I want to bring to your attention to some recent incidents involving teenagers becoming seriously ill from taking drugs in neighbouring counties, in particular MDMA. MDMA, sometimes referred to as ecstasy, which comes in the form of a pill and can have significant risks, often leaving people hospitalised.   Recent incidents in the Wirral and Greater Manchester saw dealers apparently targeting teenagers. Along with workshops being carried out in school please consider having a conversation with your child to inform and remind them of the dangers of taking drugs and to think twice.

Not only is buying and selling drugs illegal they are extremely dangerous and can also have devastating results.   It is important that children are made aware of the serious implications and to inform their parents or their teachers if they notice any suspicious drug taking.   If anyone is offered drugs or witnesses somebody giving them to children I would urge them to contact Merseyside Police immediately on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.   For more information about drug use visit Frank.

Video guide to Musical.ly

Channel 4 News recently reported children as young as nine being groomed and bombarded with sexually explicated messages on the popular social media app Musical.ly.

But what exactly is the app and what risks does it pose to young people who use it? In this Video Guide to Musical.ly you will learn about what the app does, how it leaves young people vulnerable to being groomed and how you can better protect children who use this app.   Watch now on channel 4 online or on https://www.channel4.com/news/children-bombarded-with-sexually-explicit-chat-on-musical-ly-and-live-ly?intcmp=search_results_page_bottom_p1

Protecting children on social media

 The NSPCC is calling for new laws to force social media sites to keep children safe. They are calling for a rule book that would be enforced by an independent regulator. The rules would ensure that social media companies do three things: provide safe accounts for under-18s with extra protections built in; create grooming and bully alerts to flag up sinister behaviour; and hire an army of dedicated online child safety guardians.

Source: NSPCC news story Date: 18 June 2017

Online etiquette or ‘netiquette’ – The dos and don’ts of online communication

 The internet often plays a huge part in many young people’s daily activities; allowing them to communicate freely with others and share information with ease via messaging apps, social media and gaming networks.

To see The dos and don’ts of online communication visit http://www.childnet.com

Roblox - a guide for parents

An Education Officer Tom looks at the popular gaming site Roblox and gives top tips for parents wanting to help young people stay safe whilst gaming on Roblox. Posted on the Childnet blog 8th June 2017. For full story visit http://www.childnet.com

Resource

Parents: Supporting Young People Online (Leaflets)

Information and advice for parents and carers on supporting young people online. Download this document on - http://www.childnet.com/resources/supporting-young-people-online