VP of Twitch Trust and Safety at Twitch releases update
- VP of Trust and Safety at Twitch, Angela Hession released an update on measures taken to ensure the safety of its creators and users.
- In response to ‘hate raids’ targeting streamers of colour and members of the LGBTQ+ community, Twitch removed over 15 million ‘bot’ accounts.
- Twitch is continuing site-wide monitoring and proactive detection updated and pursuing legal action against individuals responsible.
- Twitch’s Hateful Conduct, Harassment, and Sexual Harassment policy was updated to take a tougher and clearer stance on harmful behaviours.
- Full story, here.
(These stories contain descriptions that may be upsetting)
Man jailed for posing as teen girl to abuse schoolboys online
- Oliver Derbidge from Glastonbury has been jailed for 12 years after admitting to posing as a teenage girl to manipulate schoolboys.
- He aimed to manipulate young boys to take indecent images of themselves and to receive videos of them abusing other children.
- The National Crime Agency began investigating Derbidge in January 2021.
- He had previously expressed a sexual interest in young boys across several child abuse forums.
- Derbidge targeted a total of 23 young boys on Snapchat and blackmailed them to send additional images and footage of them abusing other children.
- Full story, here.
Oldham child sexual abuse inquiry ‘concludes authorities covered up serious failings’
- A child sexual exploitation inquiry in Oldham has found authorities covered up ‘serious failings’ in their treatment of a 12-year-old girl who was raped.
- Part of the report shows both Oldham Council and Greater Manchester Police will be heavily criticised when it is published in full.
- Authorities allegedly “turned a blind eye” as she was abused by a string of adult men, including two who assaulted her after picking her up outside a police station.
- The girl suffered more than 20 sexual assaults by eight men in one night, including 15 rapes.
- She previously told professionals she was being groomed by a teacher, but this was dismissed as ‘attention seeking’.
- Full story, here.
Staff absences in half of NI schools in term’s first week
- More than half of schools in Northern Ireland had teachers absent due to COVID-19 or self-isolation during the first full week of term.
- The impact on schools was uneven, with about one in 20 teachers off in post-primary schools and higher rates across primary and special needs schools.
- Schools have reported difficulty in sourcing substitute teachers with post-primaries struggling to get ‘subject-specific’ cover for pupils taking GCSEs and A-Levels.
- Department of Education surveys show that two-thirds of teacher absences were covered by a substitute.
- Full story, here.
Rise in heating bills for schools “will come at a cost elsewhere”
- The principal at one of Northern Ireland’s top grammar schools has told Stormont that schools should be given financial assistant to cope with rising heating costs.
- Trevor Robinson from Lurgan College claims that it’s important to ensure that extra money schools needed for heating does not take away from the education of pupils.
- Rising energy costs could take up £16m from the education budget by the end of this financial year.
- Additionally, schools are being advised to keep windows open to aid ventilation and this should “not come at the expense of books, equipment and teachers”.
- While the college has been supplied with carbon dioxide monitors, there are “not enough for every classroom”.
- Full story, here.
