Event Summary

The internet is an increasingly large part of children and young people’s daily lives, with 12–15 year-olds spending on average 20 hours a week online.* Despite progress in technologies to keep children safe, the Internet Watch Foundation found 255,588 reports of online child sexual abuse in 2022 alone.** Increases in peer-on-peer abuse online is also impacting young people’s mental health.

With the passing of the landmark Online Safety Bill to bolster protection for children, join Westminster Insight’s timely Online Safety Conference. Chaired by Susie Hargreaves OBE, CEO of the Internet Watch Foundation, we will explore what the future holds for the Bill with representatives of the UK Council for Internet Safety, Ofcom, and the National Crime Agency (NCA) Protect and Prepare Board.

Gain insights on the latest technologies and grooming tactics used by perpetrators of online abuse with Deborah Denis, CEO of The Lucy Faithfull Foundation. With expert speakers highlighting what technologies can be used to stop online sexual abuse in its tracks, understand what support is available to you. You will hear from Snapchat’s global head of platform safety, Jacqueline Beauchere on steps being taken to keep young people safe.

Hear directly from young people to understand what they need from you, to keep them safe and healthy online. Our expert speakers will also spotlight how to mitigate the impacts of social media on young people’s mental health.

Will Gardner OBE, CEO of Childnet, and David Wright, Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre and CEO of SWGfL will discuss how to effectively teach online safety to children and young people. Neurodiverse young people often have higher risks of online harms. We will spotlight how to communicate online safety with neurodiverse children and young people.

Working together to protect young people from harm, we will hear best-practice multi-agency responses to local online harm and peer-on-peer abuse.

Network with your peers and colleagues across the country on our interactive virtual platform.

*Children’s Commissioner, Growing up Digital

**Internet Watch Foundation

Key Points

  • The Future of the Online Safety Bill
  • Understanding the latest trends in online harms and spotting the signs of abuse
  • Keeping up with evolving technologies and disrupting perpetrators
  • Listening to young people to understand their world online
  • Multi-agency and best-practice responses to local online harms and peer-on-peer abuse
  • Mitigating against the negative effects of social media on mental health