Latest Headlines
22/04/2025: Modern Slavery Victims Imprisoned For Crimes They Were Forced To Commit
Hibiscus briefing shows how victims/survivors of Modern Slavery are being criminalised and imprisoned for crimes they were forced to commit.
22/04/2025: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel report provides recommendations for safeguarding children from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds
The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has published its report following its thematic review of a sample of safeguarding reviews in relation to Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children.
22/04/2025: Revealed: The prisons keeping children locked in their cells for hours on end
Children in prisons in England are typically being kept in their cells for about 20 hours a day and receiving less than 15 hours of education per week, figures obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveal today (Monday 7 April).
21/04/2025: Britain’s nursery problem: Parents still face ‘childcare deserts’
The promise was to “transform the lives of thousands of women” and “build a childcare system comparable to the best”.Two years on, the rollout of what’s commonly known as the “free hours” scheme in England is almost complete
19/04/2025: Influencers fuelling misogyny in schools, teachers say
Social media influencers are fuelling an increase in misogyny and sexism in schools, according to a new poll by a teaching union.
19/04/2025: Violence and behaviour crisis in schools, union says (Wales)
The number of violent incidents by pupils in schools across Wales has almost tripled since 2019, a teaching union has said.
19/04/2025: ‘Andrew Tate phenomena’ surges in schools – with boys refusing to talk to female teacher
Online influencers such as Andrew Tate are fuelling an increase in sexism in the classroom, says a new survey from education union the NASUWT. It comes after the Netflix series Adolescence thrust concerns around incel culture into the spotlight.
17/04/2025: ‘Romeo and Juliet’ clause exempts consensual teen sex
A so-called “Romeo and Juliet” clause has been accepted in new plans for mandatory reporting of concerns around child sexual abuse.
17/04/2025: Almost nine in 10 teachers seeing poverty related fatigue in pupils
Teachers are reporting high levels of tiredness, hunger, physical under-development and poor hygiene in the classroom among pupils impacted by poverty.
17/04/2025: ‘Romeo and Juliet’ clause exempts consensual teen sex
16/04/2025: Disposable vape use falling in UK ahead of ban
16/04/2025: Disabled children wait ‘over a year’ for social care assessments
15/04/2025: Teachers in England move a step closer to striking
12/04/2025: ‘I believe my son will end up killing somebody’
11/04/2025: What goes on inside toddlers’ brains? A pioneering project is trying to find out
10/04/2025: National child protection agency to provide oversight of practice in England
Youth Justice
22/04/2025: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel report provides recommendations for safeguarding children from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds
The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has published its report following its thematic review of a sample of safeguarding reviews in relation to Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children.
22/04/2025: Revealed: The prisons keeping children locked in their cells for hours on end
Children in prisons in England are typically being kept in their cells for about 20 hours a day and receiving less than 15 hours of education per week, figures obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveal today (Monday 7 April).
07/04/2025: Probe reveals ‘concerning’ rates of young arson suspects
Nearly 4,000 young arson suspects were investigated by police over just three years, data analysis shows.
01/04/2025: New MOJ Report Examines Needs and Characteristics of Prolific Youth Offenders
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has published a report on repeat offending by children and young people in England and Wales.
31/03/2025: What Do We Know About Repeat Offending By Children & Young People?
Data First linked datasets used to produce a profile of repeat offending by children and young people
20/03/2025: The new Child Information Form (‘CIF’)
The NPCC and CPS have introduced a new form intended to streamline the sharing, by multiple agencies, of information about a child suspect.
19/03/2025: Government ends placement of girls in Young Offenders Institutions: a step forward for girls in custody but more still to be done
The government has immediately implemented the first recommendation of Susannah Hancock’s independent review into girls in the Children and Young People Secure Estate (CYPSE): girls will no longer be placed in Young Offender Institutions.
