CEOP launches resources to help vulnerable children to stay safe online

Children with learning difficulties and deaf young people are being encouraged to stay safe online with a set of resources launched by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop).

The organisation said it believes that children with additional needs can be particularly vulnerable to abuse, citing evidence that claims children with any type of disability are 3.4 times more likely to suffer some type of abuse compared to children without disabilities.

To address the issue, Ceop, along with organisations including the NSPCC and the National Deaf Children’s Society, has developed two films and resources for teachers.

Meadowfield School, a profound, severe & complex needs school, piloted the resources last year. Denise Driscoll, ICT curriculum leader at the school, said: “This resource really captured the attention of our children from Key Stage 2 through to our 16- to 19-year-old students.”

Helen Penn, Ceop’s head of education, said: “The internet opens up the world to all young people and even more so for those who are especially vulnerable, allowing them to connect with friends and family in ways they can’t in the real world.

“These new resources have been designed to help children and young people who are deaf or who have additional needs to understand issues such as stranger danger and how to keep their personal information protected, in ways that are relevant to them.”