This newsletter contains mentions of suicide and self-harm. If you need support text MRF to 85258 to message a trained volunteer.
It’s been a bumper month for Molly Rose Foundation with the release of our major report Teen accounts, broken promises: How Instagram is failing to protect minors. First-of-its-kind testing of safety tools reveals two thirds (64%) to be ineffective, with just 17% working as described by Meta – leaving children at risk of harmful content and abuse.
We are also deeply proud of the members of our specially-convened group Families and Survivors to Prevent Online Suicide Harms appearing in rolling newspaper coverage with the Mirror, calling for Ofcom to expedite its investigation into a suicide forum.
Remember if you need support, you can contact someone you trust for help. You are not alone and it is OK not to be OK.
Raising awareness
Molly Rose Foundation was delighted to feature on site at Fulham FC’s Craven Cottage this month to support the Premier League’s new Inside Matters initiative Together Against Suicide.
Launched on World Suicide Day, the campaign was visible across all fixtures – including during Fulham’s clash with Leeds United – with the aim to support fans affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts and raising awareness of the information and services available to those who need them the most.
With Molly Rose Foundation materials available on site outside the Johnny Haynes Stand before kick-off and broadcast on the big screens at the start and during half-time, it was a wonderful opportunity to encourage people to start a conversation about their mental health.
Jo Neale, Head of Fundraising and Partnerships at Molly Rose Foundation, said: “In the seven years since Molly died, the tragedy of her loss has been repeated in families and communities across the country. We’re determined to change this so that young people can live the safe and supported lives they deserve. Molly Rose Foundation was proud to support the Together Against Suicide initiative because suicide is preventable and prevention can be as simple as starting a conversation with someone to check in on their mental health at a match day”.
“Suicide is a tough topic to talk about — which is exactly why we must,” said Billy Fitzpatrick, Mental Wellbeing Practitioner for Fulham FC Foundation.
He added: “Having Molly Rose Foundation at Craven Cottage created a safe space to inform and support our community. By being there, we showed that it’s okay to talk about such a heavy topic and encouraged others to reach out rather than suffer in silence.”
The Inside Matters campaign is backed by all 20 Premier League clubs and delivered in partnership with Samaritans, who provide free emotional support 24/7 to anyone in the UK.
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We would like to thank Adele Zeynep Walton for donating proceeds from her Logging Off Club at LUSH Covent Garden to Molly Rose Foundation. The phone-free, self-care and skincare event raised £187.50 and saw participants enjoy an offline morning of conversation, baked goods and surprise goodies to take home.
Policy
New report Teen accounts, broken promises found that Instagram’s Teen Accounts are abjectly failing to keep young people safe despite Meta’s PR claims. A major, systematic review of Instagram’s list of teen safety features found that less than 1 in 5 are fully functional and two-thirds (64%) are either substantially ineffective or no longer exist.
The result of a landmark partnership between civil society and academia in the US and UK, the report was conducted by Meta whistleblower Arturo Béjar, Molly Rose Foundation, Fairplay, ParentsSOS and Cybersecurity for Democracy, based out of NYU and Northeastern University.
Among the disturbing findings are:
- Users of Teen Accounts are able to view content that promotes suicide, self-harm and eating disorders, with autocomplete suggestions actively recommending search terms and accounts related to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and illegal substances.
- Instagram’s algorithm incentivises children under-13 to perform risky sexualised behaviours for likes and views and encourages them to post content that received highly sexualised comments from adults.
- Teen Accounts are able to send and receive grossly offensive and misogynistic comments and messages to one another without the promised interventions by the platform.
- Teen Accounts can view content that features sexual descriptions and posts that describes demeaning sexual acts.
- Test accounts were algorithmically recommended Reels featuring children as young as 6, and found many public accounts under 13 using Instagram features to announce their age.
The report urges Meta to fix the tools and for regulators and governments to respond robustly to the company‘s false claims that Instagram Teen Accounts are safe for young people.
Andy Burrows, Chief Executive of Molly Rose Foundation, said: “This report exposes systematic failures in Meta’s Teen Accounts and must be a wake-up call to governments, regulators and parents.
“Our findings suggest that Teen Accounts are a PR driven performative stunt rather than a clear and concerted attempt to fix long running safety risks on Instagram.
“These failings point to a corporate culture at Meta that puts engagement and profit before safety and pays lip service to doing the right thing.”
You can read the full report here.
Get involved
Take on a challenge – whether you’re a seasoned marathon runner or looking to try something new, there are plenty of ways to support Molly Rose Foundation through our existing events or by coming up with a unique challenge of your own.
Give a gift to Molly Rose Foundation – just £30 could fund Youth Mental Health First Aid course materials to help young people become mental health first aid champions and support their younger peers. By giving to Molly Rose Foundation today you’ll be part of our work to uplift the voices of young people.
Make a regular donation – by setting up a regular gift you’ll be supporting Molly Rose Foundation in the long-term helping to reach young people at risk of suicide and connecting them to the help, support, and practical advice they need. As little as £2 a month could send 3 boxes of ‘Where to find help cards’ signposting young people to support in a time of crisis.
My Bag of Happiness
Suitable for children aged between 7-11, the My Bag of Happiness scheme supports PSHE lessons and encourages children to create and collect happy memories, enabling them to reflect upon these and gain strength when needed.
Feedback tells us this initiative is empowering for the children who take part and equips them with vital tools with which to express themselves.
If you are a teacher or parent and would like to receive one or more of these Molly Rose Foundation-designed My Bag of Happiness packs please contact us via training@mollyrosefoundation.org to submit your request, letting us know the relevant information (including your name, address, contact details, number of packs required etc). Any additional background details you can provide us with about why you’d like one or more of these packs would also be appreciated.
Molly Rose Foundation staff are also available to run workshops using the packs and will happily come into schools in the London area to do this. Our trainers are DBS checked and are used to working with children in schools. To arrange a workshop please contact us at: training@mollyrosefoundation.org
Donations directly to the My Bag of Happiness initiative can be made here.
News
To mark World Suicide Prevention Day, members of our Families and Survivors to Prevent Online Suicide Harms (pictured below) have appeared in rolling coverage with the Mirror in which they have bravely spoken about their experiences and losses and called for change as Ofcom investigates a suicide forum linked to 99 UK deaths.
Andy Burrows, chief executive of Molly Rose Foundation, said: “Molly Rose Foundation is pleased to be partnering with the Mirror to give a voice to those most impacted by this abhorrent forum and urge the government and Ofcom to act swiftly and robustly to legally close the site.
“It is astounding that a site responsible for so many deaths in the UK has still not been legally blocked and the poison it promotes is still readily available to vulnerable people.”
To see more MRF news and press releases, please visit our news section.
Support in crisis
This year so far, we have sent out 58,195 Where To Find Help cards in response to 199 requests. Since the charity began operating, we have distributed almost 240,000.
These popular pocked-sized help cards feature four different messages of reassurance and provide information signposting children and young people to mental health support services.
Some of our recent feedback: “We are a childrens’ home supporting some of the most vulnerable young people in the borough and this will help us in our direct work with them.”
“I am a CYP & family support worker for Domestic Abuse services, the cards would be very useful when doing Safety Plans with children.”
We welcome requests from universities, colleges and schools. If you are an individual with a connection to any of these, please get in touch.
Each box contains approximately 140 cards with a list of recommended organisations that can help in varying circumstances. On the reverse side you’ll find printed one of four different inspiring quotes.
If you require more than one box, please state how many in the comments section online and we will arrange delivery of any amount required.