10/03/2025: Howard League responds to the independent review into the placement and care of girls in youth custody
The Howard League has today (Tuesday 4 March) welcomed the government’s announcement to end the practice of placing girls in young offender institutions (YOIs).
06/03/2025: Girls In Youth Custody
Susannah Hancock’s independent review into placements and care for girls in youth custody.
06/03/2025: Additional funding made available for solicitors taking on Youth Court legal aid work for more serious offences
On Friday 6th December 2024, a much welcomed legal funding update came into force for Youth Court legal aid work.
Education
19/04/2025: Influencers fuelling misogyny in schools, teachers say
Social media influencers are fuelling an increase in misogyny and sexism in schools, according to a new poll by a teaching union.
19/04/2025: Violence and behaviour crisis in schools, union says (Wales)
The number of violent incidents by pupils in schools across Wales has almost tripled since 2019, a teaching union has said.
19/04/2025: ‘Andrew Tate phenomena’ surges in schools – with boys refusing to talk to female teacher
Online influencers such as Andrew Tate are fuelling an increase in sexism in the classroom, says a new survey from education union the NASUWT. It comes after the Netflix series Adolescence thrust concerns around incel culture into the spotlight.
15/04/2025: Teachers in England move a step closer to striking
Teachers in England will vote on whether or not to go on strike if the government stands by its pay offer for the next school year.
09/04/2025: A third of teachers reported misogyny among pupils last week, survey suggests
More than a third of secondary teachers have reported misogynistic behaviour from pupils at their school in the last week, a survey commissioned by BBC News suggests.
04/04/2025: Tool supports youth workers to tackle gender-based violence
A new toolkit is supporting youth workers in Wales to address gender-based violence, touching on some of the themes in the high-profile TV drama ‘Adolescence’.
03/04/2025: We need more male teachers so British boys have role models, says minister
Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, says there are too few men working in schools as UK reflects on TV series Adolescence.
01/04/2025: Thousands paid in compensation for school assaults
Councils in the South East have paid out tens of thousands of pounds in compensation to staff who have been injured during school violence, a BBC investigation can reveal.
31/03/2025: Some children vaping in class, say teachers (Wales)
School pupils are unable to concentrate because of the effects of nicotine and some are even vaping in class, according to teachers.
29/03/2025: Students want free-speech clarity but universities fear catch-22
Clearer advice is needed on how to make campuses inclusive without falling foul of free speech regulations, the National Union of Students (NUS) has said.
Family
21/04/2025: Britain’s nursery problem: Parents still face ‘childcare deserts’
The promise was to “transform the lives of thousands of women” and “build a childcare system comparable to the best”.Two years on, the rollout of what’s commonly known as the “free hours” scheme in England is almost complete
17/04/2025: Almost nine in 10 teachers seeing poverty related fatigue in pupils
Teachers are reporting high levels of tiredness, hunger, physical under-development and poor hygiene in the classroom among pupils impacted by poverty.
12/04/2025: ‘I believe my son will end up killing somebody’
Parents and guardians who are being physically and mentally abused by the children in their care desperately need more help, a support service says.
06/04/2025: Family support spending recovers following years of stagnation, data shows
Annual family support spending grew by 21% in real-terms from 2020-21 from 2023-24, but remains well below expenditure on statutory social care, ahead of reforms designed to rebalance system.
31/03/2025: Support for children with family in prison goes on
Funding to support the “hidden issue” of children in Devon who have had a parent sent to prison is set to continue.
27/03/2025: ‘Systemic racism’ blights support for black and Asian kinship carers
Support for black and Asian kinship carers is being hindered by “cultural stigma” and “systemic racism”, campaigners are warning.
27/03/2025: Number of children in poverty rises by 200,000 to record level
The number of children living in poverty has increased by 200,000 to a record high of 4.5 million, government figures have revealed.
22/03/2025: ‘Society thinks you are a child abuser’
A mother whose children were taken into care says she no longer feels “shame” and has “recovered hope” after joining an art therapy support group for women in the same position.
