The Wireless Report 2014

Ditch the
Label your world, prejudice free .

20:04  
The Wireless
Report
2014
   
How young people between the ages of 13-25
engage with smartphone technology AND NAKED PHOTOS.

With special thanks to Habbo, Hackett & Tiger, Bullet PR, Professor Ian Rivers of Brunel University, Liam Hackett, Yuri Yakovlev
and all members of Ditch the Label staff who have been involved in the production and distribution of this research report.
Find out more about our anti-bullying charity at www.DitchtheLabel.org.

Contents
preface
welcome to ditch the label
executive summary
methodology and data sample
smartphone apps
use of smartphone apps
abuse on smartphone apps
emotional impact of abuse
reporting abuse on smartphone apps
behavioural impact of abuse
sexting
who’s doing it
where are the naked images going?
why do it?
leaking and the impact
why not do it?
attitudes
case studies
respondent case studies
conclusion
recommendations
how we can help
First published on October 15th 2014 by Ditch the Label. This report may not be reproduced without prior
written consent. Content from this survey must be appropriately referenced in external documents.
All rights reserved. This research is provided “as is” without warranty and is freely available to the public.
Copyright 2014 Ditch the Label. Registered charity number: 1156329.
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WELCOME TO DITCH THE LABEL

About Ditch the Label
We are a provider of innovative
advice, support and intervention
programs designed to benefit
young people who are impacted
by bullying within the UK; along
with parents, guardians, teaching
professionals, other charities and
Governmental agencies.
Through our education
interventions and research, we
link the issue of bullying to wider
societal issues surrounding equality
and discrimination. We encourage
young people to embrace and
celebrate who they are, whilst
becoming active global citizens.
Our research also goes on to
educate other organisations, those
working with young people and
the general public. We share our
research to enable others to also
develop their interventions for the
benefit of young people in the UK. We are a nationwide anti-bullying
charity based in Brighton, UK. We
believe that everybody is unique,
despite the kinds of social labels
they fall under. It doesn’t matter if
you are white, black, gay, straight,
asexual, disabled, skinny, curvy, old,
young, interested in sports, work
in a salon or feel good in drag, we
think that you are amazing.
20:04  

Each year we provide advice and
support to over 70,000 young
people from across the UK and this
figure is constantly growing. We
produce leading support materials,
along with some of the most
comprehensive research in the
world.
Our Objectives
1. To build a complex understanding
of bullying through extensive
research and involvement with
young people so that we can
effectively work towards tackling it
and identify future trends.
2. To reduce the prominence and
effects of bullying within the UK’s
education system through our
work with schools, colleges, the
Government, organisations, parents
and youths.
3. To inspire and educate young
people towards our ethos of
equality and philanthropy.
Promoting self-acceptance and
self-love.
About this research
We believe that it is important to
constantly monitor the environment
in which we work in by measuring
shifts in behaviours and attitudes
through the use of research.
This research enables us to
continuously adapt and develop our
intervention services so that we can
remain relevant to young people in
the UK.
Currently, over 70% of young people
believe that more work needs to
be done to reduce the effects and
prominence of bullying and we are
working hard to bridge this gap.
4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The landscape of bullying is one that is constantly changing and adapting to
progresses made in technology and shifts in behaviours and attitudes. We
believe that research is one of the most important elements when trying to
understand the rapidly changing lives of young people.
As part of this research, we wanted to identify the ways in which young people
are currently engaging with social media apps that are made specifically for
the use of smartphones. In The Annual Cyberbullying Survey 2013, which we
published in October 2013, we identified from a sample of over 10,000 young
people that up to 69% of them had experienced some degree of bullying on
the Internet.
The Wireless Survey 2014 has really unearthed some striking statistics and
huge areas of concern regarding the safeguarding and wellbeing of young
people. In particular, the following statistics have really stood out to me:
• 62% of young people have been sent nasty private messages on a
smartphone app based social network;
• 52% of young people who have received abuse have never reported it;
• 24% of young people who have sent a naked photo of themselves have
had it shared without their consent.
In light of our new research, we are pressing for significant changes in
the ways in which bullying is currently addressed in the UK, and perhaps
internationally too. We believe that all members of society are stakeholders in
the issue that is bullying; as the majority of us either experience it first hand or
have seen it happen to a loved one.
Although bullying doesn’t always have catastrophic effects, some of the
statistics unearthed by this research present significant concerns, especially
with regards to:
• child pornography;
• unathorised sharing of naked photos and “revenge porn”;
• serious threats sent to young people and hate crimes;
• potential impacts of more severe abuse upon the health and welfare of
young people.
Moving forward, we will be implementing this research into our own education
interventions and the work that we do with schools, colleges, young people
and other organisations concerned with the welfare and safeguarding of
young people. We will also be making our findings public and will be sharing
them with other agencies for the purpose of sharing best practice.
On a final note, our research finds that it isn’t all doom and gloom with regards
to the use of smartphone technology. We have unearthed the positive impact
that young people feel smartphone social networking apps have on their lives
and friendships. For example, we found that 38% of young people believe that
smartphone social media has enabled them to make new friends.
We do not believe in restricting the access to the smartphone apps listed in
this survey and advocate that education is essential in ensuring that young
people are using the technologies appropriately.
Yours,
Liam Hackett
liam hackett, ceo
@ditchthelabel
liam@ditchthelabel.org
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methodology and sample
Methodology
Our survey was conducted in partnership with Habbo, the largest online teen community in the world.
Participation was completely optional and came without incentive. The survey was displayed to all users on the
Habbo homepage between 18th August 2014 and 14th September 2014. The survey was advertised as one about
smartphone apps without mention of bullying, abuse or sexting.
Our total sample size was: 2,732 young people aged 13-25.
A total of 1,020 respondents were from the United Kingdom. Once cleansed, the data set reduced to 962
respondents which were used for the analysis contained within this report.
International participation in The Wireless Survey is ongoing and we plan to release a cross-cultural study in
July 2015.
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Age of Respondents
7%
9%
15% 14%
13%
12%
8%
7%
6%
3% 3%
1% 2%
46% male
2% transgender
52% female
average age: 17.3yrs
6

