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Swedish School Holds Theme Day to Address Online Image Sharing Risks

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Key Points
  • Änge skola in Offerdal held its first theme day on relationships, norms, and violence, inviting police and Centrum mot våld to educate students.
  • Students learned about the legal risks of taking, possessing, and sharing intimate images online, with police presentations receiving positive evaluations.
  • According to ECPAT's 2023 report, over half of young people know someone whose images have been exposed online, and more than 50% of 10-13-year-olds have visited 'expose accounts'.

Änge skola in Offerdal, Sweden, organized its first theme day focused on relationships, norms, and violence after staff noticed problematic language use among students. According to SVT Jämtlandsnytt, the school invited both police and Centrum mot våld (Center Against Violence) to speak to students about the risks associated with taking, possessing, and sharing images online.

School nurse Emma Hedlund, who helped initiate the theme day, reported that students rated the police presentation highly in evaluation surveys, finding it interesting and educational. "They said they have learned new things," Hedlund stated.

The police presentation, which covered the risks of taking, possessing, and sharing images as well as potential criminal offenses, received high marks in student evaluations.

Emma Hedlund, School nurse

The event addressed the legal consequences of sharing intimate images without consent. According to ECPAT's 2023 exposure report cited in the coverage, over half of young people know someone who has had their pictures exposed online. The same report indicates that more than 50 percent of 10-13-year-olds have visited so-called 'expose accounts' designed to share youths' nude images.

Hedlund noted that discussions about these issues begin as early as fifth grade, with students being well aware of the problem. The school plans to continue these educational initiatives to combat the normalization of sharing intimate images among youth.

Students found the presentation interesting and said they learned new things.

Emma Hedlund, School nurse

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