20/03/2025: Childcare costs fall for the first time in 15 years – but nurseries are worried
Annual nursery costs for a child under two in England have fallen for the first time in 15 years, according to the children’s charity Coram.
20/03/2025: Breakfast club trials in some South West schools
More than 40 schools across the South West have been selected to trial new free breakfast clubs.
Diversity
22/04/2025: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel report provides recommendations for safeguarding children from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds
The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has published its report following its thematic review of a sample of safeguarding reviews in relation to Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children.
16/04/2025: Disabled children wait ‘over a year’ for social care assessments
Research has found that almost one in five parents of children with disabilities are facing a wait of more than 12 months to receive their legal entitlement of a social worker assessment.
04/04/2025: Tool supports youth workers to tackle gender-based violence
A new toolkit is supporting youth workers in Wales to address gender-based violence, touching on some of the themes in the high-profile TV drama ‘Adolescence’.
04/04/2025: Girls in England feel less safe at school than they did pre-Covid, survey finds
Study finds larger drop-off among girls aged 13-14 who feel safe than among boys, compared with age group in 2019
03/04/2025: Racial bias greatly affects child protection practice, say social workers
Results of poll follow report into serious cases, which found the race and ethnicity of children was often not recognised or appropriately explored by practitioners.
03/04/2025: We need more male teachers so British boys have role models, says minister
Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, says there are too few men working in schools as UK reflects on TV series Adolescence.
27/03/2025: ‘Systemic racism’ blights support for black and Asian kinship carers
Support for black and Asian kinship carers is being hindered by “cultural stigma” and “systemic racism”, campaigners are warning.
19/03/2025: Government ends placement of girls in Young Offenders Institutions: a step forward for girls in custody but more still to be done
The government has immediately implemented the first recommendation of Susannah Hancock’s independent review into girls in the Children and Young People Secure Estate (CYPSE): girls will no longer be placed in Young Offender Institutions.
12/03/2025: Safeguarding ‘blighted by silence on racism’
An overhaul of safeguarding practice is needed to tackle a failure to address racism and racial bias, say experts
25/02/2025: Racial Disproportionality In Violence Affecting Children And Young People
Youth Endowment Fund report finds Black children more likely to be affected by violence.
Care Experience
04/04/2025: DoL applications decline despite ongoing shortage of secure children’s homes
Applications for deprivation of liberty (DoL) orders for children fell more than 6% last year, latest analysis shows – the first annual decline this decade.
03/04/2025: MPs call for action on record number of children in temporary accommodation
Government action is needed to address the record high number of children living in temporary accommodation, with many “in appalling conditions”, say MPs.
25/03/2025: Survey reveals doubts over residential child care reforms
Children’s social care professionals have little confidence that planned government reforms to the residential child care sector will deliver savings and improve services over the next five years, a CYP Now survey suggests.
22/03/2025: ‘Society thinks you are a child abuser’
A mother whose children were taken into care says she no longer feels “shame” and has “recovered hope” after joining an art therapy support group for women in the same position.
13/03/2025: Care-experience duty to expand across public sector
The government has amended its Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to expand corporate parenting responsibilities of councils across the public sector.
06/03/2025: Care-experienced young people four times less likely to go to university
Top academics are calling for universities to do more to support the entry and retention of care-experienced students, after research revealed this group is four times less likely to enter higher education than their peers.
20/02/2025: Host families sought for teenage care leavers
People in Cornwall are being asked to come forward to host young people who have just left the care system.
27/01/2025: ‘Flawed statistics’ undermine understanding of children in care outcomes, warns regional body
Available figures do not enable councils to determine whether they are purchasing the right kinds of placement, according to ‘co-operative’ set up to test region-wide commissioning of care
03/01/2025: Care leavers missing out on home ‘essentials’, research finds
Care leavers in England are at risk of missing out on essential items when setting up their first home due to the lack of clear national guidelines on the levels of support offered by councils, latest research shows.
