Childline contacted twice a day by children seeking help with alcoholic parent
- Childline has reported being contacted twice a day by children who are seeking support with parental alcohol or drug abuse.
- NSPCC counsellors delivered 633 sessions to children last year across the UK concerned about substance misuse.
- One 15-year-old who contacted Childline said, “I am having a hard time at home. My dad is always drunk and gets quite violent”.
- The figures have been released ahead of Children of Alcoholics week, which begins on Monday.
- For the full story, go to the Yahoo website.
Yubo launches in-app safety campaign for Safer Internet Day 2023
- Yubo has partnered with Childnet and Respect Zone to launch two new online safety campaigns.
- English and French speaking users on Yubo will be encouraged to participate with Safer Internet Day and their in-app swipe campaign for the whole of February.
- The campaign will share information on online safety best practices and how to share personal experiences on online platforms.
- Users can also participate in a quiz created by Childnet which is designed to illustrate real life examples of online harassment.
- To learn more about Yubo, check out our article.
- For the full story, visit the PR NewsWire website.
Lego group aims to tackle online safety with its Play Smart initiative
- The Lego Group has launched a new initiative called Play Smart which aims to tackle online safety by providing children with tips and advice.
- Play Smart aims to empower families and help children stay safe online.
- Guidance includes information about online bullying and how to manage screen time.
- To learn more, go to the Brick Fanatics website.
RGU launches project to improve online safety for young people
- ‘Maddie is online’ is a cartoon animation and storytelling resource being rolled out to schools in Scotland for young people aged 9-12 by Robert Gordon University.
- It centres around the everyday life of a fictious young person who experiences troubles online.
- Workshops offered with the animation include information on ethics of online safety and security, ethical hacking and video gaming.
- The project is funded by the Scottish government.
- It is hoped the resources will empower children to make safer online decisions.
- To read more, go to the Scotsman website.
Evidence not needed for short mental health absence says DfE:
- New guidance from the Department of Education has noted that schools will not need to routinely seek medical evidence to authorise absences relating to mental health issues.
- A report on the wellbeing of children and young people found the level of probable disorders has remained at
- The report said there was no need to “routinely” ask for medical evidence to support authorised absences for mental health reasons.
- However, in cases of prolonged absences it may be appropriate to seek medical evidence so that schools can better assess if a child needs additional support.
- To learn more, go to the Schools Week website.
