WIREDGOV

As holidays end and a new school year begins, young people will once again be spending more time socialising, sharing and exploring their creativity online.

There’s never been a better time for parents and young people to talk about staying safe online, which is why the Child Exploitation and Online Protection CEOP Centre have released an enhanced new app, ClickCEOP, to provide support and advice on online safety.

Everyone on Facebook in the UK can have direct access to CEOP’s advice and reporting centre ClickCEOP – from their homepage. The app provides the very latest help on online safety as well as a dedicated facility for reporting instances of suspected grooming or inappropriate sexual behaviour.

CEOP has historically seen increases in public reports at this time of the year via the online ClickCEOP button, from a range of online services popular with young people. Last year, public reports to CEOP across all networks and sources increased by 35% between August and September.

ClickCEOP is a free, independent service that provides all users with direct one-click access to not only help and advice on issues such as cyberbullying, viruses, hacking etc, but also the chance to report any threats direct to CEOP.

Access to ClickCEOP is provided via an application that users can add or bookmark so that it appears on their Timeline. This is not only a constant source of help and reassurance for them but also as a strong visual signal to their friends, family and others that they are in control online.

In 2011, social networking accounted for more than 20% of all time spent online, in part driven by the growth of Facebook which is now used by over 30 million people in the UK. As well as knowing how to access the advice and guidance available within Facebook’s Family Safety Centre at facebook.com/help, it is important that children and parents also know how to quickly report direct to the Centre and use Facebook’s reporting tools.

Peter Davies, Chief Executive at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, said: “ClickCEOP has been enormously successful at giving young people and parents easy access to support when something happens online that makes them feel uncomfortable or when something goes wrong.

“I’m extremely pleased with the collaboration with Facebook that has led to the development of the app and I’d urge all Facebook’s young users and their parents to download it. We continue to have a positive dialogue with Facebook and many online providers around ensuring online environments are as safe as they can be for children.

“Children’s safety online is everybody’s business. It is only through industry, police, parents and young people themselves that we can all keep safe online.”

Simon Milner, UK Director of Policy at Facebook, said:

“Nothing is more important to Facebook than the safety of the people using our service, young or old. The start of a new school year is a great time for teenagers and their parents to visit our Family Safety Centre at facebook.com/safety and ClickCEOP to get tips on how to keep safe while enjoying out service. We’re proud to work with CEOP to promote their excellent advice and support for our users.”