disabilities of respondents
 7% have a physical disability
 9% have a learning disability
 5% have autism or aspergers
sexuality of respondents
 67% identify as straight
 10% identify as bisexual
 8% identify as curious
 8% identify as gay
 3% identify as lesbian
 4% didn’t want to say
religion of respondents
 33% identify as atheist
 2% identify as buddhist
 32% identify as christian
 2% identify as pagan
 13% identify as agnostic
 1% identify as hindu
 4% identify as muslim
 1% identify as jewish
 1% identify as sikh
 11% chose not to answer
7

smartphone apps
Part
1
impact of abuse on smartphone apps

Q: Which smartphone apps do you use?
74%
use it
68%
use it 67%
9
use it
59%
use it 57%
use it
35%
use it
13%
use it
11%
use it
5%
use it 3%
use it
1%
use it
Snapchat
Instant photo sharing platform with
images being “deleted” after 10 seconds.
Skype
Instant video calling and online instant
messaging via desktop and smartphone.
Instagram
Photo sharing app available on most
major smartphones.
Whatsapp
Free instant messaging and multimedia
app available on smartphones. People
engage via their mobile numbers.
Kik Messenger
app available on smartphones. People
engage via their Kik username.
Vine
6 second video sharing app available on
most major smartphones.
Viber
Instant video, phone calling and online
instant messaging via desktop and
smartphone.
Tinder
Smartphone dating app. Tinder enables
two users who have “matched” to instant
message.
Grindr
Smartphone dating app for gay men.
Provides instant messaging, photo and
location sharing.
Line
app available on smartphones. Enables
engagements with brands too.
Blendr
Smartphone dating app. Provides instant
messaging, photo and location sharing.

Q: how frequently do you use each app?
from those that use each app
App Several times
a day
Once a day Several times
a week
Once a
week
Once a
fortnight
Once a
month
Every now
and again
Snapchat
N=712
65% 11% 10% 3% 1% 1% 9%
Instagram
N=654
55% 15% 8% 6% 2% 4% 10%
Skype
N=645
33% 12% 15% 8% 4% 5% 23%
Kik Messenger
N=568
47% 8% 12% 6% 3% 2% 22%
WhatsApp
N=584
47% 8% 13% 6% 4% 2% 20%
Vine
N=337
25% 14% 19% 9% 3% 4% 26%
Viber
N=125
19% 3% 13% 9% 3% 5% 48%
Tinder
N=106
17% 20% 21% 10% 6% 3% 23%
Grindr
N=48
43% 8% 15% 8% 0% 0% 26%
Line
N=29
34% 10% 7% 3% 3% 38% 5%
Blendr
N=10
29% 10% 10% 29% 2% 1% 19%
Q: why do you use social networking smartphone apps?
69% fOR FUN AND
ENTERTAINMENT
60%
to keep up with
friends and family
who are away
to make new
38% friends
57%
as a cheap
alternative to
texting and calling
31%
to follow
celebrities and
brands
25%
to connect with
others for advice
and support
10

