As we move ever onwards out of lockdown, and start to enjoy all the freedoms that come with it, now is the time to give the young people in your life a reminder to stay alert about predators or unwelcome contact.
It’s not just us that have been locked down for a year, but the groomers too, and the safeguarding world is bracing itself for a wave of offences as those who have connected with and groomed young people digitally start to entice them to meet up.
Remember that a groomer will always make their victim believe they are friends or confidantes. It is this that allowed Breck to make his fateful journey to Lewis’s flat – his belief that they were truly friends, so what harm could come of it? Encourage your young people to think critically about people they may have talked to online, to be wary of gifts or high praise/flattery, and never to meet up with anyone they have talked to online.
If you have any concerns about the welfare of a young person in your care, please call the police on 999 in an emergency, 101 to report an issue, or use ceop.police.uk online to report online abuse.
Sarah Smith
Foundation Speaker
