New UKCIS Guidance: Sharing Nudes and Semi-Nudes

The UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) have updated its non-statutory guidance on Youth Produced Sexual Imagery (YPSI), which is entitled ‘Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people’ and replaces ‘Sexting in schools and colleges: responding to incidents and safeguarding young people’ (2016).

The guidance has been released in England and Wales and has been developed alongside the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC).

Sharing photos, videos and live streams online is part of daily life for many people, enabling them to share their experiences, connect with friends and record their lives. Photos and videos can be shared via messaging apps or posted on social media and image sharing platforms.

It is important to note that children and young people send a variety of images and videos, some of which are not nude, semi-nude and/or exploitative or intended to be so. However, the focus of this guidance is on the sending of nudes and semi-nudes. Although many education settings are dealing with an increase in incidents of nudes and semi-nudes being shared, research has found a significant number of children and young people aren’t sending or receiving nudes and semi-nudes (Brook and NCACEOP, 2017):

• 26% had sent a nude image to someone they were interested in
• 48% had received one of someone else, sent by that same person

Although most children and young people aren’t creating or sharing these types of images and videos, the potential risks are significant. If the imagery is shared further, it may lead to embarrassment, bullying and increased vulnerability to blackmail and exploitation.

Producing and sharing nudes and semi-nudes of under 18s is also illegal, which causes considerable concern in education settings working with children and young people, and amongst parents and carers. Although the production of such images will likely take place outside of education settings, sharing can take place and issues are often identified or reported here. Education settings need to be able to respond swiftly and confidently to make sure children and young people are safeguarded, supported and educated.

Members of staff other than DSLs, deputies, headteachers and senior leadership team members should see a one-page summary on how to manage incidents.

If an incident comes to your attention you must report it to your Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or equivalent immediately. Your setting’s child protection policy should outline codes of practice to be followed.

• Never view, copy, print, share, store or save the imagery yourself, or ask a child to share or download it – this is illegal
• If you have already viewed the imagery by accident (e.g. if a young person has shown it to you before you could ask them not to), report this to the DSL (or equivalent) and seek support
• Do not delete the imagery or ask the young person to delete it
• Do not ask the child/children or young person(s) who are involved in the incident to disclose information regarding the imagery. This is the responsibility of the DSL (or equivalent)
• Do not share information about the incident with other members of staff, the young person(s) it involves or their, or other, parents and/or carers
• Do not say or do anything to blame or shame any young people involved
• Do explain to them that you need to report it and reassure them that they will receive support and help from the DSL (or equivalent)