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Platform Accountability, Mental Health, and Professional Responsibility

What the Evidence Shows

• Instagram: own research found 32% of teenage girls harmed
• 5 million young people cyberbullied annually in UK
• 40+ deaths linked to cyberbullying since 2010
• This is a public health crisis — not a personal problem

Online Safety Act 2023: The Test

• Platforms must address harmful content proactively
• Children's safety codes: specific measures required
• Fines: up to £18m or 10% of global turnover
• The question: will Ofcom actually enforce this?

The Mental Health Dimension

• Social comparison, algorithmic amplification, always-on access
• CAMHS referrals for social media-related distress increasing year on year
• Professionals need digital literacy to hold these conversations
• Trauma-informed approaches apply here too

The Free Speech Debate

• Article 10 (HRA): right to freedom of expression
• Article 8 (HRA): right to private life and wellbeing
• Hate speech: contested in England and Wales; Scotland legislated 2021
• Professional practice must navigate both rights — no easy answers

Professional Responsibility

• KCSIE 2024: cyberbullying and online harm are safeguarding issues
• Mandatory Reporting: online harm disclosures in educational settings
• First response: believe, document, do not investigate independently
• Escalate through DSL, potentially to CEOP or police

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This is a professional and civic responsibility.