(Dé)clic : Online safety, by and for the youth

« On 7th grade, I would go with friends on webcam meet and talk to new people. Then got called stunning, beautiful, perfect… Then he wanted me to flash… So, I did. A year later I got a message on Facebook from him. It said: “if you don’t put on a show for me I will send your boobs”. He knew my address, school, relatives, friends’ family names… My photo was sent to everyone.”

Amanda Todd was a victim of online bullying. In 2012, she committed suicide. She was 15.

ABOUT ECPAT BELGIUM

ECPAT Belgium is the Belgian member of ECPAT International, the only global network dedicated to the fight against child sexual exploitation. ECPAT Belgium grounds its work on three distinct pillars:

• PREVENT: Through regular preventive actions with professionals such as tourism professionals, lawyers, guardians, our awareness actions highlight the realities of child sexual exploitation in order to stop abuses.

• LISTEN: Our cornerstone is to position children and youth victims at the centre of our movement. Making their voices heard in our studies, strategic choices and actions is essential to stay connected and attentive to their needs.

• MOBILIZE: The fight against the sexual exploitation of children must be carried out together. Therefore, ECPAT Belgium mobilizes its partners and civil society as a whole to protect children.

PROJECT OUTLINE

From Make-it-Safe to (Dé)clic

According to a study conducted in Europe by EU Kids Online, 33% of children aged 11 to 16 met strangers online, 14.5% were sent sexual pictures/videos, 9, 5% met an online contact in real life and 6.5% were victims of cyber-bullying.

While being amazing tools to learn and be creative, new technologies may expose minors to risks related to sexual exploitation and abuse, such as cyber-bullying, sexting/sextorsion (use of sexual materials, which may lead to blackmail and threats) or grooming (the act of an adult trying to gain the trust of a child for the purpose of sexual abuse). Of course, it is not reasonable to forbid young people from accessing the Internet. But it is possible to teach them how to use it safely. The (Dé)clic project a logical step following the Make-it-Safe project. It makes sense given that when a young person faces a complex situation, he/she tends to turn more easily to another child to ask for help. As a result, minors must know enough to be able to protect themselves from online risks and to provide advice to others.

“I feel more able to help young people to stay safe online since I learned how to identify potential online risks and how to prevent them.”, Leo, 16 years old, beneficiary of the Make-it-Safe project

“I learned more about the risks linked to sexting. As “sexting” remains a common practice with unaccompanied foreign minors, it was very important for me to understand the risks so I know how young people can prevent them”, Laura, social worker in an unaccompanied foreign minors shelter, Make-it-Safe coach.

The Make-it-Safe project was set up in 5 European countries (Germany, Austria, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands) between January 2013 and December 2014. It aimed at addressing online security issues with children aged 12-18 using interactive tools and methods (brochures, videos, comics ...).

It was a unique project as teenagers were empowered to raise awareness among their peers. ECPAT Belgium has worked with schools, centers for unaccompanied foreign minors and youth movements.

This project was a great success, hailed by all the players in the field and by the children themselves. The end-of-project evaluation states that "peer experts gained new knowledge on online safety and the project equipped them with more protection skills online. The project significantly strengthened capacities of minors to problem-solve and to take responsible actions to ensure their well-being online as well as for their peers. The peer-to-peer strategy implemented enabled them to pass on their knowledge, actively sensitize their peers and empower them to assist their peer dealing with risks and problems”.

WHY DO WE LAUNCH A CROWDFUNDING?

European funds to set up the Make-it-Safe project have been allocated for a period of two years. From the start, we knew that the project was going to be limited in time. Nevertheless, we were impressed by the impact of our actions and the willingness of the partners to implement the project. We also came to realization: there are still so many children and teenagers to sensitize!

For them to be safe online, we need your help.

STRUCTURE

(Dé)clic wants to take over from the Make-it-Safe project in order to continue developing the abilities of young people to protect themselves and others against online abuse. To implement (Dé)clic, ECPAT Belgium will use interactive methodologies, combining fun and participative activities to ensure maximum involvement of young people.

(Dé)clic will rely on Make-it-Safe former partners as well as new partnerships. In each of the organization or school targeted, several teenagers will be trained to become the "online safety contact points". A coach (teacher, social worker ...) will support them during their mission. When they will leave their school/organization, the coach will recruit and train new children to sustain the project.

NEXT STEPS

1. Gather the amount needed to start (Dé)clic.

2. Enhance partnerships with former Make-it-Safe contacts and create new ones.

3. If the sum is collected, start trainings in schools, centers for unaccompanied foreign minors, etc.

4. Provide every donor with news via our social networks, as well as through a specific newsletter.

(Dé)clic : la sécurité en ligne, par et pour les jeunes