11
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
56%
to help boost
friendships with
offline contacts
40%
They help
me boost
39%
friendships with
people
I know offline
to make plans
with people i know
offline
to create and
share content
with the world
They enable me
to create and
share content
with the world
They are fun
and
entertaining
They help me
keep up to
date with
friends/family
who are away
A cheap
alternative to
texting and
calling
They help me
follow my
favourite
celebrities and
brands
21%
to talk to
people i find
attractive
12%
I use them to
talk to people
I find attractive
to meet
potential new
partners
To make
plans with
my offline
friends
Enables me
to meet new
friends
Enables me
to meet
potential
partners
Male (n=441)
Female (n=501)
Transgender (n=20)
Allows me to
connect with other
people who are like
me for advice and
support
Q: why do you use social networking smartphone apps?
gender variance

Q: have you ever experienced abuse from users on a
smartphone social networking app?
GRAPH KEY
SC=SNAPCHAT
IG=INSTAGRAM
SP=SKYPE
KM=KIK MESSENGER
WA=WHATSAPP
30%
10%
47% overall experienced it
SC IG SP KM WA VN VB TR GR LE BR
Have you ever received comments on or about your profile?
35%
10%
5
8%
17%
14%
16%
12%
4%
1%
6%
4%
VN=VINE
VB=VIBER
TR=TINDER
GR=GRINDR
LE=LINE
BR=BLENDER
Snapchat Instagram Skype Kik Messenger Whatsapp Vine Viber Tinder Grindr Line Blender
Have you ever received nasty private messages?
11%
9%
24%
33%
16%
2% 2%
8%
4%
12

GRAPH KEY
SC=SNAPCHAT
IG=INSTAGRAM
SP=SKYPE
KM=KIK MESSENGER
WA=WHATSAPP
28%
0%
Have you ever received nasty comments about photos of you?
9%
20%
9%
14%
7%
3%
0%
6%
4%
VN=VINE
VB=VIBER
TR=TINDER
GR=GRINDR
LE=LINE
BR=BLENDER
0%
6% 6%
5%
Have you ever received nasty video comments?
6%
8%
6%
2%
4%
13

GRAPH KEY
SC=SNAPCHAT
IG=INSTAGRAM
SP=SKYPE
KM=KIK MESSENGER
WA=WHATSAPP
15%
0%
Have you ever received hate based comments?
7%
14% 14%
17%
8%
4%
1%
7% 7%
VN=VINE
VB=VIBER
TR=TINDER
GR=GRINDR
LE=LINE
BR=BLENDER
* such as racism, homophobia, xenophobia, Transphobia etc.
7%
10% 10%
8%
6%
1%
2% 2%
4%
7%
0%
Has anybody ever shared your personal information without consent?
14

GRAPH KEY
SC=SNAPCHAT
IG=INSTAGRAM
SP=SKYPE
KM=KIK MESSENGER
WA=WHATSAPP
VN=VINE
VB=VIBER
TR=TINDER
GR=GRINDR
LE=LINE
BR=BLENDER
3%
4%
2%
11%
0%
8%
10%
9%
0%
Have you ever received threats?
examples of threats received
0% 0%
James, aged 13 and male received:
“I will hack your account, I’ll beat you up at school, I will go to your
house and beat you up and I will get people to beat you up if you
don’t say sorry.”
Jessica, aged 15 and female says:
“If I break up with my boyfriend who I met online he starts to
threaten me, threatening to post information about me.”
Dan, aged 16 and male says:
“I received threats from a group of people online who said that
they were going to kill me because they found out I was gay.”
Danica, aged 18 and trans* female says:
“I am transgender and I have received multiple threats from
people I know offline threatening to physically assault me and ‘put
me in hospital’.”
15

