28% of Year-11 girls in Northumberland had been asked to post pictures of themselves that were inappropriate.
A county councillor has said his authority needs to do more to offer support to vulnerable young people and their parents after a report revealed a string of shocking statistics.
The figures showed that 28% of Year 11 girls – aged 15-16 – in Northumberland had been asked to post pictures of themselves online that were inappropriate, while 30% of boys and 46% of girls said someone had posted or sent them hurtful, unwanted or nasty comments online.
Presented to members of Northumberland County Council’s family and children’s services overview and scrutiny committee, the report used data gathered from the 2021 health and behaviour-related questionnaire, with around a third out of 9,000 pupils in year groups 6, 9 and 11 in five secondary schools and 29 middle and primary schools participating.
Speaking at the meeting, Conservative councilor Mark Swinburn, who represents the Cramlington Village ward, said he was concerned about the figures.
He said: “There’s a lot of detail around social media abuse. Social media can be a wonderful thing, we all use it and know it is great but we also know it can be horrendous.
“We suffer it too. For a child or a younger person, think how it must be.”
The results also raised further issues relating to potential safeguarding concerns, including:
74% of primary pupils but only 25% of secondary pupils think their school takes bullying seriously.
37% of Year 9 girls have hurt themselves at some point.
61% of Year 11 girls said that life during Covid has affected their mental health and well-being.
66% of Year 9 lesbian, gay and bisexual pupils would keep a problem to themselves compared with 53% of the overall Year 9 sample.
26% of Young Carers in Year 9 said they felt less safe at home because of increased family tensions during Covid restrictions/lockdown compared with 11% of the overall Year 9 Sample.
62% of Year 11 lesbian, gay, and bisexual pupils have deliberately hurt themselves compared with 36% of the overall year 11 sample.
30% of Year 11 pupils living in single-parent families have had sex compared with 22% of the overall Year 11 sample.
Year 6 pupils who experienced shouting and arguing at home are more likely to say they have felt less safe at home since Covid.
