Back to school pics on social media

The NSPCC advice is perfectly clear, and I'm not sure why so many PPs seem to think they know more about children's safeguarding than the national organisation responsible for advising on children's safeguarding.

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/news-opinion/2025/how-to-protect-your-childrens-back-to-school-photos/

But they will likely know those things if they know the parent anyway and have access to the child, which is what increases the risk

I think people who don't see any problem with this haven't thought carefully enough about it.

When you make your child identifiable online via your public social media, you put them at risk of false familiarity, a grooming 101 tactic. It enables a stranger to gather information about your child that they can use to establish trust. "Hello Sally, how are you? I'm a friend of your mum's. Did you enjoy your weekend on centre parcs? You must be SO excited to be getting a new kitten!".

It doesn't need spelling out how this trust can be exploited.

No amount of stranger danger conversations will enable a primary age child to reliably spot this technique. Every parent has to make their own call about how big they think this risk is, but to say there is NO risk is very naive.

I've worked with sex offenders for nearly 20 years, never come across one who targeted a child because he saw them in their school uniform on social media tracked them down to the local area of their school and abused them.

Most sex offenders require either opportunity/access (family child, partner's child, neighbour, pupil, cubscout etc) or they are online grooming but older children and not from school photos, on online games, chat forums, Snapchat, tiktok etc. I don't post pictures of ds online, because of the job I do I don't really have a social media presence where I post other than MN which is anonymous.

I think children might not like growing up to see an Instagram account covered in pictures of their every waking moment, but I don't think there's a particular risk of harm attached to a back to school picture unless there are specific circumstances around the child (adopted, abusive parent etc)

I assume that it's not just the single photo but the details alongside everything else you can learn about them from a parents' profile. It's got to be a lot easier to strike up a rapport with a child (either on person or online) if you know family details from Facebook. If you can say 'I'm friends with your mum, and she told me that you love dogs/went to Alton Towers/went to your friend's birthday party last weekend or similar, they are more likely to trust you.

Also, a lot of posters are mentioning that your kids are in more danger from someone known to you than a stranger - isn't that literally the point? That you're sharing details with people that you used to work with/met when travelling/know from a hobby but wouldn't necessarily vouch for if it came to it?

I would be very put off being in that Brownie pack if I was subject to that level of busybodying about nothing.

Can’t get worked up about this.

What if it’s shared with only friends. Or a limited section of their friends. I’m not seeing a problem.

I agree. I’ve never posted a picture of my DDs online, but I’d find your message quite annoying. It’s not so much of a risk that it needs interference from people it has nothing to do with.

What has it got to do with you? You’re a volunteer leader at brownies not social services ffs 🤣

Even with a private account you can't stop people sharing your photos.

As per that linked article

"The bank is forecasting that "sharenting" will account for two-thirds of identity fraud facing young people by the end of the next decade and will cost £667m per year."

Is the bank talking rubbish?

If it's a friend's child, it's likely that I know their name and I could also give a good guess which school they go to so makes no difference if they actually write these things, does it?

But you don’t need to send a reminder out to parents because of your preferences. That is up to them. If they’re posting pictures of groups of Brownies then fair enough if they don’t have permission but back to school pictures is not your concern and overstepping your role.

I’m probably going in too hard on the Brownie leader part because of the unit I’m involved with. But what happened before the days of SM? We had to wait to show people actual copies of photos. Why does EVERYTHING have to be on SM. My DF took a photo of me every day from I was born until I started primary school - ranging from “mildly cute baby” to “trainee sumo wrestler” to “starting primary school” - they (thankfully) remain in physical photo albums

OP exactly what do you think the risk is?

The average child is more at risk from the unfit drivers on the road, or dangers within the home. That does not make the OPs concern any less valid.

Of course posting pics of other children may be an issue and you should always ask permission but what’s the issue of my posting a picture of my own child in uniform? She’s not adopted, no DA issues etc.

Those who can’t post their own kids online won’t need reminding by a brownie leader as they’ll know, those without those issues can surly crack on?

People shouldn’t share photos of other peoples children, agreed.

I can’t see why you’d need to email parents to tell them not to post photo’s of their own child, though.

It's really not much of a risk though, if you're just a normal person posting to your friends and possibly wider circle. I agree if you're a politician, celeb, drug dealer or whatever, but the sheer volume of photos on FB in general makes it really really unlikely this will lead to anything. As PP have said, if peadophiles are looking for school children, they hang around outside schools.

See previous comments - there are a lot of reasons (especially when people post photos at school gates etc) why we bring this up

Because lots of our brownies are from the same school/year group and there are reasons they don’t want their photos on SM. It’s just a reminder that just because you know a child from a different “environment” doesn’t mean you should be putting photos up

I was a Scout Leader. We never did this! It’s up to parents what they post on social media and school is nothing to do with Brownies or Scouts.

Children are at far more danger from family/close friends who can build a relationship with them and gain their trust. Random paedophile snatches are incredibly rare.

it is EXACTLY because nothing is ever private on SM, so if you’re escaping DV, you’ve an adopted child, the risk is too high

But that's completely different to parents posting photos of their own kids on their own social media.