PSCO Visits (28th and 29th September) – Malicious Communications

As part of our ongoing drive to ensure students are made aware of how to keep themselves and others safe, we were visited by our local PSCOs last week who delivered assemblies about Malicious Communications. In particular, students were spoken to about what is deemed as ‘malicious communications’; it is illegal in England and Wales to “send or deliver letters or other articles for the purpose of causing distress or anxiety”. It also applies to electronic communications such as images, written text and voice messages.

The assembly included some important information that not only helped students to identify what could be deemed as malicious communications, but also clarified how they can report a case, as well as what good online etiquette is. For example, they were reminded that Snapchat is for age 13 and above, that they should leave group chats if unpleasant things are being sent by others in the group, and that they should not be seeing adult content that leaves them feeling uncomfortable.

Older students were also shown a video that the Police are encouraging young people to watch to educate them about malicious communications. Students in the Sixth Form will also have a PSHE session directly related to this topic and how they can keep themselves safe in the future.