4. Child Exploitation Online Protection (CEOP)
4. Child Exploitation Online Protection (CEOP) Six Values
We would like to talk about values and the six CEOP values. CEOP stands for Child Exploitation Online Protection and guidelines are from the National Crime Agency.
1. The first value is Safeguarding - we can all agree that safety and well-being is always a first and a priority for all our children and young people.
2. The second value is to approach from the perspective of the child, understanding what being online means to them and taking the time to explain the positives as well as any risks. It is all about making them aware and not trying to stop them from using the games and all the sites that they want to use. Unless of course, there are some real concerns and risks with what they are accessing then you would need to have a conversation regarding this. As Parents and Carers we need to be clear and explain to them fully about the risks and tell them that if you were not to have the difficult conversations with them and just ban them from using the sites they are visiting, it is likely to have the opposite effect and you will not know what sites your children are accessing and you will not be in a position to offer advice and be able to step in. Parents and Carers will also run the risk of their children not coming to them when they do have concerns for fear of everything being taken away from them. It is much better to keep an open dialogue with the children and have an understanding of what they are accessing whilst online.
3. The third value is promoting dialogue and understanding so young people feel safe when they are listened to and they have someone they trust that they can speak to. This is not always a parent or carer. It could be somebody else in their life like a teacher, a relative, an older sibling or a friend of the family. So as long as they have someone that they trust and they can talk to. This can be a major positive in your life and in theirs.
4. Value four would be to empower and enable children. Children always have the right to be protected and supported and we are there to help them build confidence and to build their skills, whether that be online or in person, be there to help them learn and point them in the right direction. With this in mind we can also help them navigate the online world as well as the world in person. For example, an innocent looking email or text from an unknown source can be dangerous when clicked so sharing this information with our children is vital to make them aware, especially if they are new to technology.
5. Value five is never frighten or scaremonger to enforce an impact. Alarmist education can be very risky and ineffective and we need to avoid shocking or scaring young people as the actual message that you were trying to convey to them could have the opposite effect.
6. Value six is challenging victim blaming. We all have a responsibility to challenge any victim blaming language. It is never the fault of those who have been harmed. We as parents and professionals can help to build confidence by having conversations and by staying calm, even when we might be feeling angry. Have a conversation and by doing this you can build the confidence of that young person so they will come back to you and talk to you should they need to in future. It is really important to stay calm and have a conversation. It is understandable you may be feeling angry, because you're fearful of what may have happened to your child or what they may have done to put themselves possibly in danger or at risk.
