The Flaw in the Law campaign set out to change UK legislation.
Until our campaign there was no law to prevent adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from sending sexually explicit messages to children. Perpetrators were free to send sexual messages to children without fear of prosecution. In the past year ChildLine received a 168% increase in contacts from children about online sexual abuse. 93% of 5-16-year-olds are accessing the internet six times a week on average, putting them at high risk of viewing uncensored content.
… but the law hasn’t kept up.
Incredibly, this legal loophole was not acknowledged by the government. In fact, David Cameron has publicly claimed on numerous occasions that a change in the law to this effect was not required.
The NSPCC was determined to change the flaw in the law, making the internet safer for children to enjoy without fear.
Mobilising an online army to change the law
The Flaw in the Law campaign mobilised an online army to successfully change UK legislation. Campaigning for a change in the law is normally a lengthy and often unsuccessful process. Flaw in the Law represented a new way to effect change, and quickly. It took the speed, sharability and simplicity of social media and harnessed it to prove that the British electorate is anything but apathetic.
The campaign’s positive, quirky tone cut through the multitude of online petitions. The pathway to signature was short and seamless from the video to the sign-up page. Every signature triggered a letter to the minister from the signatory, demanding that the flaw in the law be addressed. In just four weeks the campaign delivered over 50,000 petition signatures and letters. In turn, the government committed to introducing a new criminal offence of sexual communication with a child, achieving the campaign’s objective.
Home secretary Theresa May MP said of the campaign: “Members have supported the campaign by the NSPCC and I pay tribute to them for highlighting this gap in the law.”
Shadow home officer minister Seema Malhotra MP added: “An important campaign. Even the phrase ‘Flaw in the Law’ has captured the imagination, which has made it much easier for government and opposition members to get behind the reform.”
At the global summit #WeProtect Children Online, just seven weeks after the campaign launched, the Prime Minister announced: “There can be no grey areas here, so we are changing the law. Just as it is illegal to produce and possess images of child abuse, now we are making it illegal to solicit these images too”.
The amendment was granted Royal Assent on 3 March 2015, which means it will officially become law this year.
The new law will have a profound impact on keeping children safe online for generations. It will prevent abuse occuring by enabling the police to intervene earlier, and also better protect children by deterring abusers from making sexual contact.
Of the new law, Detective Inspector Robert Chitham of the Kent Police Paedophile Online Investigation Team said: “If such a law was enacted, it would significantly enhance our ability to deal with online offences, and go a long way to
safeguard children exposed to such offences.”
Beri Cheetham is executive creative director at Leo Burnett
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