emotional impact of smartphone app abuse
Q: on a scale of 1-5, how much of an impact did the abuse
have?
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
Nasty profile comments Nasty private messages
No effect- 1
2
4
Managable- 3
Significant effect- 5
No effect- 1
2
4
Managable- 3
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
No effect- 1
2
4
Managable- 3
No effect- 1
2
4
7%
Managable- 3
Nasty comments on
photos of you
Nasty comments on
videos of you
Hate based comments
No effect- 1
2
4
Managable- 3
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
No effect- 1
Threats Sharing of personal
2
4
Managable- 3
No effect- 1
information
2
9% 8%
4
Managable- 3
23%
7%
11%
5% 5%
21%
7%
11%
6%
8%
19%
6%
10%
6%
8%
22%
5% 5% 5%
19%
8% 8%
6%
7%
19%
5%
7%
5%
10%
17%
5% 5%
16

Q: have you ever reported any abuse you’ve experienced
to the support teams on smartphone apps?
from those who have experienced abuse
48% reported
abuse
52% have never
reported abuse
Q: What happened as a result of reporting the abuse?
from those who have experienced abuse and reported it
i was happy
41%
with the outcome
i had no response
to my report 22%
with the outcome 16%
i was indifferent
about the outcome 11% i was disappointed
i feel like it was
taken seriously 14%
i feel like it wasn’t
taken seriously 26%
the issue
was resolved 15% the issue
got worse 5%
17

Q: why didn’t you report the abuse?
from those who have experienced abuse and didn’t report it
28%
i don’t believe
it’s serious enough
i don’t think it will
be taken seriously 19% tried it before and
Q: who did the abuse come from?
nothing happened 11%
i don’t know how
to report it 6%
i’m scared it
i don’t like to talk
10% 10%
will get worse about it 25% from people i don’t
know
21% from people i know
15% selected ‘other’
21% from an anonymous online only
user
18% from people i know
offline
18

behavioural impact of smartphone app abuse
Q: which of the following happened as a result of
receiving abuse on smartphone apps?
49% experienced a
reduction in
confidence
47% became
insecure about
themselves
38% tried to
change something
about themselves
30% said it was a
distraction from
real life
28% retaliated and
sent something
abusive back
24% turned to self
harming as a coping
mechanism
As with all types of bullying, abuse
via smartphone apps was found to
have a profound impact upon the
confidence of young people from
across the UK, which in turn can
have a severe impact upon other
areas of their lives.
Communication via smartphone
apps can be incredibly intimate for
young people and as such, abuse
can threaten both physical
security and emotional security.
A significant amount of
respondents internalised the
abuse that they were receiving
and saw it as a problem with
themselves and not as an attitude
or behavioural issue from the
perpetrator.
Whilst on a virtual platform, abuse
via smartphone apps was found
to create a significant distraction
from offline events. This could be
anything from studies and career
progression to social life and
family relationships.
We found that the “vicious cycle”
trend does indeed exist within the
sphere of abuse on smartphone
apps. Almost 1 in 3 young people
who had experienced abuse
responded by sending abuse back.
Almost 1 in 4 young people turned
to self harm as a means of dealing
with the emotional distress and
upset of abuse they had received
on a smartphone app. This is a
much higher rate than is average
for bullying which shows that it is
having a profound impact.
22% changed their
appearance to try
and avoid abuse
16% said it made
them want to get
revenge
13% stopped using
the social
networking app
47% of respondents told us that
they had, at some point received
a nasty comment on a photo that
they had posted of themselves.
This reactive response suggests
that young people are internalising
abuse and seeing themselves as
the problem.
For many young people, revenge
can seem like the most instinctive
response, and indeed up to 28%
of them retaliate to abuse by
reciprocation.
Just over 1 in 10 young people who
received abuse on a smartphone
app were discouraged from using
the app altogether.
19

