Latest Headlines
10/03/2025: Teens call for youth clubs to tackle knife crime (Bristol)
A group of teenagers have said more youth clubs would help tackle knife crime and gangs.
10/03/2025: Thousands of children risk losing access to vital therapy, warn support providers
Therapists sound alarm over future of Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, which is set to expire at the end of this month amid government silence on its future
10/03/2025: Surge in use of ‘game-changing’ Report Remove service
Child protection analysts have seen a significant rise in reports from children accessing the world-leading Report Remove service run by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the NSPCC’s Childline service.
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).
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’.
09/03/2025: English councils seeking more help to pay for rise in Send transport costs
Costs particularly acute in more rural areas, where many children with special needs have to use taxis.
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.
07/03/2025: Plan to make phone use safer for teens watered down
A bill that had suggested banning smartphones in schools and addictive algorithms aimed at young teenagers has been watered down to gain government support.
07/03/2025: ‘Substantial work’ needed to improve family group conference data, study finds
06/03/2025: Doctors back total ban on smacking children in England
06/03/2025: MP in criminal background check change call
06/03/2025: Care-experienced young people four times less likely to go to university
06/03/2025: Fall in number of agency children’s social workers
06/03/2025: Free school meal system failing poorest children
06/03/2025: ‘My child would use anything as a weapon’: the parents who live in fear of their offspring
Youth Justice
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.
05/03/2025: Government permanently ends detention of girls in YOIs
The government has permanently barred the use of young offender institutions (YOI) to detain girls sentenced to custody.
01/03/2025: Riots response reveals the justice system treating children as adults
A report, Children’s Involvement in the 2024 Riots, has reignited the debate on the adultification of young people in the youth justice system.
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.
01/03/2025: Family judge trailblazers aim to address persistent court delays
Five areas are piloting new, local approaches to tackling delays in public law proceedings with emerging evidence they are reducing waiting times and improving outcomes for those children who need it most.
26/02/2025: The NPCC Child Gravity Matrix updated for 2025
The National Police Chief’s Council has updated the Child Gravity Matrix, a triage tool for decision makers in relation to children and young people. The changes to the 60 page document, which replaced the ACPO Gravity Matrix (2013), are highlighted below.
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.
24/02/2025: The Challenges Facing Resettlement Officers In YOIs
Anne-Marie Day highlights a number of challenges faced by Resettlement Officers in English Young Offender’s Institutions.
Education
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.
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.
06/03/2025: Free school meal system failing poorest children
The free school meal (FSM) system in England is blighted by flaws in its design that mean children in poverty are missing out, a think-tank has warned.
01/03/2025: Reducing exclusions and boosting attendance to tackle lost learning
One-day conference run by CYP Now in partnership with therapeutic education provider TCES explored factors driving a rising number of school exclusions and approaches to improving pupil attendance.
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.
17/02/2025: ‘Groundbreaking’ case paves legal aid path for pupil exclusion appeals
Families appealing permanent school exclusions on discrimination grounds have a “clearer path to justice” after a ban on legal aid was lifted, say campaigners.
16/02/2025: Parents working from home is affecting school attendance, says Ofsted chief
Martyn Oliver says less office-going since pandemic has led to a shift in attitudes among pupils in England.
13/02/2025: Mental health support that ‘normalises everyday emotions’ most effective, research finds
A school-based support project that helps pupils “normalise everyday emotions, like stress and sadness” is the most effective at tackling mental ill-health, research has found.
11/02/2025: What is an apprenticeship and how much are apprentices paid?
The number of people starting an apprenticeship in England has risen, with higher apprenticeships increasingly popular, according to the latest data.
11/02/2025: Some pupils in England less likely to have special needs identified, study shows
Research by Education Policy Institute highlights groups it says are at greater risk of missing out on Send support
Family
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’.
07/03/2025: ‘Substantial work’ needed to improve family group conference data, study finds
National data collection launched to address gaps revealed by study, ahead of implementation of duty on councils to offer FGC-style services to families facing care proceedings.
06/03/2025: Doctors back total ban on smacking children in England
Leading child doctors have joined calls for a complete ban on smacking children in England, saying there is no evidence it has any positive effect on their wellbeing.
