Mobile phone use by pupils Most mobile phone use by pupils is done responsibly and the phone is considered an important part of their safety. However, for a minority of pupils, there are significant concerns over their safety, security and well-being either as victims or perpetrators of mobile phone misuse. To use mobile phones safely pupils should: o Respect their own and others privacy o Protect their identity and whereabouts o Use their phones responsibly o Agree with friends never to share each others personal details without permission o Always report inappropriate, distressing and scary contact o Have an understanding of mobile phone and message misuse If you are aware of mobile phone misuse: o Confiscate the phone as a disciplinary procedure, but do not search the contents of a pupil’s phone without their consent If consent is refused, the matter can be referred to the police. o Do not search for reported indecent or inappropriate images of children even if given consent o Do not delete inappropriate texts, messages or images shown o Help and support pupils involved o Consult with the Child Protection Teacher/Officer (CPLT/O) about dealing with the matter through anti-bullying procedures or referral to the police o Inform parents/carers Version 5, September 2010
Did you know? - It is a crime to: o Harass or bully via a text or call o Take or show indecent images of children o Set up an assault and then film it (happy slapping) - And that: o The age of criminal responsibility is 10 yrs o Taking a photograph without consent is an invasion of privacy & may be distressing o Once photos are sent to a website, they become impossible to track or delete o Identifying clues in a photo could lead to risk of contact from strangers o Mobile & web blogging can be dangerous if personal information is uploaded o Location tracking services allow a stranger to pinpoint the exact location of a mobile
Useful web links/resources: o ‘Chatdanger’ at: www.chatdanger.com o ‘Thinkuknow’ at: www.thinkuknow.co.uk o Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre at: www.ceop.police.uk o Becta Next Generation Learning at: http://schools.becta.org.uk/ o E-Safety and Cyber-bullying, Sept 10
www.safeguardingsheffieldchildren.org.uk