Have you ever typed the word ‘Facebook’ into Google News? A large portion of the resulting headlines include derogatory phrases such as ‘killer’ or ‘paedophiles’, with many originating from mainstream media sites and the rest from stories about subjects like social gaming on tech blogs. Though search engines aren’t the be all and end all, this is paints a rough picture of what the majority of the public are be reading about the social network on a daily basis.

A lot of journalists have been adding sensationalist – yet tenuous – links to social networking sites within criminal stories for a long time. Whether this is fair or not, the Ashleigh Hall murder case (by a man she met on Facebook), has again raised questions of the site’s child protection levels. Is it high time that the social network took action and listened to the calls from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre to implement an abuse reporting button?

The internet is constantly subjected to criticism over safety regulations by the media and as a result, some organisations have worked very hard to provide tools or guidelines to create a better environment for children to use. The CEOP button is one of these initiatives. Once implemented, it appears on every page or profile and connects the user to the CEOP’s website. By accessing this, the user can either view information about staying safe online or report abuse directly. Of the main social media sites used in the UK, only Bebo and MSN Live Messenger include the CEOP reporting button so far – which isn’t good enough.

Facebook’s press team is once again being forced to employ some serious crisis management, but it’s curious that the company isn’t taking a more proactive approach to the issue. The site obviously takes the safety of its users seriously, but this is not being communicated to the public. Adding the CEOP button seems to be a very simple way to help heal its public image, and more importantly help children – and their parents – feel happier about using the site.

Charlotte is resident social media expert at Reputation Online’s sister publication, new media age. Image via Child Safety Glasses.