Copyright © 2005 All rights reserved. [Churches Child Protection Advisory Service]
CCPAS' continuing mission is the protection and safeguarding of children and young people in churches, faith communities, organisations and groups. We recognise that it is difficult to detect and prevent sexual abuse, the majority of which takes place within the family context, close social circles or in institutional settings. Though the Internet and related technologies are neutral in regards to child abuse, we should recognise that it does provide a medium for those intent on abusing children. We therefore have a responsibility to help ensure that children and young people are safe when they are surfing, chatting, communicating or using these technologies. We cannot ignore the Internet, over fifty per cent of the population of the UK are users, and this figure continues to rise. At CCPAS we often receive telephone calls to our helpline from churches wanting advice on safety protocols for young people and church groups using the Internet.
Child Pornography
There has been a massive growth in the number of abusive images of children on the Internet. Child pornography is child abuse. It is a record of a child being abused, and that record is captured on either a photograph or a video. In the UK the legal framework in respect of the illegal production and use of child abuse images was established in 1988. In that year 35 prosecutions resulted. In 2001 the number was 549. The annual increase in child pornography offences has been running above 33% up to 2002 when Operation Ore began. Following action in the USA, the UK Police were handed the names of 7000 individuals, identified through using their credit cards to buy child abuse images from one web site. Latest figures show that the police have made 3537 arrests resulting in 1,230 convictions.
The Internet provides a means of distributing images of the sexual abuse of children. Typically those arrested for possession of indecent images of children on their computer have thousands and tens of thousands of images. In 2003 one man in Oxfordshire had 450,000 child abuse images, another individual in New York was found to have one million. This may seem a staggering number, but with the advancements in computer technology large storage is possible. A CD can contain 650 novels. One gigabyte can contain 500,000 pages of information. A typical hard drive on a family computer is likely to be 120 gigabytes. Computers have DVD / CD writers so people can transfer data onto DVD / CD's and images can be downloaded fairly quickly through broadband and cable connections.
It is little wonder that Carol Howlett, Head of Child Protection for the Metropolitan police has been quoted as saying 'the Internet is where the big growth area in abuse will be'. Unfortunately there are obviously difficulties in being able to 'police' the Internet because of its global nature; though police and other law enforcement authorities are beginning to work together to combat cyber crimes.
Sadly it's likely that because the Internet allows for large numbers of individuals to possess child abuse images, it is likely more children are being abused to satisfy this demand.
Some studies suggest that there is a link between possessing child abuse images and being involved in abusing children. John Carr, NCH's Internet Consultant, reports that in the largest study undertaken in this area, one in three of everyone arrested solely for possessing child abuse images had abused a child as well.
Responsible Supervision
We can help children stay safe while they are connected to the Internet and this can be achieved through educating children and parents alike. Adults may feel intimidated because young people seem more 'computer literate' than they are. A parent may feel less proficient than their child/ren when it comes to the Internet and because of this abdicate responsibility, assuming their child/ren know what they are doing. Whilst the privacy of children should be respected, a certain amount of parental involvement and supervision in this area is still necessary to ensure their safety.
It may be impractical to move a child's computer from their bedroom to a more communal space in the house, but there are ways of removing access to inappropriate/illegal sites on the Internet by installing filtering software on the computer, which can deny access to adult content found on the web. The Internet is facilitating a major increase in children and young people being exposed to a wide range of age-inappropriate or illegal sexual material. To paraphrase John Carr, he asks whether a car manufacturer would sell a vehicle without seat belts and if not why computer manufacturers sell computers without filtering software? Unfortunately only a few do and it therefore rests with parents (and those responsible for computers) to ensure that content is controlled. Responsible parents ensure that children only watch videos in line with the content rating of the film. The use of filtering software can prevent children from accessing age inappropriate content whilst surfing the web.
Stranger Danger
I grew up in the generation where children played in the street. To equip me for this I was taught two things: how to cross the road safely (courtesy of the Tufty Club) and never to take sweets from strangers or go off with them. Although the majority of children are abused by those known to them, where the Internet is concerned we should be teaching children about 'stranger danger'. This can take the form of cyber-stalking and online grooming together with the potential dangers of chat rooms. The reality is that a connection to the Internet means the potential invitation of a stranger into the room and that other people using the Internet aren't always what they seem.
