Reports highlight extent of sexting among teenagers
A quarter of teachers questioned knew of pupils involved in sexting who were just eleven years old, with the youngest child reported being just seven. The majority of pupils involved in such incidents were aged 13 to 16. The study, which questioned 1,300 teachers, also found that over half were aware of pupils using social media to send insulting or bullying messages of a sexist nature to other students; 53 per cent were aware of messages of a homophobic nature and half of teachers were aware of racist messages.
Responding to the increase of sexual messages being sent, the NSPCC said, ‘Children and young people need to understand the risks of sending these images and know what to do to get the support.’ The charity wants sexting to be included in age-appropriate sex and relationships education.
A separate report by the Labour party found 13 times as many cases of sexting by under-16s last year than in 2013. Of the 39 police forces in England, who received the Freedom of Information request, 18 responded. Back in 2013, the 18 forces looked at 51 cases of teenagers ‘sending or receiving explicit messages and images on a mobile telecommunications device’. In 2015 it was 665. The Labour party is also calling for sexting to be included in sex and relationships education, saying, ‘Youngsters are being pushed into adult territory well before they are ready’.
Resource church launched
Rev Gareth Robinson will lead the first ‘Resource Church’ in the Diocese of Manchester, where within a mile of the city centre more than 70 per cent of the population are under 30. As well as becoming a resource for the wider ministry of the Church of England in Manchester, St Philip’s Church in Salford will focus on reaching a younger generation.
Walk with persecuted Christians
Open Doors have launched a new resource called ‘Walk with them’ to help youth groups connect with the issues facing persecuted Christians in Iraq and Syria through sponsored walks. Visit opendoorsyouth.org/ do-something/walkwiththem to download a free leader pack which includes suggested Bible studies, stories and prayers to use during your walk as well as sponsorship forms and promotional material.
Girlguiding tackles mental health with new badge
Girlguiding partnered with Young Minds after a recent survey within the organisation found almost half of girls aged 17 to 21 struggle with their mental health. The survey also reported that twothirds felt awkward talking about mental health.
Lizzie Gardiner, part of the group putting the resource together said: ‘A few of my friends have suffered with mental health problems, but before I got involved with Think Resilient, I was unaware of how I could help. It was frustrating to see people I cared about going through something I didn’t understand. Mental wellbeing is not something that is talked about in schools, which makes resources like Think Resilient all the more important. I just wish something like this had been around when I was younger! So much work has gone into Think Resilient and I’m really proud to be a part of it. I can’t wait to see what my fellow members think.’
Christian resources exhibition
This spring, Premier Youthwork will be hosting the youth worker’s day at the Christian Resources Exhibition. The day will look at issues surrounding sex, mental health, the media and starting something from scratch. Contributors include YFC’s Neil O’Boyle, Urban Saints’ Matt Summerfield and Meg Cannon. It takes place at Excel, London on Thursday 19th May. For more information, visit creonline.co.uk
William and Kate visit Christian mentoring project
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge recently met young people who have benefited from a Christian youth mentoring project. XLP works in more than 75 schools in London to help young people who are facing emotional, behavioural and relational challenges.
The programme run by the Christian charity sees at-risk 11-18-year-olds matched with a community mentor who commits to providing them with two hours face-to-face time each week for a minimum of 12 months. More than 90 per cent of beneficiaries have either remained in or returned to school and are doing well after 12 months with a mentor.
The royal couple met mentors and mentees from three boroughs at the XLP project at London Wall in March. William and Kate previously visited another XLP project in Gipsy Hill just under a year ago when Kate was eight months’ pregnant with Princess Charlotte.
Scottish youth project recognised
Level One, a youth project by Stirling Baptist Church, has been recognised at the inaugural Love Britain and Ireland Awards. It was given the ‘Youth and children’s work’ award for its efforts in staging events and programmes throughout the week - including drop-ins, music nights, workshops and Bible studies.
Level One was set up in 2014 in response to the number of young people congregating in the area surrounding the church. Leaders at the church wanted to create an opportunity to reach out to the young people. The project was one of six winners at the Love Britain and Ireland Awards which were hosted at Portcullis House in Westminster by comedian Tim Vine.
Monthly Crunch
Twitter recently celebrated its tenth birthday so here’s a snap shot of how young people consume social media. According to a Comres survey for Newsround: More than threequarters of 10 to 12-year-olds in the UK have social media accounts, even though they are underage
Among 13 to 18-year-olds, 96 per cent were signed up to social media networks
A report by family online safety experts Parent Zone found:
74 per cent of young people said the internet makes them happy
36 per cent admit they would suggest friends avoid social media if they were feeling worried or upset
