THE NSPCC has given advice to parents worried about the dangers of sexting.

It comes after the charity recently revealed that one in two parents do not know it is illegal for a child to take nude selfies.

And while two out of five parents fear their children will be involved in sexting, most haven’t spoken to them about the risks.

Sharon Copsey, NSPCC regional head of service for south west England, said: “Sharing nude selfies can put young people at risk of bullying by peers or being targeted by adult sex offenders, so it's vital that parents talk to their children and that young people feel empowered to say no to sexting requests.

“We realise that talking about sexting can be an embarrassing or awkward conversation for both parents and children. And although most parents said they would seek help if an indecent image of their child had been shared on the internet, half of them weren’t confident about getting the right support.

“The NSPCC has created a new guide for parents to help them talk to their children about the risks of sexting, what the law says, and what to do if their child has shared a nude image that is being circulated online or among their peers.”

Sexting, which is the practise of sending and receiving sexually explicit messages, usually on a mobile phone, is currently on the rise, with the number of children counselled by Childline over sexting having risen 15 per cent nationally in the past year.

In its advice to parents, the NSPCC suggests staying calm, gently asking where the image came from or where it has been sent to and asking that it be deleted immediately.

If images of their child have been posted online, parents should contact the site hosting the images and ask them to remove them.

Young people can be involved in sexting in several ways: they may lose control of their own image, receive one of someone else, or share an image of another person.

One 17 year old told Childline: “My friends and I talk very openly about sexting, our experiences within our relationships, and the sort of things we’ve sent each other. So it can seem like everyone’s doing it.

“There are definitely risks involved. Someone saw a video message I had sent to a previous girlfriend, took a screen shot and posted it online. They called me a pervert and lots of people I knew saw it – it was clearly me pictured.

“I was completely devastated and, to be honest, almost suicidal. I got the picture taken down eventually, but by that stage people had ‘unfriended’ me and the damage was done.”

Children and young people can contact Childline free, 24-hours-a-day on 0800 1111 or get help at www.childline.org.uk.