12/12/2024: Care-experienced group launches in Parliament
Campaigners and MPs advocating for care-experienced young people have formed a new cross-party group in Parliament.
Cost of Living
17/04/2025: Almost nine in 10 teachers seeing poverty related fatigue in pupils
Teachers are reporting high levels of tiredness, hunger, physical under-development and poor hygiene in the classroom among pupils impacted by poverty.
27/03/2025: Number of children in poverty rises by 200,000 to record level
The number of children living in poverty has increased by 200,000 to a record high of 4.5 million, government figures have revealed.
20/03/2025: Breakfast club trials in some South West schools
More than 40 schools across the South West have been selected to trial new free breakfast clubs.
17/03/2025: Soaring school absence behind growing attainment gap, report finds
Disadvantaged pupils are falling behind their peers at “disturbing” rates due to accelerating school absence since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to analysis published today.
08/03/2025: Concern over use of school funding for disadvantaged children
There is a risk that disadvantaged children may not be benefitting from billions of pounds of Department for Education funding given to schools to narrow the attainment gap, an influential group of MPs have said.
27/02/2025: Number of young people not in work or education hits 11-year high
More young people were not in work, education or training at the end of 2024 than at any point in the past 11 years, new data suggests.
24/02/2025: First 750 schools named for free breakfast clubs
The government has announced the first 750 schools to provide free daily breakfast clubs as part of a pilot scheme ahead of a planned England-wide roll-out.
29/01/2025: ‘We don’t just teach – we clothe the kids, feed them and brush their teeth’
As the bell rings at St Nicholas Church of England Primary Academy in Boston, Lincolnshire, head teacher Mrs Booth spots a little boy coming through the gates with his hood pulled up, crying.
20/01/2025: Free school meals ‘would tackle child poverty’
A Labour MP has said he wants to see the government introduce free school meals as a means to tackle child poverty, once the economy improves.
11/12/2024: Reform SEND support or risk ‘widespread local authority bankruptcies’, warns think-tank
The system for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) must be overhauled to avoid councils going bankrupt, a leading think-tank has warned.
Drugs
16/04/2025: Disposable vape use falling in UK ahead of ban
The popularity of disposable e-cigarettes or vapes has fallen ahead of a UK-wide ban, external on their sale on 1 June, a study suggests.
31/03/2025: Some children vaping in class, say teachers (Wales)
School pupils are unable to concentrate because of the effects of nicotine and some are even vaping in class, according to teachers.
25/02/2025: Generation K: The disturbing rise of ketamine abuse among young people
At the urology department of Burnley General Hospital, 26-year-old Ryan (not his real name) is having a drug solution inserted through a catheter – part of his treatment for a condition known as ketamine bladder.
24/02/2025: Vaping ‘more dangerous than smoking’, bombshell first-of-its-kind study reveals – raises risk of THREE deadly diseases
Regularly using e-cigarettes could put users at risk of dementia, heart disease and organ failure, a bombshell study has revealed.
19/02/2025: Government launches vaping study and social media campaign on dangers
The government has launched a £62 million study to examine the impact of vaping on young people, amid the trend which has “skyrocketed” in recent years.
19/02/2025: 10-year study to shed light on youth vaping
Landmark study to investigate long-term health effects of vaping on young people’s health and wellbeing, alongside wider influences on adolescent health.
05/02/2025: ‘Alarming’ rise in strong illicit nicotine pouches
High strength nicotine pouches that are being sold illegally in the UK could cause inadvertent overdosing and harm to teenagers and young adults, experts have warned.
05/12/2024: Welcome Rise Of Numbers In Drug & Alcohol Treatment
2023/24 treatment stats show welcome (7%) rise in numbers in drug & alcohol treatment.