Part
2
sexting
sexting on smartphones
attitudes towards sexting
sexting related abuse

naked photos: who’s doing it?
37% have
sent a naked
photo
63% have
never sent a
naked photo
Several times a
week
Once a week Once a
fortnight
Once a month Once every
3 months
Once every 6
months
Once a year Once
6% 4% 2% 4% 3% 3% 2% 14%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
Male (n=441)
Female (n=501)
Transgender (n=20)
Once Once a
year
Once
every 6
months
Once
every 3
months
Once a
month
Once a
fortnight
Once a
week
Several
times a
week
gender variances
21

naked photos: who’s doing it?
sexuality variances
age variances
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
Straight (n=650)
Bisexual (n=100)
Gay (n=77)
Curious (n=73)
Lesbian (n=25)
Prefer not to say (n=37)
Once Once a
year
Once
every 6
months
Once
every 3
months
Once a
month
Once a
fortnight
Once a
week
Several
times a
week
90%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
15% of 13 year olds did it, 15% of 14 year olds did it, 30% of 15 year olds did it, 36% of 16 year olds did it,
Once Once a year Once every
6 months
Once every
3 months
Once a month Once a
fortnight
Once a week Several times
a week
80%
Aged 13
Aged 14
Aged 15
Aged 16
Aged 17
Aged 18
Never
90%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
Once Once a year Once every
6 months
Once every
3 months
Once a month Once a
fortnight
Once a week Several times
a week
80%
Aged 19
Aged 20
Aged 21
Aged 22
Aged 23
Aged 24
Aged 25
Never
37% of 17 year olds did it and 46% of 18 year olds did it.
22

naked photos: where are they going?
Q: From the following, who have you sent a naked image
to in the past? Select as many as is applicable
from those who have sent a naked photo of themselves on one
occasion or more
to my boyfriend
63%
or girlfriend
to someone
else i know offline 18% to somebody
i find attractive 32%
to somebody i am
casually dating 29%
to someone
i know only online 24%
to someone i don’t
know well and met
through an app 19%
23

naked photos: why do it?
Q: What are your reasons for sending out naked photos of
yourself? Select as many as is applicable
occasion or more
it’s harmless fun 49%
to receive photos back 39%
it’s the normal thing to do 16%
everybody does it 16%
to get somebody to notice me 14%
i felt pressured into doing it 13%
to be popular 5%
gender variances
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
To get
somebody to
notice me
I felt pressured
into doing it
It’s
harmless
fun
To receive
photos
back
Because it’s
the normal
thing to do
To be
popular
Male (n=441)
Female (n=501)
Everybody
does it
24

naked photos: leaking
Q: To your knowledge, has anybody ever shared a naked photo
of you without your consent?
occasion or more
76%
said no
24%
said yes
Q: what happened as a result?
As a result of having a naked photo shared without consent, young people reported the
following impacts:
• 32% felt less confident
• 26% had suicidal thoughts
• 24% self harmed
• 13% started to have sex with more people
• 13% felt more confident
• 12% tried to kill themselves
• 12% felt more attractive
• 11% developed anti-social behaviours
• 10% truanted from school or college
• 10% abused drugs and/or alcohol
• 8% felt more accepted
• 5% dropped out of school or college
• 2% started to share naked photos of others without their consent
25

Q: What are your reasons against sending a naked photo to
somebody? Select as many as is applicable
from those who have never sent a naked photo of themselves
i just don’t want to 73%
i don’t think it’s a good thing to do 57%
it could affect me later on in life 49%
i’m scared of it being shared without my consent 45%
i wouldn’t want my family to find out 39%
i don’t feel comfortable showing my body 33%
i’m not ready to do anything sexual 22%
i’ve never been asked to send any 18%
Q: Which of the following statements do you agree with?
20%
Sending naked photos to
people is just harmless fun
and part of growing up
13%
It is important to send naked
photos to my boyfriend or
girlfriend to show that I
trust them
12%
I don’t think sending naked
photos of myself to others
could impact me later on in life
8%
to be appealing to somebody who
I find attractive, it is important
that I send them naked photos to
capture their attention.
7%
I believe that it is safe to
send a naked photo of myself
on Snapchat
I think that it is important to
send naked photos of myself
5%
to somebody who I am
attracted to
26

Part
3
case studies
respondent case studies

case studies from respondents
Jay, 23 and male says:
“I used Skype to talk to my partner while away at University, one
jealous member of our social group used Skype to tell me to
‘back off’ him or he would ‘come and find me’... nothing happened
though. I also sent a nude photo to my boyfriend who then
accidently sent it to a close friend of mine, there was no impact,
friend was mature about it and nothing ever came of it.”
Siobhan, 22 and female says:
“An ex boyfriend of mine took naked photos of me on holiday and
then decided to send it to EVERYONE we knew via WhatsApp. He
then uploaded the picture online and continued to send it. I got
the police involved and they said there was nothing they could do
as when someone has a photo of you ‘it becomes their property to
do as they wish with it’.
It bothered me a fair bit as i was only 18 at the time and it was
being sent to 14 year olds...”
Bethan, aged 16 and female says:
“Met someone from Minecraft, he came to my town a few times,
he seemed nice, told him I was not looking for a relationship and
he threatened to come to my house.”
Ross, aged 14 and male says:
“I get a lot of abuse on smartphone apps and online mainly from
people I don’t know. Usually they say nasty things about the way I
look or about my disability.”
28

