circlesuk.bsky.social
@circlesuk.bsky.social
Trial involving 4,000 children will explore impact on mental health, sleep and time spent with friends and family.
www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...
UK study to examine effects of restricting social media for children
Trial involving 4,000 children will explore impact on mental health, sleep and time spent with friends and family
www.theguardian.com
January 26, 2026 at 12:08 PM
Delighted to welcome people from around Europe (and beyond!) to CirclesEurope's mini-Conference today, with the theme, 'Meeting the Individual and Complex Needs of Core Members through Adaptations of the CoSA Methodology', including presentations by Circles South West and from Canada.
January 22, 2026 at 3:32 PM
This week, we were privileged to welcome actor, writer + comedian Mark O’Sullivan to present at the annual residential forum of Circles Provider Coordinators, sharing his story and why he's made the decision to support organisations such as ours.
Read more on Mark's presentation tinyurl.com/463hanaz
January 15, 2026 at 1:16 PM
We are delighted that Emma Tuschick has agreed to join Circles UK's Board of Trustees:
circles-uk.org.uk/about/#trust...
About – Circles UK
circles-uk.org.uk
January 13, 2026 at 4:10 PM
Circles UK welcomes the new rules that come into effect today that blocks police from requesting counselling notes of rape victims during investigations unless in exceptional circumstances. This will hopefully encourage more victims/survivors to come forward www.gov.uk/government/n...
New rules on police requesting counselling notes come into force
Victims to be given more privacy with new rules blocking police from requesting counselling notes during investigations unless in exceptional circumstances.
www.gov.uk
January 12, 2026 at 1:12 PM
As we approach Christmas Day, we want to thank you for taking the time to follow our news and posts during 2025 – it is much appreciated.
However you mark this time of year, we send you our very best wishes.
From all at @circlesuk.bsky.social
December 24, 2025 at 11:05 AM
A Google-commissioned study of over 7,000 European teenagers focuses on what helps them learn, connect and stay well when navigating online spaces.
blog.google/technology/f...
Build the internet young people are asking for — instead of simply banning them from it
Save the Children looks at “bans” from the perspective of those who would be most affected: young people themselves.
blog.google
December 22, 2025 at 11:27 AM
In the first UK case of its kind, the parents of a 16-year-old who took his own life after he fell victim to a sextortion gang are suing Meta for the alleged wrongful death of their son. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Parents of sextortion victim sue Meta for alleged wrongful death
Exclusive: Lawsuit is the first UK case of its kind, with Ros and Mark Dowey accusing Meta of ‘putting profit before our young people’
www.theguardian.com
December 18, 2025 at 10:46 AM
A welcome focus on what survivors of child sexual abuse need, with a mention of the success of Circles in Canada. thefulcrum.us/democracy/re...
What Do Epstein’s Victims Need?
Jeffrey Epstein is all over the news, along with anyone who may have known about, enabled, or participated in his systematic child sexual abuse. Yet there is significantly less information and coverag...
thefulcrum.us
December 15, 2025 at 10:51 AM
At Circles UK's AGM, our Keynote Speaker Adam Groves, highlighted the extent of the deepfake crisis in South Korean schools. This article shows it's just as widespread in the UK.
The rise of deepfake pornography in schools: ‘One girl was so horrified she vomited’ www.theguardian.com/society/ng-i...
The rise of deepfake pornography in schools: ‘One girl was so horrified she vomited’
The use of ‘nudify’ apps is becoming more and more prevalent, with hundreds of teachers having seen images created by pupils, often of their peers. The fallout is huge – and growing fast
www.theguardian.com
December 9, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Welcoming announcements of change to how rape trial victims are dealt with. Justice Sec. D. Lammy said too many rape victims left the criminal justice system feeling they'd been on trial, with sensitive details of past relationships + abuse used to discredit them
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Rape victims in England and Wales to be protected from ‘serial liar’ trope in legal shake-up
Exclusive: New laws will also curb questioning and aim to stop complainants being discredited over previous reports
www.theguardian.com
December 8, 2025 at 3:44 PM
The Home Secretary laid The Angiolini Inquiry Part 2 First Report before Parliament, addressing the extent existing measures prevent sexually motivated crimes against women in public. Report makes 13 recommendations: www.angiolini.independent-inquiry.uk/reports-2/
Press statement: shorturl.at/foTj2
Reports – The Angiolini Inquiry
www.angiolini.independent-inquiry.uk
December 3, 2025 at 12:14 PM
We are grateful to everyone who attended Circles UK’s AGM and Keynote Address yesterday, and to our Keynote Speaker Adam Groves of @nominet.uk for his excellent and informative presentation, 'The Anatomy of the Korean Deepfake Crisis and its implications for the UK’.
