Back to school pics on social media

[abouttogetlynched]

I have seen countless “back to school” photos on my social media today, but AIBU to be surprised (although I don’t know if I really am) by the number of people who give the names of their DC and show the school they go to?

I know I know these people, but some are ex work colleagues, ex school pals etc - people whose kids I have never met. Who else is on their social media that they don’t know that well who can see this stuff?

I’ve counted 5 today who are teachers and have posted their primary aged kids with name and school shown. Shouldn’t they know better? Like from safeguarding POV?

It is staggeringly unlikely that a paedophile is scouting random social media hoping for a child to snatch. The odds must be incredibly remote, otherwise we would hear about it all the time. I live in Ireland. Every year we read about all these Safeguarding Concerns in the UK with bemusement. It's not considered a secret what school kids go to because everyone knows anyway. It's obvious from the uniforms. People post photos on social media, and nothing happens. Every week the local papers have photos of kids in school or in sport teams, with names ages and approximate address, and nothing happens. It's just not considered risky behavior the way it is in the UK.

I have no one on my social media that I am not close to and friends with in real life. No one can send me a friend request and my profile is very locked down. So I have no worries about putting a back to school photo on as I would probably show most of them when I saw them anyway!

If people are stupid enough to have random people on their facebook then more fool them.

Stop watching TikTok and believing shite like “random paedo stalks fbook for school logo” and you’ll live a less paranoid and anxious life.

Mate. It’s not “in the UK”. It’s just on social media

I hear what you are saying, but also tend to agree with @KrisAkabusi.

I don’t post much of my kids on social media, particularly as they get older (upper primary school) and develop their own personalities as I am aware that they maybe wouldn’t want to be online and for people to see it. Chubby baby pics I’m not so bothered about, as all babies look the same to an extent. No nude or bath photos or anything though.

However, the school stuff…meh. I just don’t really see the risk. I personally don’t do it, as I’m fairly private and also fairly cautious, so although I don’t particularly see a risk, I don’t do it. But it doesn’t really bother me when others do.

I see some parents put an emoji or something over the badged part of the uniform and I think fine. But really, what do they think is going to happen? Some paedophile sees it, zooms in and goes “yes! That kid goes to Duffington Primary! I’m going to have him!” ?

Internet safety is a concern, and always will be, but this one in particular I don’t see as much of a risk.

if you live in a village or smallish town pretty much all children go to the local school anyway, so it's hardly some big secret.

What do you actually think will happen OP? Most schools are very strict about releasing DC to anyone other than a named relative or childcare provider, or about letting children younger than Yr6 or so walk home alone.

The chances are pretty flipping remote that on the one day a parent arrives late to pick up, an opportunistic peadophile who has memorised that child's name and their parent's name, from somehow being friends with said parent on social media and seeing a back to school post several months ago, is ALSO at the right school and class at the right time, ready to swoop in, AND the school's safety procedures are so lax that they then release said child to said paedophile based on only 'Hi Milly, I know your mum Emma, she said she's running late today so I'm going to pick you up, despite you clearly having never met me before and your mum never mentioning me as a back up childcare provider to the school.'

Why is it a problem for people to know that Simon Jones goes to Dangleberry Primary or whatever?

I get what you’re all saying and great if you have a very locked down social media presence or you’re restricting who can see your posts, but I see pictures of kids I’ve never met but would recognise in public just due to their parents posting them online. And parents who I don’t know overly well.
I agree it’s highly unlikely, but it’s not impossible is it? How is it worth it, just so your online friends can say “Aw, so cute… so grown up” etc.
There was a thread last week about people you know who committed crimes, and there were quite a lot who knew people committed of peadophilia and child abuse who you’d apparently never expect of it. A ‘friend’ of mine (ex school friend) who’s DH is a teacher posted a picture of her toddler naked in the bath and then was horrified that someone had reported the picture to Facebook. I just don’t get it.

The people who I think should be a bit careful are those with big public platforms.

In all seriousness, what is someone going to do with a name and a school? I don’t do it myself because I don’t want photos of DD online in the age of deep fakery and AI manipulations, but that’s a whole other issue.

I don’t get the issue either. Surely paedophiles know that schools will have children attending them so seeing back to school photos won’t change anything. As long as children are clued up on stranger danger and know not to go with randoms and tell you about those who try and befriend them etc.

I don’t have Facebook/Instagram but what are people going to do with the information in reality?

This I do agree with. I have an old school friend who I don’t talk to now but I follow on SM. She started off as an influencer but is now a porn star. I can tell you the village she lives in, the schools and nursery’s she uses and baby groups she attends. That is dangerous as obvs part of her ‘job’ is to be friendly with men online and I can really imagine some weirdos coming to find her.

Are there any actual examples of someone using this kind of information to do anything?

I never get the weird fear people have over this. Most schools (unless you tell them not to) post pictures of children on their websites

And what if a paedophile does see them? What special power will it give him?

I do think it is almost like an old fashioned superstition of the bogeyman who can catch a child once he sees a picture on line.

What is the rational concern here?

I'm surprised in this day and age kids have to wear uniform at all.

Primary often also encourage things like named book bags.

All while posting social media pics of kids and running online safety education for parents 🙄

It’s crazy. Do people really not understand what sort of people are out there? A friend posted her toddler twins in the bath on her public instagram. An intelligent woman who ought to know better.

I have never posted photos of my children online, and never will.

1. They can take a fancy to a child and know where they go to school.

1. They can create disgusting online material, including deep fake porn.

They can create disgusting online material, including deep fake porn.

They can do that without knowing the child's name or what school they go to.

This.

It’s not really about whether the school logo is showing, it’s about the fact that these kids aren’t mature enough to consent. They have an online presence they haven’t chosen.

and as already pointed out, images are used to create child abuse images.

There is a photo of my eldest DD on the home page of her primary school website! Been there for 6 years now.

With what image? Genuinely curious.

Most child abuse is within families or someone the child knows. So posting a photo won’t have any effect.

Is there anything that posters on this forum dont consider a Safeguarding Concern (with capital letters)?

There is no 'safeguarding concern' about that

Apart from the unending boredom and tediousness of people oversharing their every move and activity.