Umal, aged 19 and male says:
“They said they would find me and kill me because I’m gay. I was
on Grindr talking to a guy I found attractive... we exchanged nudes
and I sent him my location and then I started to get abuse from
him and his friends saying that they were coming to kill me.”
Katy, aged 16 and female says:
“Our generation is getting too involved in Social media, it is
disgraceful. People are starting to think sending pictures of ones
self naked is normal and it’s not.. Where is our pride? Where is our
sense of personality. Everyone worries what others think, even
me! It’s time we all learn to accept ourselves and not change for
anyone because we are desperate of being loved. There is always
one person who loves us, no matter what the relationship. To most
people love means doing anything to gain attention and respect,
sending naked pictures is plain right stupid.
Let’s say in 5 months time you break up with someone who has
pictures, they could leak them everywhere. Some people are plain
right nasty. People need to realise the severity of it all.”
Chris, aged 15 and male says:
“I told an online friend about my sexuality on Skype and then he
started to blackmail me. He said that he would tell everybody and
out me.”
Chloe, aged 22 and female says:
“I once received threats about being attacked, having my family
attacked, my house broken in to and my car tyres slashed. I felt
disgusted with myself. I didn’t want to leave my house, talk to
anyone or do anything. I felt like everyone was talking about me
and everyone hated me.”
29

Anonymous says:
“It was on Skype, my boyfriend at the time was 15 I was 14. I was going through
family issues and stress, I thought being with him would make me happy.
We used to call each other and I felt like to be accepted he had to like my
appearance too. It was long-distance so we had never met each other. So for fun
I would go on cam and just let him see me. Then he started being dirty and kept
asking me to show myself, naked. Mostly just show my boobs lol.
At the time I was like really into him and whenever I said no he would get mad
like every night and I didn’t like that. So I did it. I hated it the first time I did it but
I ended up doing it twice for him because he made me feel that by doing it he
liked me more. This happened about 2 yrs ago, and I still regret it everyday. I also
found out he took pictures. I don’t know what he did with them but my bet is on
showing people lol.
It made me wish that I never met him. My mental health got even worse because
I couldn’t talk to anyone about it feeling so ashamed at just 14. I could never tell
my mum... I feel like I disappointed her because she always told me to never do
anything like that with anyone online and I was like ‘eh this doesn’t count and
it’s not that important’, but now it’s one of my biggest regrets. He messed me up
so bad I can’t even like my own body anymore. Showing my boobs was just one
of the things he made me did.
I really don’t know, you could make the issue of sexting known throughout
young people because the most likely time that people will sext is when they’re
young and innocent and nowadays a lot of young people have access to the
internet and talking to strangers is so easily. Let them know that if they do do
anything dumb when they’re young then to not let it hold them back for the rest
of their life.”
by donating £2.27, you can provide crucial support to
1 young person currently being bullied.
provide help now at: www.ditchthelabel.org/donate
30