25/11/2024: ‘I had no idea being a social drinker would damage my liver by 31’
At 31 years old, I was told by doctors that if I didn’t stop drinking alcohol, I could die.
06/11/2024: What is the UK smoking ban and how many people still smoke?
It will be illegal for anyone currently aged 15 or under to ever buy cigarettes in the UK, under new laws proposed by the government.
Domestic Violence
01/03/2025: Young abuse witnesses failed
The criminal justice system is currently “ill-equipped to respond to the enormity of the challenge” of meeting the needs of domestic abuse survivors, including children, according to the domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales Nicole Jacobs.
27/01/2025: Domestic abuse tsar calls on police to recognise victim rights of child witnesses
The police are currently failing to recognise the victim rights of children who witness violence and abuse in their home, according to the domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales.
04/12/2024: Murdered teen’s mum fears more lives will be lost
The mother of a teenager killed by her ex-boyfriend fears others are likely to die if more is not done to tackle abuse and violence in young people’s relationships.
04/11/2024: Home Office to examine domestic violence age thresholds after teenager’s murder
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has pledged to “look at” lowering the age at which a person can be classed as a victim of domestic abuse after the murder of a 15-year-old girl by her ex-boyfriend.
04/11/2024: Mother of girl, 15, stabbed to death by boyfriend calls for teenage domestic abuse law change
Under current laws, the victim and the perpetrator must be over 16 for it to be deemed a crime of domestic abuse.
13/09/2024: Inspectors to probe agencies response to child victims of domestic abuse
Joint targeted area inspections to examine how councils, NHS, the police and probation work together in response to domestic abuse, particularly where victims are unborn or young children.
28/08/2024: ‘We make mothers responsible, but don’t work with men’: Brid Featherstone on child protection
Professor Brid Featherstone reflects on her three decades of research into domestic abuse and child protection and why she feels social work needs to become more poverty aware.
08/05/2024: Invest £50mn in evaluating child domestic abuse support, ministers urged
The government is being urged to invest £50mn in evaluating support for child victims of domestic abuse as Foundations warns that more children could experience abuse than start primary school this year.
07/05/2024: Domestic abuse: I was quite controlling, things needed to change,
“I just thought it was normal,” says Peter looking back at how volatile he used to be with his partner, Amy.
28/02/2024: ‘State of crisis’ for domestic abuse services because of cuts, warns commissioner
Reductions already being made to domestic abuse provision due to funding shortfalls and uncertainty, watchdog tells levelling up secretary Michael Gove.
Exploitation
22/04/2025: Modern Slavery Victims Imprisoned For Crimes They Were Forced To Commit
Hibiscus briefing shows how victims/survivors of Modern Slavery are being criminalised and imprisoned for crimes they were forced to commit.
02/04/2025: Peer39 joins with IWF to prevent offenders profiting from the promotion of child sexual abuse content
Peer39, a leading provider of contextual intelligence for digital advertising, has joined forces with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to help disrupt and demonetise the spread of harmful content online.
28/03/2025: AI giving offenders ‘DIY child sexual abuse’ tool, as dozens of child victims used in AI models, IWF warns MPs
The IWF has welcomed upcoming new legislation while giving evidence in Parliament this week.
20/03/2025: British teenage boys are being targeted on Snapchat and Instagram by Nigerian ‘sextortion’ gangs posing as young women
British teenage boys are being blackmailed by Nigerian crime gangs posing as young women on social media sites like Snapchat and Instagram.
20/03/2025: More than 110 child sextortion attempts reported each month to UK police forces
National Crime Agency launches awareness campaign, saying criminals are adapting methods and using AI
20/03/2025: Nigerian crime gangs are targeting young British boys in ‘sextortion’ scams
The National Crime Agency says boys as young as 14 are targeted into sextortion over social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. Once tricked into sending sexual images, they are blackmailed into sending payments of up to £100.
