Community
Children want enriching activities and to feel safe both online and offline.
In The Big Ask, children told me they want affordable, fun and sustaining activities in their local areas and that they wanted to be able to play, go outside, and see their friends. Around half (52%) of children aged 9 to 17 are happy with the choice of things to do in their local area.
Children also spoke about the impact the online world had on their wellbeing and how much time they were spending online.
I think there should be more clubs in my local area and more interesting play areas.
Boy, 14,
The Big Ask.
My work so far…
Community Safety
In response to the shocking testimony of Child Q in March 2022, I used my data collection powers to investigate the Metropolitan Police’s practice of strip-searching children. The findings show deeply concerning safeguarding issues. I continue to engage with the Metropolitan Police and police forces all over England and Wales to ensure children are safe when they interact with the police.
I don’t feel I was informed of my online safety from a young age and that it was considered a priority. Technology and social media are constantly developing, so why aren’t our laws and protections for children on these platforms updating with it?
Girl, 14,
The Big Ask.
My office sits on the National Police Chiefs Council task-and-finish group on combatting sexual violence through education, which focuses on preventing harmful sexual behaviour in schools and online.
I spoke at the Justice Select Committee’s scrutiny session on the Victims’ Bill about the importance of putting children at the heart of the legislation and shaping protections around child victims’ specific needs following domestic, sexual or serious violence.
I have engaged with the community and youth sector through the National Youth Agency (NYA), appearing at the National Youth Sector Advisory Board, while the Office gave evidence to an NYA enquiry into the role of youth work and schools.
Online harms
I was asked by the Government to explore how the online world can be made safer, both through the Online Safety Bill and before it becomes law. I delivered a set of recommendations to strengthen the Online Safety Bill based on the views put forward by young children in focus groups and workshops. Four of which were accepted by the Government in their rewrite of the Bill in March 2022.
I don’t feel I was informed of my online safety from a young age and that it was considered a priority. Technology and social media are constantly developing, so why aren’t our laws and protections for children on these platforms updating with it?
Girl, 14,
The Big Ask.
I spoke at the Commons Committee on the Online Safety Bill about the pressing need to put children’s voices at the heart of the Bill, telling members that regulation must have the teeth to hold tech firms accountable.
My office worked with children and young people to publish a guide for parents – “The things I wish my parents had known” – which covered issues including pornography consumption, intimate image sharing and sexualised bullying. It is now the most downloaded document on the Children’s Commissioner’s website and has received positive feedback from schools on its use in lessons.
Members have also signed joint parliamentary briefings on the Online Safety Bill – amplifying the importance of putting children at the heart of legislation.
I convened a series of roundtables of the social media and adult industries focussed on what companies can and should be doing urgently to keep children safe online, ahead of new regulation. Eight major platforms have since shared information with my office about children’s use of their platforms and exposure to harmful content, and one tech firm who attended the roundtable recently announced the trial of improved age assurance methods on its social media platform.