Part
4
conclusions
recommendations
how we are tackling these issues

our recommendations
k k k k k k k k
k k k k k
Advice For Teens
>Bullying on Smartphone
Apps
Staying safe online is essential. If you are
being bullied then it is important that you
tell an adult. You are not alone; in fact 7 in
10 people experience bullying at some point
whilst growing up.
An immediate resolve would be to
document evidence (screenshots and
chatlogs) of what is going on and then
block the users from your social networking
profiles. If you know the person from school
or college, take the documented evidence
to a teacher and tell them about what is
happening.
Depending upon the severity of the bullying,
you may also seek some resolve in
contacting the Police. Bullying and
cyberbullying are illegal and so bullies are
actually breaking the law. If somebody is
threatening you or sharing your personal
details, for example, we recommend
contacting the Police as soon as possible.
Cyberbullying is no less serious than offline
bullying and it can be incredibly traumatic. If
you are feeling low, it is important that you
tell an adult that you trust - this could be a
parent/guardian, a teacher, the school
counsellor or your doctor. Help is available,
you just need to ask for it. If you would like to
talk to somebody in confidence, either drop in
to one of our online help sessions on Habbo
or give Childline a call on 0800 11 11.
Download our guide to cyberbullying for
teens: http://www.ditchthelabel.org/
bullying-support-for-teens/
>Sexting and Naked Photos
At the time, sending a naked photo to
somebody you like can seem like a really
good idea and it is all too easy to overlook the
potential risks. Our research has identified
that statistically, 1 person in every 4 is likely
to share your naked photo without your
consent and it could have a significant impact
upon how you feel about yourself and others
around you.
Whilst we primarily recommend that you
just stay clear, if you are going to do it we
recommend not including your face or
anything that is distinguishable about you;
such as a tattoo, piercing or an identifiable
piece of furniture for example. Also, if you
are below the age of 18 or are speaking
with somebody that is; sending, requesting
or distributing a naked photo is actually
classified as child pornography and is a
criminal offence.
Equally, when somebody sends you a naked
photo, it can also feel like a good idea to show
it to your mates and often the welfare of the
sender isn’t even considered. Please consider
the rates of self-harm and plummeting levels
of confidence that can happen as a result of
having an intimate photo shared. Oh, and it’s
also illegal to distribute the content without
the consent of the sender.
advice For Parents and
Guardians
> Bullying on Smartphone
Apps
First and foremost, it is really important to
build an open and understanding relationship
with your child so that they feel comfortable
approaching you with any troubles that they
may be facing. Often, young people can feel
embarassed and ashamed about bullying and
so it is important for them to know that it is
nothing to hide and that you are always there
for them if they want to chat.
There are a few common ‘tell-tale’ signs that
may suggest your child is being bullied; these
include, but are not limited to anti-social
behaviour, a tendency to isolate themselves,
sudden changes in behaviour or a loss in
appetite.
Familiarise yourself with cyberbullying
related issues and their effects so that you are
prepared to respond should your child report
abuse to you. Download our information pack
from: http://www.ditchthelabel.org/dealing-with-
cyberbullying/
> Sexting and Naked Photos
First and foremost, it is unlikely that your
child is going to want to talk to you about
sexting and naked photos. It may be an
idea to address it early on by outlining your
expectations and explaining the risks and
.
i
32