November 28, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Delighted to welcome six new Circles Coordinators from
@adferiad.org and Circles South East to their two-day Induction Training in Reading, over the last couple of days.
November 26, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Research shows child sexual abuse + children’s exposure to adult domestic violence often co-occur. The extent of this co-occurrence remains poorly understood.
Article presents findings from a scoping review of articles reporting prevalence data for co-occurring. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:39 PM
We are so very sorry to hear the news about Baroness Newlove. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues. victimscommissioner.org.uk/news/stateme...
Statement from the Office of the Victims' Commissioner - Victims Commissioner
Statement from the Office of the Victims’ Commissioner: “We are deeply saddened to share that Baroness Helen Newlove, the Victims’
victimscommissioner.org.uk
November 13, 2025 at 11:53 AM
@childlightgcsi.bsky.social's 'Into the Light Index'.
"Every day all over the world children are forced to live in the darkness of sexual exploitation and abuse. This is a hidden pandemic. The Into the Light Index highlights the global prevalence of this problem".
www.childlight.org/into-the-light
Childlight - Childlight
www.childlight.org
November 11, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Celebrating Trustees' Week we express our gratitude to our Chair, Nigel Barnes, and each of our wonderful Trustees who generously gives their time, shares expertise and guides us with integrity and care. Their leadership helps us grow stronger, reach further, staying true to our values
#trusteesweek
November 4, 2025 at 11:22 AM
This report is part of a partnership between @unicef.org @ox.ac.uk in collaboration with University of Cape Town + Parenting for Lifelong Health, with a shared goal: develop + integrate content on online sexual violence prevention into digital + blended parenting progs
www.unicef.org/documents/pa...
Parenting for the Digital Age
UNICEF is working towards the goal that every child is protected from all forms of violence and exploitation, including those associated with digital technologies. The report is part of a programmatic...
www.unicef.org
November 3, 2025 at 11:17 AM
'A meta-analysis of recidivism rates among individuals who commit CSEM offending' (ScienceDirect) found that those with CSEM offences rarely commit a new contact sexual offence. Those with both CSEM and contact sexual offences reoffend more than those exclusively with CSEM offences shorturl.at/1b0DO
A meta-analysis of recidivism rates among individuals who commit child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) offending
A critical challenge for managing individuals with Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM) offenses is addressing their risk of sexual recidivism, e…
shorturl.at
October 16, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Sky News Adele Robinson’s excellent piece on teenage boys that target vulnerable children online through ‘com’ groups that operate through open networks, not the dark web. The footage is disturbing and makes the point that children face significant dangers online. news.sky.com/story/sadism...
Sadism, sexual abuse and self-harm: Inside the online gangs where boys compete to be cruel
Police warn of rising harm as groups of boys coerce children into self-harm and sexual exploitation on encrypted platforms.
news.sky.com
September 22, 2025 at 12:23 PM
This article highlights the concerning impact of ‘nudify’ apps, which are contributing to a rise in bullying and sexual abuse both within schools and across wider society. Circles UK supports the Internet Watch Foundation's call to ban these harmful technologies.
www.lbc.co.uk/article/deep...
AI deepfakes epidemic in schools with children as young as 10 suspended amid rising online abuse in classrooms | LBC
Three hundred pupils are suspended from school for social media use each week, with children as young as 10 dropping out of education and even “developing PTSD” after their classmates created deepfake...
www.lbc.co.uk
September 11, 2025 at 9:46 AM
The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse in Australia has recently published a helpful language guide for when we speak about sexual abuse. The guide can be accessed here: lnkd.in/gUntABZr
Child Sexual Abuse Language Guide - The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse
This guide provides victim and survivor-informed language and definitions that are respectful, inclusive and trauma-informed.
lnkd.in
September 2, 2025 at 9:44 AM
A new book edited by Craig A. Harper, Rebecca Lievesley, Helen Swaby, Belinda Winder, Nicholas Blagden, Kerensa Hocken + Phil Banyard; contributions from others like Prof Derek Perkins explores the use of the internet and its impacts upon sexual crime and offending link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Sexual Crime and the Internet
This book offers an original contribution by drawing together literature and research about the impacts of the internet on sexual crime and offending.
link.springer.com
September 1, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Circles UK welcomes the fact that there is at last a phone to protect children against viewing explicit content. Well done for the partnership between SafeToNet and phone providers for developing this long overdue intervention. For more information: harmblock.com/devices
HMD Fuse
harmblock.com
August 28, 2025 at 9:21 AM