The authorities have in particular issued a warning about the use of three apps – a gaming app called Roblox and two social-networking applications called ICQ and Whisper, which are being used by children as young as five.
Roblox, which is a Minecraft-style gaming app set in a virtual universe, contains a built-in messaging feature which allows any of its 30 million users to contact each other, no matter what their age.
Melissa Pardoe, the head of governance and online safety at the Education Department, said that this feature put children at risk of being approached by sexual predators.
Lesley Harrison, the chairwoman of Prison? Me? No Way!, said that the Whisper app let users share secrets with millions of users worldwide anonymously, which was a particular concern.
PC Jo Carter, who acts as a liaison between the police and Island schools, said that mobile phone apps were being created so fast that it was difficult for the police to keep up with trends among children.