dangers attached to sexting and naked
photos before your child is given access to
their first mobile phone. It is also important
to communicate the potential criminalities of
sending or requesting naked images to and
from minors below the age of 18.
One of the most important things you can
do as a parent or guardian is to harness
open and honest communication with your
children; tell them that they can talk to you
any time about anything that is troubling
them, including the issues surrounding
sexting. It may be worth highlighting
to your child that it isn’t something you
haven’t seen before, to weaken the angst of
communication.
If your child has had a naked image of them
distributed without their consent and they
are below the age of 18, it is important that
you contact the Police immediately as it is a
serious criminal offence. Regardless of age,
it is usually a good idea to get the Police
involved sooner rather than later. Ensure that
your childs school or college is aware and
involved in the process.
Do not forget to consider the need for
emotional support for your child either;
the whole process is going to be incredibly
difficult and humilating for them so please try
to be as understanding as possible.
Advice For Schools and
Colleges
Apps
It is important for teaching
professionals to understand the severity of
cyberbullying and the level of trauma that
it can cause. Just because it is typed on the
Internet does not make it any less hurtful to
your students.
We always advocate having open and honest
relationships with your students so that they
feel comfortable about approaching you with
any bullying related issues. Our research
shows that only 38% of young people feel
comfortable reporting bullying to a teacher.
We have found that cyberbullying has a
significant impact upon the emotional welfare
of students and so it is essential for teachers
to proactively monitor the behaviour and
mood of students to check for potential signs
of bullying. Please be aware that
cyberbullying may be less obvious than
physical or verbal bullying in the classroom.
You may find that students are isolating
themselves or are exhibiting challenging
behaviour.
Ultimately, education is key to reducing the
effect and prominence of bullying within our
schools and colleges. Cyberbullying should
now form part of all PSHE curriculum with
regularly updated content to reflect the
constant changing nature of social media.
We are able to provide this content directly to
schools and colleges.
Our cyberbullying strategy consists of lesson
plans, group activities, action-based learning
sets and a wide variety of content and covers
the following topics:
• The significance of cyberbullying in the
context of young people’s social lives
• The severity and legal implications of
online bullying, including
harassment and offensive content
• How to report cyberbullying on social
networking sites and mobile phone
networks
• The importance of taking a social
responsibility to report cyberbullying
aimed at others
• How to behave appropriately online
• Staying safe online
• Sexting and naked photos: etiquette
and how to deal with related situations
• The legalities surrounding child
pornography and naked photos
• What to do if you feel pressured into
sending naked photos
• Why apps like Snapchat aren’t safe
ways to share naked photos
If you are interested in finding out more about
our cyberbullying strategies, please contact
Sue Jones on Sue@DitchtheLabel.org.
It is essential that you consider the welfare
of the students involved throughout the
process of investigating and dealing with the
situation. It is likely that the victim is going to
feel incredibly embarrassed and may benefit
from the support of counselling. Try not to
bring too much attention to the situation but
be swift in your approach.
If the child is below the age of 18, it is
important that you are not involved in the
process of viewing, storing or distributing
the image in question. You should seek the
support of the Police in all cases involving
minors.
It is advisable for schools and colleges to be
proactive with regards to educating students
about appropriate etiquette regarding sexting
and naked photos. Also highlighting potential
criminalities alomg with the emotional
and behavioural impacts that unathorised
distribution could have on the victim.
Advice For Government
Apps
More young people than ever are now
being bullied online. We strongly advise
Governments to consider the legislation
currently governing smartphone social
networks. Our data has shown that
some of the largest networks online are
failing vulnerable minors, which is having
catastrophic effects.
Greater investment needs to be made into
education, particularly to highlight the
criminalities of cyberbullying and to teach
young people on exactly what they should
do if they either fall victim to, or witness
cyberbullying, whilst also educating on net-etiquette.
Legislation surrounding the unathorised
distribution of naked photos along with child
pornography legislation needs to become
more transparent and accessible to young
people as a reactive approach.
Wse believe that from the back of this
research, British teenagers have significant
issues in regards to feeling accepted and
valued and are sending naked photos, at
times, for the wrong reasons. We need greater
investment in education and interventions in
schools and colleges. Investment needs to be
concentrated on innovation and new ways of
tackling these issues.
Advice For Social
Networks
Apps
Increased investment of moderation time and
automated reporting technology is absolutely
essential and the safe guarding of vulnerable
youths should be marked as a priority.
Each social network has a responsibility to
educate all users about cyberbullying, the
33

impact of it and the ways in which content
and users can be reported.
Greater transparency is required and we
believe that social networks should use an
external agency to produce annual audits of
cyberbullying for general release to the public.
Zero tolerance policies absolutely must be
established and implemented within all social
networks, especially those with high incident
ratios and low support service satisfaction as
identified within this report.
Certainly with some smartphone apps, the
reporting mechanisms either don’t exist or are
difficult to navigate for young people. These
mechanisms need to be made visible and the
process of reporting content and users should
be explained to users upon registration.
Strategic partnerships with charities such as
Ditch the Label, Childline and The Samaritans
could ensure that direct advice and support
is available to young people active on each
network, without increasing burden on
internal moderation and support teams.
How We Can Help
Each year, we work with thousands of teens
from across the UK to help reduce the effect
and prominence of bullying. We work in
partnership with schools and colleges from
across the country and are able to produce
tailor made education and research packages
for different establishments.
We are able to provide complete
cyberbullying and sexting educational
resource packages and are able to produce
tailored research for schools and colleges.
We also produce a whole host of bullying
related resources that are available to young
people, parents and teaching professionals
freely from our website.
To find out more, either visit: www.
DitchtheLabel.org/education/ or contact us
on (01273) 201129 / info@DitchtheLabel.org.
Registered charity number: 1156329.
by donating £2.27, you
can provide crucial
support to 1 young
person currently being
bullied.
provide help now at:
ditchthelabel.org/donate
“ZIPIT”
Zipit is ChildLine’s first ever app, available
for Android, Apple and BlackBerry
smartphones (and iPod touch). It’s free to
download and helps get flirty chat back
on the right track. It’s packed with killer
comebacks and top tips to help you stay in
control.
34

Ditch the
Label your world, prejudice free .

The Wireless Report 2014

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