A survey conducted by NASUWT The Teacher’s Union has found that children, some as young as seven have been sexting in school.

 

Shockingly, of the teachers surveyed, a quarter admitted that they were aware of 11-year-olds sharing messages, videos and pictures of a sexual nature.

 

In fact, as reported by The Guardian, in one incident a girl pretended to like a boy so he would send her an explicit picture, which she then shared with other people.

 

Other incidences included a 13- or 14-year-old whose intimate photos that she took for a boy were taken and shared by others, therefore distributing child sexual images.

 

“Many young people see this activity as part of everyday life, despite the severe risks involved,” said a spokesman for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

 

“When something goes wrong, the consequences can be devastating. Apart from exposing them to bullying when images are shared, it could make children targets for sex offenders in some cases.”

 

 

The survey, which is being launched as part of the union’s annual conference in Birmingham, also found that teachers were being abused by pupils and parents on social media, and that kids were using it to send homophobic, racist and even sexist messages.

 

“Online abuse has a devastating impact on teachers and pupils’ lives and yet no serious action is taken by Government to ensure that schools are responding appropriately to this abuse,” said Chris Keates, the NASUWT general secretary.

 

“There are still too many cases where no appropriate action is taken when abuse is reported to headteachers, the police or the social networks themselves.

 

“The level of abuse that teachers are suffering at the hands of parents online is simply unacceptable. How can pupils be expected to use social media sensibly and safely when parents are using it inappropriately?”

 

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