06/03/2025: ‘My child would use anything as a weapon’: the parents who live in fear of their offspring
Erin had knives thrown at her, Dolly was kicked, Tim was punched … and all of this violence came from their own children. Why does the outside world ignore such attacks – or even blame the victims?
01/03/2025: Family judge trailblazers aim to address persistent court delays
Five areas are piloting new, local approaches to tackling delays in public law proceedings with emerging evidence they are reducing waiting times and improving outcomes for those children who need it most.
16/02/2025: Parents working from home is affecting school attendance, says Ofsted chief
Martyn Oliver says less office-going since pandemic has led to a shift in attitudes among pupils in England.
09/02/2025: Lack of child therapy puts strain on parent groups
A retired GP says parent support groups are having to be created due to a lack of quality therapy services for young people.
09/02/2025: Mother turns cancer experience into children’s book
A mother and teacher has used the life-changing experience of a cancer diagnosis to develop a children’s book to help families deal with tough questions.
09/02/2025: Successful special educational needs complaints in England quadruple in four years
Rising demand and ballooning council deficits have left a threadbare service – and children and parents in crisis.
08/02/2025: Children still being sent far from home for mental health care in England
Figures show practice continues eight years after pledge to end it, potentially impeding young people’s recovery.
Diversity
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.
04/02/2025: Film of children’s racism stories shown to police
A short animated film based on children’s experiences of racism is being used in police training.
27/01/2025: Gen Z far less likely to be atheists than parents and grandparents, new study reveals
With many of younger generation found to identify as ‘spiritual’, research counters assumption spirituality is on decline and in fact implies God is ‘making a comeback’
24/01/2025: Gender dysphoria diagnoses among children in England rise fiftyfold over 10 years
Study of GP records finds prevalence rose from one in 60,000 in 2011 to one in 1,200 in 2021 – but numbers still low overall.
11/12/2024: Puberty blockers for under-18s banned indefinitely
The ban on giving puberty blockers to under-18s questioning their gender identify is to be made permanent, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced.
09/12/2024: Puberty blockers: Can a drug trial solve one of medicine’s most controversial debates?
It is among the most delicate and controversial challenges in modern medicine – how to determine whether the benefits of puberty blockers (or drugs that delay puberty) outweigh the potential harms.
31/10/2024: Addressing Racial Disparity in the Youth Justice System: a report into the success of local practices
This report, commissioned by the Youth Justice Board (YJB), was published on 24 October 2024. The report, authored by the charity Revolving Doors, uses qualitative and quantitative research methods to appraise local programmes in England and Wales that carry out interventions with the aim of preventing children and young people from re-offending.
25/10/2024: Bullying victim ‘not surprised’ by race report findings
A woman who experienced “relentless” bullying at school has said she is not surprised by a report that suggests almost half of ethnic minority students in Northern Ireland have been the victims of racist bullying and harassment.
21/10/2024: ‘World-first’ study examines period pain in teens
A new study will seek to identify changes in the brain when teenagers experience period pain and whether it is linked to developing chronic pain in later life.
10/09/2024: Puberty-blocker focus disproportionate, Cass says
The focus on puberty blockers in the gender-care debate is disproportionate, the paediatrician who led the NHS review into children’s services, says.
Care Experience
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.
11/12/2024: DfE plans will curb profiteering but not without cutting care placement supply, say social workers
With the DfE having unveiled planned reforms to children’s care placements, we gauged social workers’ views on their potential impact on profiteering
02/12/2024: Sevenfold increase in number of children placed in unregistered homes over past three years
Ofsted warns unregistered provision likely to be of ‘poor quality’, with just 8% of those that sought registration being approved.
24/11/2024: More foster carers in England leaving than signing up, says Ofsted report
Children’s campaigners say ‘national crisis’ adds to trauma for vulnerable young people, amid huge fall in numbers fostering.
18/11/2024: Children’s social care strategy: new measures to tackle ‘profiteering’ providers
Curtailing profit levels made by private care providers is to be the cornerstone of a new children’s social care strategy to be launched by the government today (Monday).
18/11/2024: Government urged to end the wilful neglect of teenagers in care
As the new government promises (18 November 2024) “a more secure life for children across the country”, and legislation that will transform the children’s care system, children’s rights campaigners urge it to end the wilful neglect of teenagers in care.
Cost of Living
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.
