News (First 4)

Facebook’s plans to roll out encryption across its messaging services could jeopardise ongoing work to combat child abuse, the Home Secretary is to warn. Such encryption means only the sender and recipient can read messages. “We cannot allow a situation where law enforcement’s ability to tackle abhorrent criminal acts and protect victims is severely hampered,” Priti Patel will tell a charity-hosted event. Facebook says its plans for wider encryption protects users’ privacy.

NSPCC fears end-to-end encryption of messages will make tools that identify grooming and images of abuse useless. Home secretary Priti Patel will call for tech companies including Facebook to “live up to their moral duty” and do more to safeguard children in a roundtable discussion about end-to-end message encryption.

“I got a knock on the door at 2.45 in the morning,” says Lee Fryatt. It was the police. His son Daniel, a 19-year-old student at Bath Spa University, had taken his own life. “What you learn once you suffer a loss like suicide is that it’s only other people who have experienced it who have got any comprehension of just how devastating it is. “I’ve described it as grief turned up to the max, up to the point it’s splitting your ears.”

Bereavement can be a difficult subject to discuss in an educational setting and many teachers might feel that they are not adequately equipped to help pupils who are grieving the loss of a parent. Of course, every situation is unique and no child’s situation will benefit from a “one-size-fits-all” approach. However, schools can put a dedicated network of bereavement support in place so that no pupil is left behind during an already incredibly tough time in their life.