Online grooming crimes reach ‘record levels’ in the UK

Online grooming crimes against children have reached record levels across the UK, with the number of offences surpassing 7,000 for the first time, according to new data released by the NSPCC. The national children’s charity is calling for more “ambitious regulation” to make online platforms safer for children and young people. Data compiled by...

Child abuse image crimes increase by 25%

The NSPCC says new figures show that child abuse image crimes increased by 25% in 2022-23. The national children’s charity obtained data from UK police forces which revealed that police recorded more than 33,000 child abuse image crimes last year. These included offences where images were collected and distributed. When comparing data to figures...

Online Safety Bill marks ‘new era for children’s safety’

The landmark Online Safety Bill has finally been passed and will soon be made law, marking what the NSPCC describes as “a new era for children’s safety.” The ground-breaking and “essential” piece of legislation was recently passed following years of campaigning by parents, survivors, MPs and charities and is set to transform the online...

NSPCC: online child abuse risks becoming ‘normalised’

The NSPCC has called for effective action to be written into the Online Safety Bill as “alarming” new data reveals a 66% increase in child abuse image offences recorded by UK police forces in the past 5 years. Data obtained from a Freedom of Information Request (FOIR) has revealed that over 30,000 crimes involving...