17/03/2025: Online Safety Act: UK Tech Companies must now Tackle Illegal Harms including Child Sexual Abuse Imagery
As Ofcom’s Illegal Harms Codes come into force, platforms are required to implement robust measures to protect users from CSAM and illegal content.
17/03/2025: Tech Secretary sees ‘heartbreaking’ scale of online abuse on IWF hotline visit as ‘transformational’ online safety rules come into effect
Peter Kyle visited the IWF to see for himself the scale, and severity, of online sexual abuse against children.
09/03/2025: Children in UK as young as 11 targeted by sextortion criminals, data reveals
Internet Watch Foundation says ‘worrying’ trend shows criminals are casting their nets wider to trap victims.
09/03/2025: Our teenage son was targeted by a sextortionist online – here’s what we did
Help is available for children tricked into sending intimate images, but regular conversations about internet safety are ‘part of parenting now’.
Technology and Online Safety
05/04/2025: ‘I didn’t start out wanting to see kids’: are porn algorithms feeding a generation of paedophiles – or creating one?
More than 850 men a month are arrested for online child abuse offences in England and Wales. They come from every walk of life: teachers, police officers, doctors, TV presenters. And the numbers are rising every year. How did this happen?
04/04/2025: ‘I’ve been scarred by social media’
A woman has spent a year without using some social media apps after realising they had “completely consumed” her life.
03/04/2025: Blanket ban on teen smartphone use ‘potentially detrimental’, says academic
Dr Amy Orben says there are no ‘one-size-fits-all answers’ given importance of access to online information
03/04/2025: Record Surge in Intimate Image Abuse Reports to the Revenge Porn Helpline
The Revenge Porn Helpline has released its latest annual report, revealing an alarming 20.9% increase in intimate image abuse reports across 2024, marking the highest number of reports in the service’s history.
02/04/2025: Parents allowed to block children’s games and friends on Roblox
Parents will be able to block their children from specific games and experiences on Roblox as part of new safety measures announced by the hugely popular gaming platform.
02/04/2025: Peer39 joins with IWF to prevent offenders profiting from the promotion of child sexual abuse content
Peer39, a leading provider of contextual intelligence for digital advertising, has joined forces with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to help disrupt and demonetise the spread of harmful content online.
28/03/2025: AI giving offenders ‘DIY child sexual abuse’ tool, as dozens of child victims used in AI models, IWF warns MPs
The IWF has welcomed upcoming new legislation while giving evidence in Parliament this week.
27/03/2025: Social media ban not practical or effective, teens say
The government needs to do more to protect young people from violent and harmful content online, a report by teenagers suggests.
24/03/2025: Starmer ‘worried’ about toxic masculinity after Adolescence drama
The prime minister has said he is “worried” about toxic masculine behaviour on social media influencing young men, and has spoken with Sir Gareth Southgate about the issue.
22/03/2025: Honest or unrealistic? Roblox boss’s online safety advice sparks debate
“If you’re not comfortable, don’t let your kids be on Roblox”: with that advice in an exclusive BBC interview, the hugely popular gaming platform’s CEO Dave Baszucki ignited a fierce debate among parents.
Trauma Informed and Early Intervention
30/11/2024: ‘Early intervention for psychosis saved my life’
Craig Mackie started experiencing the symptoms of psychosis when he was in his 20s, saying: “I have heard voices and I have seen things.”
21/08/2024: Kinship care children ‘overlooked and ignored’ for trauma support
Children living in kinship care arrangements are being ‚’overlooked and ignored’ for support to help them recover from abuse, neglect and bereavement.
11/07/2024: Consistent lead workers vital to supporting vulnerable older teens, report finds
Vulnerable older teenagers could become ‘disengaged’ from education, training and work opportunities without the continued help of a lead support worker, a report has found.
06/06/2024: ‘How admitting I disliked a child helped me grow as a social worker’
A social worker recalls struggling to connect with a boy she was supporting when newly qualified and how supervision helped her understand the trauma behind his behaviour.