As an organisation CCPAS has, for many years, helped churches develop child protection policies and safe working practices. Those reluctant to adopt a policy have often denied anything could happen in their congregation. Thankfully this is becoming less of an issue but only since the high media profile of certain child abuse cases connected to the church.
Maybe the suggestion of the need to protect children in our churches from the dangers of the Internet is seen as an over reaction. Coronation Street ran a storyline recently of a young person being lured to a meeting with an adult through a chat room and although the number of reported cases of this nature in the U.K. is small, this should not make us complacent. For one church it 'happened' in February 2001 when a 31-year-old youth leader who ran a youth group for 13 to 18 year olds in a local church was jailed for five years for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy he had befriended through a chat room. According to Government research, at least one child abuse case per month involving chat rooms goes before the courts.
Filming/Photography
One of the most frequently asked questions concerns the use of photographs and filming that may be used in a church service or perhaps appears on the church web site. Our good sense approach to this area is that photographs of young people can be used, but for their protection it is better to adopt guidelines such as ensuring that you have written permission of the parent / person with parental responsibility before taking any photographs. Group photographs are always preferable to photographs of individuals. It is also better not to give any identifying details of the child or personal information that could be used to gain the trust of a child/young person. Parents and carers should also be notified of what will happen to any photographs/film after it has been used e.g. disposal.
Support for Parents/carers
The church should support parents and others with responsibilities for children and young people in educating them about the Internet and how to avoid or deal with problems they may encounter. The advent of GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), 3G (Generation) and in future 4G networks, the Internet has become not only global but portable. A survey published in 2004 showed that nearly three quarters of parents are worried that the Internet based services that are available via new 3G phones will harm their children. The issues of child safety on the Internet is likely to become much more complex with this mobility.
CCPAS' Response
To help children stay safe online CCPAS have produced a 'stay safe on the net' Internet Pocket Guide under its brand name 'childprotectionuk.net'. The six panel guide is designed to fit in a purse or wallet, and can be folded to the size of a top up card. The guide contains the all important Internet safety 'dos and don'ts' as well as listing details of helpful child protection sites and organisations.
The guide is being used in schools and churches throughout the UK. Les Johnson, Head teacher of Gelli Aur School Pembroke said: “Computers and the Internet are increasingly becoming a part of children's lives today, both in school and at home. It is essential we do as much as we possibly can to see to it that those who use them do so wisely and are kept safe. The cards produced by CCPAS give excellent advice”
Pastor Rob James of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Pembroke added “The church believes that it should do all it can to ensure that we live in a world where children are valued and secure. The cards have been enthusiastically received by several local primary schools and I would encourage schools throughout the country to consider using them”.
Head teacher of St Thomas' Primary School in Blackburn, Carolyn Lord, says “Children access the Internet on a daily basis. We have a duty to help protect them from the dangers that lurk there, these guides give practical advice for children to be safe whilst online.”
Conclusion
The Internet provides a massive learning opportunity for children and adults.
Its benefits are enormous, from instantaneously communicating with someone irrespective of which part of the world they live in, to providing information previously only available in libraries. Churches need to engage with the technology and help children and young people surf the web safely. CCPAS are here to support churches and families - we are just one click away… www.ccpas.co.uk
Helpful Organisations
In January 2003 the Home Office task force on child protection on the Internet produced 'Good practice models and guidance for the Internet industry on: Chat Services, Instant Messaging and Web Based Services'. Available from: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/cpg/internetask/ho_model.pdf
Childnet International, Studio 144, Brockley Cross Business Centre, 96 Endwell Road, London SE4 2PD Telephone 020 7639 6967
The Internet Watch Foundation (I.W.F.) enables members of the public via a helpline to report child pornography.
http://www.internetwatch.org.uk/hotline/
The I.W.F. will investigate and contact the I.S.P. and the National Criminal Intelligence Service (N.C.I.S.)
Get New Wise
http://www.getnetwise.org which provides an online safety guide for children and young people as well as for adults.
Chat Danger
Internet Content Rating System
Net Nanny
Safe Surfing
Written by Simon Bass
CCPAS Social Work Manager
