Safer Internet Day 2019 - Launch of Sending Nudes: #ItHappenedToMe campaign

To coincide with Safer Internet Day 2019, today we launched a new film campaign to raise awareness of the risks and consequences to young people sending nude/sexual pictures online.

​Our #ItHappenedToMe campaign consists of a short film which tells the real-life story of Megan, who when 14 years old suffered a distressing experience from sending a nude picture of herself to a boy at her school. The film depicts the events leading up to Megan taking the decision to send a picture, emphasizing some common factor influencing why young people may send and share nude and sexual pictures.
With 3 slightly tailored versions, Megan’s story aims to advise and deter young people from falling victim to an experience like hers, as well support both parents and professionals to understand how this might happen to a young person and what they can to support, reassure and educate.  
Megan’s story shows common factors which can lead young people to send pictures, in particular peer pressure and ‘normalised’ behaviour – whilst raising awareness of the significant impact such an experience can have on a young person’s mental health and wellbeing.
‘Having moved to a new school after being bullied at a previous school, Megan was desperate to fit in.  Overwhelmed by everyone wanting to be friends with the ‘new girl’. Feeling popular and accepted, her social media popularity grew with numerous new friends and followers taking interest in her, including a particular boy she began messaging with. Perceiving a relationship to be developing, Megan reluctantly gave into pressures from him to send him a nude photo of herself, only to learn the person behind the profile was in fact a girl at her school who went on to share the picture among the entire school and beyond.
Devastated by her experience, but having overcome the impact and consequences, Megan wants to share her experience with others to educate and warn about the dangers of sending nude and sexual pictures online.
We are delighted to have worked with Megan on this valuable resource and commend her bravery for publicly sharing it to support young people and the community. Please can we ask for your support by using and sharing the films in your work with young people as well as with your relevant parent/professional networks and audiences – for social media use the hashtag #ItHappenedToMe.
The links to all 3 versions of the film can be found on the Safe4me:https://www.safe4me.co.uk/portfolio/sending-nudes-ithappenedtome/
In the near future we plan to create guidance to using this resource in a lesson/workshop – supporting you to use in your work with planned parent, colleague and young audiences.
 
We hugely appreciate the support given to this campaign by the NSPCC, local and National Media and Radio; see below links to articles and interviews:
 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-hampshire-47122381/hampshire-sexting-victim-felt-she-was-in-a-zoo
 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06zzw2q
 
https://iwradio.co.uk/2019/02/05/everybody-had-seen-it-naked-picture-torment-shared-on-safer-internet-day/
 
 
Thank you as always for your support in keeping children and young people safe and informed.