23/05/2024: Conference to examine what works for early help amid cuts to services
The role of innovative and evidence-based interventions to support vulnerable families against a backdrop of cuts to local authority services is the focus of CYP Now’s Early Help Conference.
09/05/2024: 102% increase in the number of children in care in the past 12 years
Declining spending on early intervention services means many families are not receiving support before they reach crisis point.
24/04/2024: Essex University’s AI brain study brings ‘hope’ to childhood trauma survivors
The world’s largest study into how childhood trauma affects the brain has offered new hope to survivors.
09/04/2024: GCSE results for disadvantaged children ‘greatly improved by Sure Start’
Children eligible for free school meals (FSM) who live near a Sure Start centre saw increased performance at GCSE by three grades, six times higher than children not eligible for FSM, new research has found.
09/04/2024: Residential care spending outstrips early intervention for first time, research finds
Councils‚Äô spending on children’s residential care is outstripping early help budgets for the first time, research commissioned by a coalition of charities has found.
02/02/2024: The Sequential Intercept Model – Trauma-Informed Diversion
HMI Probation Academic Insight on the Sequential Intercept Model – a trauma-informed diversionary framework
Health and Wellbeing
17/04/2025: ‘Romeo and Juliet’ clause exempts consensual teen sex
A so-called “Romeo and Juliet” clause has been accepted in new plans for mandatory reporting of concerns around child sexual abuse.
16/04/2025: Disposable vape use falling in UK ahead of ban
The popularity of disposable e-cigarettes or vapes has fallen ahead of a UK-wide ban, external on their sale on 1 June, a study suggests.
11/04/2025: What goes on inside toddlers’ brains? A pioneering project is trying to find out
Two-year-old Henry is completely transfixed by the iPad in front of him. Every time a smiley face appears he taps the screen – and his tap transforms the face into a cartoon of a dancing animal.
09/04/2025: A third of teachers reported misogyny among pupils last week, survey suggests
More than a third of secondary teachers have reported misogynistic behaviour from pupils at their school in the last week, a survey commissioned by BBC News suggests.
04/04/2025: ‘I’ve been scarred by social media’
A woman has spent a year without using some social media apps after realising they had “completely consumed” her life.
04/04/2025: Girls in England feel less safe at school than they did pre-Covid, survey finds
Study finds larger drop-off among girls aged 13-14 who feel safe than among boys, compared with age group in 2019
03/04/2025: No drinks with sweeteners for younger children, say UK advisers
Younger children should not be given any drinks containing artificial sweeteners, UK experts are now advising, external.
03/04/2025: We need more male teachers so British boys have role models, says minister
Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, says there are too few men working in schools as UK reflects on TV series Adolescence.
03/04/2025: Record Surge in Intimate Image Abuse Reports to the Revenge Porn Helpline
The Revenge Porn Helpline has released its latest annual report, revealing an alarming 20.9% increase in intimate image abuse reports across 2024, marking the highest number of reports in the service’s history.
31/03/2025: Some children vaping in class, say teachers (Wales)
School pupils are unable to concentrate because of the effects of nicotine and some are even vaping in class, according to teachers.
Harmful Sexual Behaviour
19/04/2025: Influencers fuelling misogyny in schools, teachers say
Social media influencers are fuelling an increase in misogyny and sexism in schools, according to a new poll by a teaching union.
19/04/2025: ‘Andrew Tate phenomena’ surges in schools – with boys refusing to talk to female teacher
Online influencers such as Andrew Tate are fuelling an increase in sexism in the classroom, says a new survey from education union the NASUWT. It comes after the Netflix series Adolescence thrust concerns around incel culture into the spotlight.
05/04/2025: ‘I didn’t start out wanting to see kids’: are porn algorithms feeding a generation of paedophiles – or creating one?
More than 850 men a month are arrested for online child abuse offences in England and Wales. They come from every walk of life: teachers, police officers, doctors, TV presenters. And the numbers are rising every year. How did this happen?
