9 Grooming

CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, http://www.ceop.gov.uk [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] ) is the UK centre dedicated to eradicating the sexual exploitation of children with the focus on online communications.

As the online world breaks all geographic boundaries, CEOP works with other similar agencies across the world including the Virtual Global Taskforce (www.virtualglobaltaskforce.com) to come together to tackle sexual exploitation of children all across the world.

The CEOP has a dedicated education programme called Thinkuknow (http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk) which caters for children at Key Stages 1, 2, 3 and 4, parents/carers and teachers. It is important to note that the CEOP stress that their materials should only be used and delivered to children by CEOP-trained people.

Explore the CEOP and Thinkuknow websites (listed above). Explore the Thinkuknow resources and then look at the section on training.

View the video links below to gain a better understanding of how grooming can occur:

Reflection

The CEOP education programme has been rolled out across the UK and there is training available for staff with a specific responsibility for or interest in e-safety.

The two key training programmes for staff are the CEOP Trainers event, which allows teachers to become certified in delivering the CEOP educational materials to children, and the CEOP Ambassadors event, which allows staff to cascade the CEOP Training event to fellow staff (subject to the relevant CRB checks). Is there somebody at your school who is CEOP trained?

Is this something you would think would be relevant for you?

There are two main misconceptions about grooming: (a) it’s usually young girls that are groomed and (b) groomers are normally middle-aged men.

These two misconceptions need to be discussed with your children as boys are as susceptible to being groomed and groomers can be of any type.

8 Viruses and malware

10 Whole-school e-safety