in 50 children had sent a nude or seminude image to an adult.
Today, The NSPCC’s #WildWestWeb campaign is petitioning Government to create an independent regulator for social networks, to force platforms to proactively detect groomers using their sites.
In a survey of nearly 40,000 children across the country, the NSPCC asked young people aged seven to 16 about the risks they face using the internet.
They were asked if an adult had sent or shown them a naked or seminaked picture or video on an app, site or game.
One girl aged about nine said she had been playing an internet game when a complete stranger asked her to take her clothes off and send him a picture. She added: “When I deleted the game, I went on another site and the same person asked me to have sex with him, I told him to ‘back off’ and then deleted that game.”
Some children said they had been sent images by adults they knew.
A boy of about 14 said: “My coach sent me a video of Santa stripping naked.”
Matt Forde, national head for NSPCC Scotland, said the threat posed to children by groomers has increased in recent years.
He added: “Parents should have regular discussions with their children about staying safe online but it’s crucial more is also done by the Government, law enforcement and web providers to ensure children’s privacy and safety is their top priority.”
The petition can be found at: http://bit. ly/2BTX0Bm.