Internet, Photographs and Mobile Phones

Different ways of communicating with friends are important to a child/young people and are now a way of life from an early age. When a child is placed with you, find out their background and whether the internet, photographs and mobile phones contributed towards any abuse so that you can plan their use safely for all children but particularly those where it has been an issue. You should ask the child's social worker for advice and information.

Your knowledge of different media will vary but it is important that foster carers develop their understanding of different electronic devices, the internet and social media, and that you learn how to safeguard children when using the internet and mobile devices. Foster carers should also be aware of and alert to the signs of grooming behaviour. Grooming is when someone builds an emotional connection with a child to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse or exploitation.

See also: Child Sexual Exploitation.

If you are concerned that a child/young person is being bullied over the internet or phone, you should talk to them about it, record what is happening in the daily record and speak to the child's social worker as soon as possible.

The placement plan should identify any risks or issues associated with the use of a computer, mobile phone or gaming equipment particularly in relation to bullying, sexual exploitation, radicalisation or other risk-taking behaviours and where appropriate assess the risk and how safely to manage the child or young person's use. The use of social media/electronic communication as a way of maintaining contact with family and friends should be outlined in the child's Care Plan (see also Contact Between the Child, their Family and Others Procedure)

You should take part in a child's internet use, particularly for a new child in placement; schoolwork is an ideal opportunity for this. Discuss the web's positive and negative sides and tell them that if they are not sure about a site are worried about something they've seen or someone they are talking with, then they should talk to you.

Some useful guidelines are:

• Before a child is placed into your care, acquaint yourself with the internet and social media. Feel confident in your understanding of the subject and equip yourself with the knowledge to deal with the potential issues;
• Time limits on computers/devices (games consoles, mobile phones, tablets etc) should be agreed with the child/young person, ideally at the point of placement;
• Appropriate internet security (e.g. parental controls) must be used on all computers, games consoles, tablets and mobile phones in the house to limit access to inappropriate material. If you choose to use tools that monitor internet use then be clear and open with the child so they are aware and understand that they are in place to keep them safe. Always be aware that parental controls tools may not always work, so appropriate supervision and education about safe use is essential;
• You should set clear ground rules on the use of the internet, ideally with the child/young person's input (as appropriate). Take it one step at a time, give them the opportunity to become accustomed to any changes before moving onto the next. Implement your ground rules across the whole family, do not be seen to be singling them out;
• Computers and internet enabled devices (games consoles, tablets etc.) should be in areas of the house where adults can see what is being looked at rather than in a bedroom. Always supervise the use of webcams and any applications or devices which allow voice or video chat. Be aware that many mobile phones and devices provide internet access which means education about safe use is crucial as their use cannot always be supervised. If a young person has a laptop or other internet enabled device, then decide with them where and when they can use it if they are accessing the internet;
• Never allow a child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they "meet" on the internet without first speaking to the child's social worker;
• Discuss using strong passwords with the child/young person so they understand how they can protect their online accounts. It's important they know they need to keep their passwords safe and not share them with anyone or use the same password for several accounts. If your child's account is "hacked" or compromised then make sure they change their password and report any concerns or suspicious activity;
• The child should never respond to any messages that are rude, threatening, or makes them feel uncomfortable. Encourage the child to talk to you about messages like this. If the child receives a message or sees something online that you are concerned about, keep a copy and make a note in the daily record;
• Remember that people online may not be who they say they are. Teaching the child to be cautious online is important and can help when they use the internet for research or start to use social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter;
• You should always read any terms and conditions of websites, games, "apps" or tools the child uses. Once you've read them it's important to explain and discuss them with the child as it's important you both understand them;
• Many children enjoying playing games online either via games consoles, mobile phones, computers/laptops and tablets devices. Make sure you understand the games ratings of the games your child plays as they could affect your child (see: www.pegi.info). Always look for any parents advice or help section on online gaming sites (a child focused or appropriate site will have information for parents/carers). Also make sure you visit the game console providers websites and industry websites for advice and information on setting controls, time limits and safe family use;
• You should try to equip the child with the skills to decide who to trust, even when they have not met the person face-to-face and talk to the child/young person about what makes a real friend;
• Ask the child/young person to teach you about the sites they use and learn about any tools you can help them use to keep them safe (e.g. privacy settings, report or blocking tools). Many sites provide advice for parents/carers so make sure you access and read them carefully;
• Keep up-to-date with the sites and tools the child/young person uses. Be aware that technology changes very quickly so it's important to keep communication channels open and learn about new sites they use;
• You should show an interest in the internet and encourage young people to be open about any concerns or problems. Make sure they know that they will not get into trouble and that you will help them or access support with them if necessary;
• Talk openly and regularly about the positives and negatives of the internet. Try not to demonise the technologies and the sites they use. It's essential to be realistic: banning the internet or web sites will not work and it often makes a child less likely to report a problem so education around safe use is essential;
• If you have any concerns regarding a child/young person's internet use then it's important to make a note in the daily record and speak to their social worker as soon as possible.

