Rise of under-age TikTok users

  • An Ofcom study shows that a third of parents report their 5- to 7-year-old children have a social media profile and 16% of 3 to 4-year-olds watch videos on TikTok.
  • Around 1 in 3 children aged 8-to-11 years old, has a TikTok account despite it being a strictly 13+ platform.
  • The study also revealed that many children use other accounts or fake Instagram accounts to conceal aspects of their online lives from parents.
  • You can read the full story on the BBC’s website.

One in three internet users fail to question misinformation

  • New research by Ofcom shows that adults and children in the UK overestimate their ability to spot misinformation online.
  • 30% of adults are unsure about content online or don’t consider the truthfulness of online information – a further 6% believe everything they see online.
  • To find out more about misinformation, check out our article.
  • You can read the full story on the Ofcom website.

Hidden nature of modern slavery makes measuring child victims difficult

  • The Office for National Statistics has compiled a collection of data sources aiming to provide a measure of potential child victims of modern slavery in the UK.
  • There is no single data source which accurately quantifies the number of child victims.
  • The most recent data from December 2021 shows an increase of 9% in the number of potential child victims referred to support services.
  • Changes in police recording practices and the COVID-19 pandemic likely affected the number of child victims identified in recent years.
  • You can read the full story on the Office for National Statistics website.

Man jailed for voyeurism involving young girls

  • A man has been jailed for covertly taking images of young girls while they were changing and filming a child as they showered.
  • The man pleaded guilty to voyeurism charges, possessing indecent images of children, and distributing an indecent image of a child.
  • One of the victims recognised the man in a BBC NI programme and he was prosecuted following a complaint from one of the victims.
  • You can read the full story on the BBC’s website.

Schools may have to cut classes over ‘unprecedented crisis’

  • The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has warned that education faces a shortfall in funding that which will make managing basic services difficult.
  • Without an increase in funding from the executive, schools will struggle over the next 3 years.
  • The warning follows funding cuts towards COVID-related costs is ending and support for the cost of substitute teachers and cleaning in schools.
  • You can read the full story on the Belfast Telegraph’s website.