14/11/2024: Youth club closures increase crime rate and exam failure among young people, report finds
Young people are more likely to perform worse at school and be involved in crime due to “austerity-induced” youth club closures over the last 14 years, a report has found.
24/10/2024: SEND system failing children and cash-strapped councils, NAO finds
The National Audit Office (NAO) has criticised the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in England for failing to improve the lives of children and young people or prevent councils from facing “significant financial risks”.
23/10/2024: Government publishes first details of 10-year child poverty strategy
The Cabinet Office has laid out its long-term strategy to tackle child poverty in the UK.
22/10/2024: Free school meals trial feeds 20,000 more children
Thousands more children from England’s poorest households are eating a free school meal because of a new trial scheme.
Drugs
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.
04/11/2024: ‘I wish I’d never taken it’: More young people seeking rehab as ketamine addiction spirals in the UK
Casey Innalls was left in excruciating pain and was hospitalised for 12 days with a condition known as k-bladder
31/10/2024: Students taught about spiking dangers in new campaign
Students are being taught about the dangers of drink spiking using goggles that simulate how it might feel to be drugged.
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
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’.
05/03/2025: I wish my job didn’t exist – the team that has to find child abuse images
At home she is a loving grandmother who enjoys spending time with her grandkids but at work Mabel has to watch the internet’s most “abhorrent” child sex abuse.
03/03/2025: TikTok profiting from sexual livestreams involving children, BBC told
TikTok is profiting from sexual livestreams performed by teens as young as 15, the BBC has been told.
27/02/2025: SWGfL Welcomes Pornography Review Recommendations
A comprehensive list of recommendations for strengthening protections on online pornography has been published today and delivered to the Government.
22/02/2025: New laws to protect children exploited by gangs in England and Wales ‘will save lives’
Ex-children’s commissioner welcomes crackdown on use of children for crimes such as running county lines.
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.”
18/02/2025: More than 100 child sexual abuse image crimes being recorded by police every day
“We’re urging the government to ensure children are better protected in private messaging environments.”
14/02/2025: Childline data reveals boys are most vulnerable to ‘sextortion’
“In response, we launched a new Childline campaign encouraging boys to contact the service for help and support.”
09/02/2025: The importance of multi-agency collaboration in protecting children from exploitation
Northamptonshire Children’s Trust is part of a new hub focused on reducing risk outside the home for children and young people.
Technology and Online Safety
10/03/2025: Surge in use of ‘game-changing’ Report Remove service
Child protection analysts have seen a significant rise in reports from children accessing the world-leading Report Remove service run by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the NSPCC’s Childline service.
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’.
07/03/2025: Plan to make phone use safer for teens watered down
A bill that had suggested banning smartphones in schools and addictive algorithms aimed at young teenagers has been watered down to gain government support.
05/03/2025: I wish my job didn’t exist – the team that has to find child abuse images
At home she is a loving grandmother who enjoys spending time with her grandkids but at work Mabel has to watch the internet’s most “abhorrent” child sex abuse.
03/03/2025: TikTok profiting from sexual livestreams involving children, BBC told
TikTok is profiting from sexual livestreams performed by teens as young as 15, the BBC has been told.
03/03/2025: TikTok investigated over use of children’s data
The UK data watchdog has launched what it calls a “major investigation” into TikTok’s use of children’s personal information.
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.
27/02/2025: What the Online Safety Act is – and how to keep children safe online
Technology companies will have to take more action to keep children in the UK safe on the internet, following the introduction of the Online Safety Act.
27/02/2025: SWGfL Welcomes Pornography Review Recommendations
A comprehensive list of recommendations for strengthening protections on online pornography has been published today and delivered to the Government.
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
06/03/2025: Free school meal system failing poorest children
The free school meal (FSM) system in England is blighted by flaws in its design that mean children in poverty are missing out, a think-tank has warned.
05/03/2025: Most areas cut eating-disorder help for under-18s
Most areas in England are planning cuts to specialist eating-disorder services for children and young people this year, an analysis shows.
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.
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: Campaigners call for national strategy amid decline in play
Campaigners are urging the government to ‘get children playing again’ amid a squeeze on the activity – particularly in deprived areas.
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.
21/02/2025: Every hour children spend on screens raises chance of myopia, study finds
Experts warn young people should have limited use of devices and spend more time outdoors.
