New technology and it's impact

Over the past 10 years, misuse of the internet and mobile phones by children and young people has become a serious problem.

Not only can these new technologies be used as a way to bully other children - such as by sending compromising images of a young person to members of their peer group or exposing personal information about a young person in a chat room, on a blog or through a social networking site - but they are also, at times, used by young people in a sexually harmful way.

We need to be concerned if young people have access to adult pornography and view it regularly. Although we do not know what effect looking at such material may have on their sexual and emotional development, it may adversely impact on their understanding of intimacy and personal relationships.

Some young people become involved in downloading sexually abusive images of children on the internet and may become sexually aroused by what they are viewing. Often, they have little understanding of the impact of the abuse on the child in the image and some do not understand that it is against the law to view such material on the internet.

It is importnat to understand the detrimental impact on young people’s personal development caused by viewing such abusive images and to take action to help them stop. So if you have worries, call the Stop it Now! FREEPHIONE CONFIDENTIAL 0808 1000 900 HELPLINE for advice, support and information. It's a safe place to discuss your concerns.

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Confidentiality Statement
Our telephone Helpline offers a confidential service for people seeking advice and support.  This means that when contacting us you do not have to give any identifying information such as address, telephone number or last name. 

However if you do give us identifying information and we are concerned that a child is at risk or a criminal offence has been committed which the police may not be aware of, we will have to pass on that information to the appropriate agencies. 

We also offer a confidential e-mail service, help@stopitnow.org.uk, on which you can contact us.  Your e-mail address will not be displayed.