ARThe Scottish government has released new national guidance for helping to protect children this month. The guidance is there to set guidelines for any professional who works with children and young people whilst setting out clear responsibilities and expectations when it comes to keeping them safe.
The guidance is there to advise and inform around expected practice and procedure with emphasis on mandatory education and training for professionals working in the field. The resource also includes updated definitions around what constitutes child abuse and neglect, with the revised copy including online or digital environments as potential spaces for abuse to occur.
Online Safety Remains a High Priority
With the national guidance being released, it draws more attention towards the risk of child abuse occurring online. While the protection of children is a constant responsibility for any professional, spotting where abuse may be occurring can be a difficult task, especially if it is occurring online. Our online lives are often very private and can be shielded from the outside world.
Young people in particular can be very tech savvy and may know more about the online space than we do. They may have their own devices or private accounts which can make it difficult to know when something is wrong or if a child is in need of protection. Despite the barriers, professionals can keep online safety a high priority by educating on how important it is whilst knowing how to respond if issues occur.
The guidance put forward gives a strong signal towards the inclusion of online safety as part of the expectations for professionals. It can seem like a daunting task but with the right knowledge, they can open discussions with children and young people around how to keep safe online as well as be prepared for when problems arise.
Online Safety Awareness
As part of the UK Safer Internet Centre, we are currently running free Online Safety Live events all around the UK. These sessions are free to attend and give you all the knowledge you need for the latest online safety trends that are happening. Our team of experts run these two hour sessions and discuss the latest resources across a broad range of online safety topics. Start the new school year off right and get the essential knowledge you need!
As well as this, we can’t talk about online safety without discussing one of the largest events of the year. Safer Internet Day takes place on February 8th 2022 and is sure to be another fantastic day where organisations all over the world take part in spreading essential awareness about online safety. If you want to stay updated about what is coming up for Safer Internet Day, make sure you check out the UK Safer Internet Centre website for the latest info.
