Schools and Police Warn Parents About New Add Everyone WhatsApp Groups

Police in Derbyshire and the Three Trees Academy, a primary school in Swadlincote, have issued a warning to parents and caregivers after reports of a mystery WhatsApp group with hundreds of members and explicit content.

A post on the Glossop Police SNT Facebook page explained that officers are aware of warnings circulating online about WhatsApp groups encouraging users to add everyone they know. These groups often contain explicit and harmful material.

According to a recent BBC report, Three Trees Academy has alerted parents to the issue. In a message to families the school said, “We have been made aware of an online safety issue which is being dealt with by local schools. We are not aware of any Three Trees children being part of this WhatsApp group but we urge parents to check their children’s phones.”

So what can parents and caregivers do

This is a reminder of just how important it is for parents and caregivers to stay involved in their young persons digital world. Understanding the risks is essential along with the skills and confidence to support the young people in your care.

A helpful first step is to start a conversation about WhatsApp safety and privacy and why these settings matter.

One practical action is to review with your young persons their privacy settings on WhatsApp. Group privacy is usually set to everyone by default. This means anyone your young person is connected with on WhatsApp can add them to a group. A safer approach is to change this from everyone to My Contacts by following the steps below.

How to update WhatsApp group privacy settings

• Open WhatsApp on the device
• Tap on the settings icon on the bottom right
• Tap on Privacy
• Tap on Groups
• Select My Contacts

If you find that your young person has been added to this group or any other group you do not recognise you can block, delete and report the group directly through the WhatsApp reporting tool.

Don’t forget you can stay up to date with all things Online Safety and Tech by downloading our helpful Parent & Caregiver App.

Packed with practical guidance, updates on the latest app features, and tips you can actually use.

👉 https://go.waynedenner.com/app

Stay curious, stay cautious,

Wayne

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