Reporting on instances of child abuse, or stories involving children in general, pose a range of editorial questions around a child's safety, privacy, future, and overall wellbeing.

A recent front-page story from The Sun – "Boy, 4 has mark of devil" – provoked outrage from MPs as the child was named and pictured.

Some Twitter users expressed further concern in suggesting the target-shaped mark, which had disappeared over a month before publication, could have been caused by a hairdryer burn.

Given such potential pitfalls and the repercussions publication could have on a child's life, this recent article and video from the BBC Academy of Journalism hears from the NSPCC's head of strategy Lisa Harker, offering guidelines in reporting cases of child abuse.

It also includes links to the BBC editorial guidelines and a separate report from BBC social affairs correspondent Alison Holt on responsibly involving children in reports and the wider public conversation.

 

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