Young LGBTQI+ people ‘nearly twice as likely’ to encounter hate speech online

  • Research from the annual Digital Youth Index study found 69% of young people aged between eight and 25 said they had seen distressing content online.
  • Reddit, Twitter, TikTok and Tumblr were named as the most common places to see distressing content.
  • The research also found that minority groups were the most vulnerable to negative content online, with the LGBTQI+ community nearly twice as likely to experience hate speech online.
  • Find out more on the Independent’s website.

Impact of attacks on teaching assistants revealed

  • Teaching and classroom assistants in mainstream schools in the UK have described being kicked, punched and spat at by pupils in a new study from the University of Roehampton.
  • The study explores for the first-time, aggression targeted at support staff, who are predominantly female and low-paid.
  • Reports from support staff included being hit, bitten, objects thrown at them and receiving death threats in both primary and secondary schools.
  • The psychological toll of incidents included stress, anxiety, depression and PTSD.
  • To read more, please visit the Guardian’s website.

Fake WhatsApp software can access users’ messages, send spam and steal money

  • An unofficial WhatsApp app called ‘Yo WhatsApp’ has been stealing access keys to user’s accounts.
  • The app was promoted through adverts in Android applications such as Snaptube, which allows users to download YouTube videos.
  • Attacks were able to see conversations, steal data and add paid subscriptions without the users’ knowledge.
  • Find out on more on the Independent’s website.

Almost half of teens are sent unwanted sexual images online

  • Research has found that almost half of a sample of over 1000 16-year-olds have been sent unwanted sexually explicit pictures or videos online.
  • Just under a fifth of boys regard posting a joke or comment of a sexual nature on social media as “sometimes acceptable”.
  • The research is contributing to the Ending Violence against Women and Girls (EVAWG) strategy from Stormont commissioned by the executive office.
  • Responses also suggested that LGBT young people were more likely to face unwanted comments about their appearance, verbal threats and abuse.
  • Those with disabilities were more likely to have experienced coercive control.
  • Read more about this new research on the BBC’s website.