Alford Academy

Cybersafe Scotland have invite professionals and parents/carers to their live webinar – Combating Financially Motivated Sexual Extortion – Understand the Risks and How to Keep Children Safe:

Date: Wednesday 12 June

Time: 7pm-7.45pm

Click here to register

What is Sexual Extortion (Sextortion):

• Understand what sextortion is and how this impacts children and young people.
• How to spot sextortion

 

Training Information

Financially motivated sexual extortion has increased exponentially. Ros’s son tragically took his own life after being targeted by criminals, listen to her experience and her passions through campaigning for change. Paul Raffile a globally renowned expert and author of multiple investigative reports will share his knowledge.

 

Why should I go?

• In Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City and Moray there were 109 sextortion reported in 2023.
• 92% were male victims – primary target is boys.
• In 2023 nationally (Scotland) victims ages – 8 children between 9-12 years old and 307 children/young people between 13-18 years old.

 

In Aberdeenshire, there has been a significant increase in the sharing of images by children, from as young as nine years old. With children receiving mobile phones at a younger age, professionals and parents/carers must be aware of the potential increased risks this may bring.  Key to prevention is to speak with your children.

 

 

For additional help and support:

• CEOP Safety Centre
• Report Remove
• Childline

As part of the Time for Me offer, SAMH have been commissioned to deliver one capacity building workshops per month for parents and carers. Each workshop is approximately 90 minutes long with a break around the midway point. There are 4 Free workshops available (see link for registration):

ParentsCarer Workshops Alford, Kemnay, Mintlaw and Turriff

 

Listening To & Supporting My Child

This workshop has been specifically developed to provide parents and carers with the knowledge and skills to have mental health conversations with their child.

It explores the different stresses that children and young people experience in their lives, and which can impact on their mental health and wellbeing.

The workshop helps parents and carers learn how to start conversations, including finding the right time, place and way to communicate, and how to support their child even when do they do not want to talk about how they are feeling.

Managing My Wellbeing

This course aims to provide adults with an understanding of self-care both for themselves and for the young people in their care.

It introduces mental health and wellbeing and the importance of us looking after it.

Learners are introduced to the many strands of self-care and the SAMH 5 Ways to Better Wellbeing. They are supported to consider what forms of self-care they can introduce into their lives. Learners are invited to take part in guided mindfulness activities.

Mental Health Awareness

This workshop is an introductory session to mental health and wellbeing awareness.

This course aims to provide the adults around CYP with a grounding in mental health awareness. It defines mental health and the mental health continuum, discusses current prevalence of mental health problems in children and young people, explores the two most common mental health problems, addresses mental health stigma and discrimination, and offers self-care tips and techniques that can be used to help manage their own mental health, as well as supporting others.

 

Understanding & Managing Stress & Anxiety

This course aims to provide the participants with an awareness of stress and anxiety, and introduces tools that they can use to manage these.

It encourages them to consider the worries and stress that young people experience, and how they can develop into anxiety. They are introduced to coping strategies, breathing and grounding activities.