04/04/2025: Tool supports youth workers to tackle gender-based violence
A new toolkit is supporting youth workers in Wales to address gender-based violence, touching on some of the themes in the high-profile TV drama ‘Adolescence’.
03/04/2025: Record Surge in Intimate Image Abuse Reports to the Revenge Porn Helpline
The Revenge Porn Helpline has released its latest annual report, revealing an alarming 20.9% increase in intimate image abuse reports across 2024, marking the highest number of reports in the service’s history.
24/03/2025: Starmer ‘worried’ about toxic masculinity after Adolescence drama
The prime minister has said he is “worried” about toxic masculine behaviour on social media influencing young men, and has spoken with Sir Gareth Southgate about the issue.
17/03/2025: Boys learn ways to combat toxic masculinity
Teenagers are being taught that they do not have to conform to dangerous stereotypes about masculinity they see online.
17/03/2025: Tech Secretary sees ‘heartbreaking’ scale of online abuse on IWF hotline visit as ‘transformational’ online safety rules come into effect
Peter Kyle visited the IWF to see for himself the scale, and severity, of online sexual abuse against children.
27/02/2025: Ban degrading and violent online porn, review proposes
Degrading, violent and misogynistic pornography should be banned, a review of the industry has recommended.
21/02/2025: ‘Grooming was happening here’: Key witness in Miah brothers sexual abuse trial speaks to Sky News
Barrow has a reputation as a “lying town” because of Eleanor Williams who was convicted of lying about being the victim of an Asian grooming gang. But as three brothers are jailed for preying on underage girls, a witness tells us: “Grooming was happening here and still probably is.”
Safeguarding
22/04/2025: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel report provides recommendations for safeguarding children from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds
The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has published its report following its thematic review of a sample of safeguarding reviews in relation to Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children.
17/04/2025: ‘Romeo and Juliet’ clause exempts consensual teen sex
A so-called “Romeo and Juliet” clause has been accepted in new plans for mandatory reporting of concerns around child sexual abuse.
10/04/2025: National child protection agency to provide oversight of practice in England
Government accepts Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recommendation to create Child Protection Authority for England, which will initially form part of Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel
03/04/2025: Racial bias greatly affects child protection practice, say social workers
Results of poll follow report into serious cases, which found the race and ethnicity of children was often not recognised or appropriately explored by practitioners.
02/04/2025: No criminal sanction for failing to report child sexual abuse under mandatory reporting plan
Absence of offence in legislation comes despite home secretary saying in January there would be “professional and criminal sanctions to fail to report or cover up child sexual abuse”
02/04/2025: Peer39 joins with IWF to prevent offenders profiting from the promotion of child sexual abuse content
Peer39, a leading provider of contextual intelligence for digital advertising, has joined forces with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to help disrupt and demonetise the spread of harmful content online.
28/03/2025: AI giving offenders ‘DIY child sexual abuse’ tool, as dozens of child victims used in AI models, IWF warns MPs
The IWF has welcomed upcoming new legislation while giving evidence in Parliament this week.
22/03/2025: Honest or unrealistic? Roblox boss’s online safety advice sparks debate
“If you’re not comfortable, don’t let your kids be on Roblox”: with that advice in an exclusive BBC interview, the hugely popular gaming platform’s CEO Dave Baszucki ignited a fierce debate among parents.
20/03/2025: Most UK adults believe emotional abuse in childhood can have a lasting psychological effect but one in six cannot spot the signs
We want to remind people of the importance of free online resources like Listen up, Speak up.
20/03/2025: Nigerian crime gangs are targeting young British boys in ‘sextortion’ scams
The National Crime Agency says boys as young as 14 are targeted into sextortion over social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. Once tricked into sending sexual images, they are blackmailed into sending payments of up to £100.
Newsletter
Sign up for our weekly newsletter.