Online Safety Minister meets with Guides and Ashley James

Online Safety Minister Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, met with 13th Worthing Guides from Worthing, Sussex, and Girlguiding ambassador, broadcaster Ashley James, to discuss online harms and how Girlguiding is helping girls to stay safe online.

At the meeting, Baroness Jones heard about the experiences girls face online and the impact it is having on their lives. Girlguiding’s research revealed how the online harms and misogynistic content girls are experiencing online is making them feel unsafe (34%). Sadly, one in eight (12%) young people aged 13-18 have seen sexual threats directed at women and girls online, including those of rape, and over a quarter (27%) of young people aged 13-18 have seen misogynistic comments on social media.1

In 2023, Girlguiding launched its online safety activities which so far, have been accessed by almost 70,000 girls.2 Girls as young as four are able to learn about online safety, through the Online explorers Rainbow activity, which gives girls the opportunity to create an avatar, and learn about usernames and online identities.

The Brownie activity looks to explore the importance of kindness online and how to deal with online bullying through the Kingdom of kindness activity.

The Connect and Respect activity for Rangers, Girlguiding’s oldest section, encourages girls to learn how to interact safely online by designing their own social connection app and investigating what makes an app safe.

During Baroness Jones’ visit, Guides completed the online safety activity, To share or not to share? alongside Girlguiding ambassador Ashley James, encouraging girls to think about what they share online, from information to pictures and how to post safely.

Girlguiding ambassador, broadcaster Ashley James said: “Feeling unsafe online is a daily reality for so many young people and Girlguiding’s research proves that this is having a massive impact on girls. I know firsthand how difficult online harm can be, which is why I feel so passionate about it and why I know there is a real need for action.

When I think of some of the things that me and so many other women have experienced on anonymous gossip websites: from abuse, to doxxing, to harassment and my children’s personal information being shared or being reported to social services - it fills me with horror that one day my children might have to face such abuse from anonymous trolls. More needs to be done to protect people online.

“Ofcom’s Children Codes will be coming into effect in the next few months, which will hopefully be a step in the right direction to help keep girls safe online. But we need more to be done, and social media companies need to be held accountable.”

In July, 40 new practical measures will be added to the Online Safety Act to ensure tech firms do more to protect children from online harm. The steps include preventing minors from encountering the most harmful content relating to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and pornography.3

Online Safety Minister Baroness Jones said:

“Hearing directly from the Guides about how online activity is shaping their lives as they grow into young women was powerful and deeply important. Their experiences highlight the urgency of tackling the misogyny that still runs through both our online and offline worlds.

“We will not allow the internet to become a breeding ground for gender-based violence. Instead, it must be a place where women and girls feel safe and empowered — just as they have been striving to be for generations. This begins with protecting young girls and boys from harmful content and holding platforms accountable.

“With the Children’s Codes coming into force next month, girls will begin to see safer, more respectful online spaces, and boys will be less exposed to content that fuels gender-based violence. But this is just the start. We will continue to act wherever necessary to strengthen protections for young people online.”

Charlotte, Girlguiding advocate said: “Girls do not want social media to be taken away from them, as through social media, many girls feel connected and, in a time, where girls feel lonelier than ever this is vital for girls’ happiness levels. However, social media doesn't feel safe for so many girls and young women, which is why Girlguiding is calling for increased measures to protect girls and young women online.

It's scary to know that girls as young as seven report seeing mean comments and rude pictures online as that can be detrimental to a girls’ self confidence. I have experienced how great social media can be, but I would like more to be done by social media companies to protect us.“

Girlguiding is asking decision makers to work with the organisation to build a fairer, safer UK. It supports Ofcom’s work making changes to keep girls and women safe online but need them to be given the tools necessary to hold social media companies accountable when they fail.

Girlguiding is planning to ask the government, later this year, to consider a ratings system for social media companies based on how much they do to protect young people from harm.