### Appendix 1: Procedure for Youth Involved Sexual Imagery

This policy uses the phrase ‘youth involved sexual imagery’ instead of ‘youth involved sexual imagery ’, or ‘youth produced sexual imagery’ or ‘sexting’. Although we recognise that the term “youth produced” is used in UKCCIS’ advice. Responding to incidents and safeguarding young people, it has chosen not to use this term which could be seen to place responsibility with the child who is taking and/or is the subject of the image, without recognising the potential for coercion or threat in the production of that image.

We also recognise that ‘youth involved’ and ‘youth involved sexual imagery ’ are not terms that children and young people generally use, and it is important for colleagues in our school to understand the language that is used by children and young people when discussing this issue with them or creating a policy. Definitions:

- ● ‘Youth involved sexual imagery’ best describes the practice because:
- - ‘youth involved’ includes children sharing images that they, or another child, have created of themselves
- ● ‘imagery’ covers both still photos and moving videos (and this is what is meant by reference to imagery throughout the policy)
- ● a judgement of whether something is ‘decent’ is both a value judgement and dependent on
- ● context.
- ● the term ‘sexual’ is clearer than ‘indecent’, although the DSL will nevertheless always need to use professional judgement when determining whether a photo is ‘sexual’.
- ● types of incidents that are covered by this policy:
- - a child creates and shares sexual imagery of themselves with a child (also under the age of 18)
- - a child shares sexual imagery created by another child with a child (also under the age of 18 or an adult
- - a child is in possession of sexual imagery created by another child
- ● Types of incidents that are not covered by this policy:
- - the sharing of sexual imagery of children by adults constitutes child sexual abuse and the school will always inform the police
- - children sharing adult pornography or exchanging sexual texts which do not contain imagery
- - sexual imagery downloaded from the internet by a child and not shared

Education will be inclusive, age appropriate, and provide pupils with the opportunity to discuss and ask questions. Where education does consider the legal issues associated with youth involved sexual imagery, it should consider the nature of the legislation and likely police responses, rather than simple declarations of illegality. When considering the sharing of youth involved sexual images among other children, a lot of online safety messaging centres on telling children that they should not produce images of themselves and send them to people because it is illegal, or in doing so they are placing themselves at risk. We find this approach problematic because:

- ● these messages are likely to result in a child being abused, coerced, or exploited as a result of such behaviour feeling that they cannot ask for help or disclose abuse because they did something wrong and, therefore, they deserve what is happening to them; and
- ● the nature of this messaging can contribute to victim blaming

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