From our CEO

20th March 2026

Last week there was a harrowing report from the Youth Justice Board saying that sexual offences by children rose 47% in 2023-24 and another 6% since. The next day, the news came through that MPs rejected the call to ban social media for under 16s.

Since then people have been asking me about my views on the ban/no ban…

I’ve thought about it as a professional, and as a mum, and I don’t think a blanket ban is the answer*, however I do think we are a long way off the appropriate safeguards being in place for social media to be a functional safe space.

It is not ok that children and young people are exposed to harmful and risky content online and my feeling is that social media and the lack of controls, directly connects to attitudes and behaviours we see played out, including those around harmful sexual behaviours.

The onus is now on Government and people with power to safeguard our children, to act swiftly, and to work with and boundary those who are not effectively safeguarding our children. We must make sure effective safety features are developed and released for everyone and reduce the risky online spaces and content our children are exposed to.

*I haven’t watched the Louis Theroux documentary yet, so my no ban view is subject to change…