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.
16/02/2025: Are noise-cancelling headphones to blame for young people’s hearing problems?
Whether it’s the echo of beeping tills in a supermarket or the hissing of a coffee machine in your local café, the brain is constantly working to decode hundreds of noises each day.
13/02/2025: Mental health support that ‘normalises everyday emotions’ most effective, research finds
A school-based support project that helps pupils “normalise everyday emotions, like stress and sadness” is the most effective at tackling mental ill-health, research has found.
Harmful Sexual Behaviour
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.”
19/02/2025: Who is Andrew Tate? The self-proclaimed misogynist influencer
The controversial British-American influencer Andrew Tate is facing trial in Romania. He has been charged with rape, human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women.
07/02/2025: Intimate Image Abuse is Not Going Away – 10 Years of the Revenge Porn Helpline
After 10 years of working on the Revenge Porn Helpline I have seen the landscape of intimate image abuse change significantly. This increasingly common behaviour has now been recognised as one of most significant harms across the globe.
18/01/2025: Schools ‘need more help’ to tackle rising number of sexual assaults by pupils
Charities say better guidance is needed over increasing number of sexual assaults in UK primary schools.
16/01/2025: All porn sites must ‘robustly’ verify UK user ages by July
All websites on which pornographic material can be found, including social media platforms, must introduce “robust” age-checking techniques such as demanding photo ID or running credit card checks for UK users by July.
07/01/2025: Revenge Porn Helpline Welcomes New Legislation to Criminalise the Creation and Sharing of Deepfakes But Still Raises Concern Amid Remaining Gaps
The Revenge Porn Helpline welcomes the UK Government’s recent announcement to introduce new offences targeting the creation and sharing of sexually explicit ‘deepfake’ images and other forms of non-consensual intimate image abuse.
04/12/2024: Telegram U-turns and joins child safety scheme
After years of ignoring pleas to sign up to child protection schemes, the controversial messaging app Telegram has agreed to work with an internationally recognised body to stop the spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
29/11/2024: ‘I couldn’t stop watching’: Personal stories of how porn obsession takes over lives
Shaun Flores was 11 years old when he first started watching porn, after being introduced to it by a friend.
08/11/2024: SWGfL Advocate for Legislative Change on Intimate Image Abuse at Parliament
SWGfL attended a session at parliament on Wednesday 6th November to share their insights on intimate image abuse with the Women and Equalities Committee presenting evidence detailing the immense impact of non-consensual intimate image abuse (NCII) and the critical need to modernise current legislation to protect adults facing this form of abuse.
Safeguarding
10/03/2025: Surge in use of ‘game-changing’ Report Remove service
Child protection analysts have seen a significant rise in reports from children accessing the world-leading Report Remove service run by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the NSPCC’s Childline service.
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.
07/03/2025: Plan to make phone use safer for teens watered down
A bill that had suggested banning smartphones in schools and addictive algorithms aimed at young teenagers has been watered down to gain government support.
05/03/2025: I wish my job didn’t exist – the team that has to find child abuse images
At home she is a loving grandmother who enjoys spending time with her grandkids but at work Mabel has to watch the internet’s most “abhorrent” child sex abuse.
03/03/2025: TikTok profiting from sexual livestreams involving children, BBC told
TikTok is profiting from sexual livestreams performed by teens as young as 15, the BBC has been told.
27/02/2025: SWGfL Welcomes Pornography Review Recommendations
A comprehensive list of recommendations for strengthening protections on online pornography has been published today and delivered to the Government.
25/02/2025: Ofcom Releases New Online Safety Guidance for Tech Firms: Protecting Women and Girls
Today, Ofcom has set forth new draft guidance to tackle online harms against women and girls. With insights from victims, survivors, advocacy groups, and safety experts, this ambitious guidance outlines practical steps for tech firms to take responsibility when designing online platforms that prioritise user safety.
24/02/2025: Thousands of children in England falsely accused of witchcraft in past decade
Kindoki Witch Boy film tells true story of Mardoche Yembi who underwent an exorcism as a child
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.”
10/02/2025: ‘Watershed moment’ legal changes announced for child sexual abuse victims
“Long overdue” reforms to help victims of child sexual abuse seek justice have been announced by the government.
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