Social media has been at the centre of many heated discussions recently. Last month the government committed to consult on a social media ban for under-16s, while the Department for Education published new non-statutory guidance banning mobile phones in schools.
Outside education, there was about the use of AI on social media, particularly concerning Grok, X’s AI chatbot, which has been used to edit photos of women and children to make them sexually explicit. X announced that it had put restrictions in place to put a stop to the creation of these indecent images, but Grok is still allowing users to create and post them.
All of this puts schools in a precarious position when it comes to their own social media use.
Schools have always been good at driving home the importance of internet safety to students. We talk to young people about keeping safe online by not having public profiles, not posting pictures of their uniform or anything that would identify their routine, and not sharing their location.
We acknowledge that doing these things could put students at risk. Yet how far do schools always follow this advice when it comes to using their own social media accounts?
Follow your own advice on social media
Schools often post about academic and sporting achievements, including a picture of the pupils involved. Most schools will post a first name only, but this still contradicts the advice given to students if, on their public platform, they are posting a picture of John, Year 8, enjoying rugby practice on a Tuesday afternoon.
Given what we have seen happening on X, along with what we know about the rise of deepfakes and AI-generated sexual abuse material, it is time for schools to start thinking far more carefully about how they post images of students online.
This could start with a social media audit. How are you using social media? What type of images are you posting? Can you get the same message across without posting images of students? This will help you decide what works best for your context.
But what should you do if you know images of students have already been misused?
Remove and report
Firstly, make sure that the original image or post is taken down. Report the incident to the social media account owner, so they can lock the account or change the settings to prevent anyone from commenting or interacting further.
It’s then important to discuss the issue with the student or students involved and their parents, to make them aware of the situation and what steps are being taken.
If AI-generated sexualised images have been created, there are a number of organisations that can support you. The acts to remove child sexual abuse imagery from the internet, while the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children’s service offers a free platform for under-18s to report and remove nude, partially nude or explicit images from the internet.
You can also report the incident to the police, who may be able to follow up on the matter. The creation and sharing of AI-generated sexual images is illegal and a form of abuse, so you could take legal action. for failing to manage this issue. Your local authority or trust safeguarding lead should also be informed and able to support you in dealing with this.
A duty of care
In addition, there will need to be appropriate pastoral care and support put in place for any child this affects, because the long-lasting impact of such experiences on victims can be enormous. This could be offered by school counsellors; social, emotional and mental health mentors; or an appropriate mental health service outside of school.
Schools have a duty of care towards their students, online as well as in person. Many businesses and individuals are stepping away from platforms such as X, something that schools should perhaps also be considering carefully.
Above all, in this climate, posting images of students online is a risk that needs serious thought.
Thomas Michael is a safeguarding lead
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