New educational tools to help children and young people understand the risks of the online world including artificial intelligence, online bullying and misinformation have been launched.
The resources have been developed by a group of young people from across Scotland to help keep children safe online. It is part of a project called ‘Amplifying Child Safety Online’, being delivered by the NSPCC in partnership with the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP).
The work is being led by 10 young people, including Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs), who have called themselves Digital Safety Ambassadors.
They have created a set of videos, posters and an educational session plan to support children and young people and professionals who work with them, with child safety online.
To produce these tools, they led workshops with groups of young people from regions across Scotland over the past 12 months, to explore their experiences of being online and the challenges they face in staying safe.
Other topics the groups have discussed include social media and body image, grooming and talking with strangers, hate speech, scams, and keeping personal information private.
The Digital Safety Ambassadors also worked with the NSPCC’s Voice of Online Youth, a group of 14 young people aged 13-17 from across the UK, and youth engagement groups in Northern Ireland and Wales to identify common issues across the devolved nations and ensure that young people’s voices and their views about online safety are heard and considered.
They hosted an online event last November to showcase the child online safety tools they have developed. This marked an important step in connecting young people’s lived experiences with those in positions of power. With the project now available to the wider public, the co-designed materials will be used to raise awareness of the risks young people face online, and support influencing opportunities with decision-makers.
Catriona, MSYP for Falkirk East, said: “I got involved in this project because young people are online so much and social media is such a core part of our lives, so it’s an important topic to target.
“Young people should be safe online, but this isn’t the case. The online world and social media can be a great thing, and I don’t think we should stop young people from using it, but more needs to be done by tech companies and politicians to make sure children don’t see inappropriate content.
“I hope this project can make people more aware of the issues that children face online and they are vulnerable to harm.”
Arianna Gagnon, MSYP for Clydebank and Milngavie and Digital Safety Ambassador, said: “Online safety is such an important issue because young people get exposed to inappropriate content.
“We need to be aware of risks because we’ve grown up with the digital world and it’s a significant part of our lives.
“I hope this project helps to create a safer space online for young people. We’d like to make decision makers more aware of what young people are experiencing online and to realise that online safety is a big issue. I don’t think it’s a big enough priority just now.”
Joanna Barrett, NSPCC Associate Head of Policy for the Nations, said: “Children have a right to be safe online and to have their voices heard on the issues that matter most to them.
“This project has provided an opportunity for the young people to make their views and insights on tackling online harms and improving digital safety heard by decision-makers and those with responsibility for child safety online.
“We hope this will empower decision-makers to shape policy and practice that reflects the realities facing young people online.”
Mary-Martha Dickie, MSYP for Girlguiding Scotland and Digital Safety Ambassador, said: “I first got involved in the project because I noticed how reliant we are towards social media and the potential risks it creates.
“It’s been great to meet with a wide range of young people and work together to find out how we can enjoy the online environment whilst ensuring our safety is guaranteed.”
Nathi, Digital Safety Ambassador, said: “I got involved in this project because I saw how social media really impacts young people – it’s part of our everyday lives.
“This project has helped me to see social media in a better light and recognise some of the risks. It’s been great to use our experiences to help other people.
“Hearing young people’s views from different regions of Scotland was so interesting. I was surprised by how knowledgeable they were on so many topics such as artificial intelligence, misinformation and body image.
“Young people aren’t safe online just now, especially younger audiences. We need to make it safer so they can still access it because it’s not all bad. It can also be useful for learning and studying.”
Sonia said: “A lot of young people aren’t aware of how to stay safe online.
“I think young people’s safety online needs to be more of a priority. Children are our future and it’s our duty to keep them safe.
“I’ve learned about the importance of taking responsibility by being part of this project and the value of participation. It’s great to get the chance to have an impact and I feel very grateful for the opportunity to do such valuable work.
“I hope decision makers listen to and take us seriously and that they introduce measures to make sure children are safer online in future.”
For more information about this project visit: NSPCC Child Safety Online