You should be aware and understand the risks that using the internet may pose for children, such as bullying, sexual exploitation and radicalisation. The Fostering Service should have well-developed strategies to support you in keeping children safe and to support and provide you with appropriate learning around internet safety.

You should be aware of and alert to indicators of grooming behaviour and possible sexual exploitation.

If it is OK to take pictures or videos always ask the child's permission first and make sure they are clear on who will see them and why.

You should try and take photographs regularly of the child/young person to help record their life; it may also help when putting together their Life Story book. See Keeping Memories.

You should be clear on who can give consent for the child to have their picture taken or be filmed for school etc.

You should never post or send a child's photo to an open media site.

Mobile phones and some apps now offer many different ways to stay in touch with friends and family: text messaging, taking pictures, sending and receiving them, sending and receiving video clips and music, as well as access to the internet. This means that children and young people are able to access the internet, communicate with others, play games, and download or send/share pictures and videos so safe use must be discussed and considered carefully prior to placement.

It's important to discuss mobile phone usage prior to the placement and set appropriate boundaries for safe usage. It may be useful to encourage young people to share details of how they communicate with others and an agreement reached between the young person, social worker and foster carer about how safely to do this.

Make sure you know how their phone works (e.g. does it have Bluetooth, Internet access etc.). Decide together acceptable bills and encourage balanced use e.g. switching off the phone at mealtimes and bedtime.

It's important to discuss and agree the type of content that you would be happy for them to download, knowingly receive or send on to others. Ensure they are aware that once a picture, video or message is sent, then it is impossible to delete it and they can't take it back, if someone else (even a friend) can see it, they can copy, save it and potentially use it or share it with someone else.

With a camera phone a child/young person can also send pictures of themselves and friends other information such as where they live or go to school etc, which can have security implications for some Children in Care. Many Smart Phones allow children to download "apps" which can allow them to play games and communicate quickly and freely using internet connections. You should ensure that you are aware what "apps" children/young people are accessing and understand how they work and the safe use of apps should be discussed so that children/young people understand how to behave online.

Mobile phone network providers operate a barring and filtering mechanism to prevent those under 18 years accessing 18 rated content. The service can be provided for both contract and pay as you go phones. You are advised to explore this with the network provider that a child/young person uses or see what other services they offer. Visit the phone provider's website for advice for parents/carers e.g. how to block adult content online and how to report abusive or unwanted contact.

It should be noted that creating or sharing explicit images of a child is illegal, even if the person doing it is a child. A young person is breaking the law if they:

• Take an explicit photo or video of themselves or a friend;
• Share an explicit image or video of a child, even if it's shared between children of the same age;
• Possess, download or store an explicit image or video of a child, even if the child gave their permission for it to be created.

However, if a young person is found creating or sharing images, the police can choose to record that a crime has been committed but that taking formal action is not in the public interest.

The Online Safety Act 2023 introduced new criminal offences including:

• Sending a message with information the sender knows to be false with the intention of causing non-trivial psychological or physical harm to a likely audience without reasonable excuse;
• Sending a message with a threat of death, serious injury, rape or serious financial loss where the sender intends the recipient to fear that threat will be carried out (or is reckless as to whether the recipient has such fear);
• Sending or showing an electronic communication with flashing images with the intention to cause harm to a person with epilepsy;
• Communicating, publishing or showing material capable (and with the intention) of encouraging or assisting the serious self-harm of another, even if the sender cannot identify the recipients and even if the self-harm does not occur;
• Intentionally sending or giving images of any person’s genitals to another person with the intention to cause the recipient alarm, distress or humiliation, or for the purposes of sexual gratification whilst reckless as to whether the recipient will be caused alarm, distress or humiliation;
• Four offences in relation to intentional sharing or threatening to share intimate images without consent, which do not necessarily require proof that the sender intended to cause alarm, distress or humiliation. (This replaces the previous offences relating to so-called ‘revenge porn’ where there was a requirement for an intention to cause distress).

See also:

• Think U Know - Online safety information (specific guidance for carers is available in the Parent/Carer section);
• childnet.com - Advice for children and parents/carers about online safety;
• Childnet - latest information on the sites and services that children and young people use, plus information about mobiles, gaming, downloading, social networking and much more.
• The Parent Zone - Guidance and advice for parents and carers;
• Internet Watch Foundation - Report illegal material;
• Child Safety Online - A practical guide for parents and carers whose children are using social media;
• NSPCC – Parental Controls;
• NSPCC Report Remove Tool - The tool enables young people under the age of 18 to report a nude image or video of themselves which has appeared online. The Internet Watch Foundation will review these reports and work to remove any content which breaks the law.
• UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) Digital Passport - a communication tool to support children and young people with care experience to talk with their carers about their online lives.
• Talking to Your Child About Online Sexual Harassment (Children's Commissioner).
• UK Safer Internet Centre - Resources for helping children and young people stay safe online.