Raising dangers as school celebrations begin

STAFF WRITERS

ACT for Kids encourages parents to have an important conversation with their children before heading out to School celebrations.

This comes after reports that OnlyFans creators were targeting school leavers to film explicit content.

The warning came after the creators posted the videos on social media, claiming that many soon-to-be high school graduates had applied to be part of the explicit content, which would then be shared with OnlyFans viewers who paid to watch.

While school leavers should be enjoying the celebrations, Act for Kids Chief Executive Dr. Katrina Lines said young people should be reminded of the potential long-term consequences of sharing sexually explicit material online.

“Any video or image of them can remain online forever, especially if they have no control over how, when and where it is published,” Dr Katrina said.

“It is also very important that they understand informed consent before agreeing to have any sexual activity filmed.

“We are also disappointed that a creator used language describing school leavers as ‘barely legal’ and making it clear that selling sexual content aimed at teenagers would benefit them. We fear this could exploit young people who may have never had a sexual interaction before to make money.

“It is so important that parents and carers talk to their children about safe sex practices, respectful relationships and consent at all stages of their development, but especially before School celebrations begin.

“We want school leavers to have fun, feel empowered to make good decisions and say ‘no’ if they feel uncomfortable with a situation during their celebration.”

Additional advice for parents:

-Talk regularly to your child about safe sex, consent and respectful relationships rather than ‘chatting’.

-Don’t make it awkward; It’s important to remember that if you don’t talk to them, they may get their information online or from an unsecured or unreliable source.

-Remind your child that they can always ask you questions, talk to you, or provide them with a contact number as a safe resource.

-Find out the names and numbers of your child’s accommodation provider, closest friends and parents before they go to school.