A FILM about the murder of teenager Kayleigh Haywood has helped 35 young people find the courage to tell police they had been targeted by online groomers.
Kayleigh's tragic death is a chilling reminder of the way the online world is increasingly being exploited by warped individuals seeking to abuse children, and every parent buying an internet device for their child should be aware of the risks.
In the last year we’ve seen a staggering rise in online sexual abuse, it was such a big problem for children last year that it took up a third of all Childline contacts about online issues.
The NSPCC has made online safety a priority issue and The Sun’s readers recently backed our joint #BlockTheBullying campaign to stop bullying videos being shared online.
The public also helped us get the Government to make it illegal for an adult to send a sexual message to a child – through our Flaw in the Law campaign – a move that could stop online grooming in its tracks.
But almost two years later the Government has yet to trigger the law.
This is an unacceptable delay in equipping police in England and Wales in the battle against criminals who are intent on targeting children.
It's everyone's responsibility to ensure children are given the same protection in the online world as they are offline.
Internet companies need to be more open about what they are doing to keep children safe and what action is taken to remove content when concerns are raised.
Young people and their families need to be aware of the dangers of the internet – and this film will play a crucial role in this.
And having conversations with children are crucial, as soon as they venture online and as they grow up, to help children spot dangers and deal with the darker side of the internet.
We know the internet can be intimidating for some people so we've created a lot of easy to understand advice on our website.
And parents can call our free online safety helpline – 0808 800 5002 – run in partnership with O2.
Online grooming is a rapidly changing, 21st century crime – and every available resource must be used to help protect and educate children and their families.
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