How to respond to inappropriate posts and images?

Sexting seems to be an issue which is constantly in the news. It is defined as the exchange of sexual messages or images, and creating, sharing and forwarding sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images through mobile phones and the internet. Research suggests that sexting is becoming commonplace in the lives of teens today. The ubiquitous nature of technology and, in particular, mobile devices means that most young people have a camera and this means that they can take photos whenever they want and, sometimes, mistakes can be made. In most countries, there are legal consequences for sexting and, in most cases, a naked image of someone under the age of 18 is classed as an illegal image or a child sexual abuse image.
Schools need to ensure that they provide opportunities for young people to talk about the challenges that they face online and sexting is clearly one of them.
Actions that should be taken into consideration, include:
Ensuring that sexting and the school’s approach to it is understood by everyone and reflected in the child protection policy.
Providing opportunities in the school for children and young people to be able to talk about and discuss issues such as sexting.
Providing training and updates for staff so that they are aware of the risks and challenges posed by sexting.
Providing information for parents as appropriate, and recognise that they are likely to be shocked if they find out their children are involved in sexting.
For further information and advice, have a look at the resources and services of Childline.
In addition, check the guide of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety.