The Live Wire

Working with internet abuse

Educational programmes for abusers and for their families

Following an increasing number of referrals, many to the Stop it Now! Helpline, about worrying internet activity, LFF designed and runs two courses:

• 'Inform', for partners, friends or family members of individuals who have been looking at online images of child abuse,
• 'Inform Plus' for men arrested, cautioned or convicted of accessing indecent images of children.

The courses have been very well received by participants. There are very few services for these groups, who are growing in number. Probation programmes exist for some convicted male offenders, but many individuals who are arrested on suspicion of downloading child pornography experience lengthy periods on bail and may ultimately receive a caution or have no further action taken. People in this position are not offered any form of intervention.

Additionally, LFF is not aware of any other services offering assistance to partners, friends or family of this type of offender, who often feel bewildered and distraught about what has happened and don't know what action to take.

LFF believes that the provision of services such as Inform and Inform Plus is vital to effective child protection and abuse prevention.

Internet safety seminars in schools

These seminars are provided to parents and are hosted by schools. Most schools do not have funding to provide this type of facility for parents, so we sought this from donations. The funding for our Internet safety seminars has been provided by Hedge Funds Care UK topped up by Lucy Faithfull Foundation's own resources.

Feedback from our Internet safety seminars has shown that 98% of those who returned the forms found the seminar useful or very useful, with the majority (61%) falling into the very useful category. 98% said their awareness had been raised. 93% said they felt more confident to help their children stay safe online. 91% were able to identify one action that they would take as a result of the seminar.

CROGA

Croga.org provides free, anonymous self-help resources for people who are worried about downloading and using illegal images, namely child pornography. The CROGA site is available to both practitioners and those wishing to use the material themselves.

Lucy Faithfull Foundation

Lucy Faithfull Foundation

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