Here we showcase some of the research and insight that we have delivered on complex and challenging online safety issues. All of our work is underpinned by the guiding principle that children have a right to be safe and to thrive in the online environment.
Consulting children about online safety
Published: December 2024
To enable Ofcom to understand the views of children and young people towards their proposals to protect children from online grooming we conducted workshops with 77 children in four different schools in England and Wales.
The young people we spoke to were incredibly thoughtful about how the proposals will impact them and were able to reflect on the differences these additional protections could make to their online lives. Our work has informed Ofcom’s final proposals which are designed to tackle the pathways to online grooming: Time for tech firms to act: UK online safety regulation comes into force – Ofcom
You can read the full findings of the research here as well as a summary version for children.
Shifting the dial: Methods to prevent ‘self-generated’ child sexual abuse among 11-13-year-olds
Published: May 2024
The scale of self-generated Child Sexual Abuse Material is a key concern for online safety with the IWF reporting an exponential increase in the volume of self-generated CSAM in recent years. Our in-depth research with children and young people in England and Wales looks at how to educate and prevent sharing among 11–13-year-olds. The research, funded by Nominet, was carried out in collaboration with Internet Matters and explores the messaging and interventions that are likely to be most effective.
Alongside the report you can find a short presentation by our director Zoe Hilton – explaining the key research findings.
Child Online Safety Compliance
Published: December 2023
In Europe and worldwide, digital services are subject to rapidly increasing regulatory oversight. Legislation such as the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA),Ireland’s Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 and the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023 create significant new responsibilities, especially in relation to child users.
Please read our perspective at Praesidio on the key themes and areas of focus across new and emerging child online safety standards. If you want to speak to us about any of these issues, please get in touch!
Improving media literacy in disadvantaged communities: educating children and young people about persuasive design
Ofcom’s ‘Making Sense of Media’ programme aims to develop the digital knowledge, awareness, and the resilience of those living in disadvantaged communities. Our project – commissioned by Ofcom as part of the Making Sense of Media programme – aims to educate children and young people about ‘persuasive technology’. The toolkit we used, and the evaluation of our approach can be found here.
Download report PDF [English]
Download toolkit PDF [English]
Child ‘self-generated’ sexual material online: Children and young people’s perspectives
Published: May 2023
This research explores children and young people’s perspectives on the issue of self-generated sexual material in three very different country contexts – Ghana, Thailand, and Ireland. We wanted to understand children’s views, opinions and experiences in depth – and what approaches they thought would help them to stay safe.
This study conducted on behalf of the WeProtect Global Alliance is the first international qualitative study that seeks to understand from children directly what they think and how they experience this issue. It provides powerful insight into why children are vulnerable to the pressure to engage and share across different social and cultural contexts. As a result, it sheds new light on this issue as an urgent and shared global problem which interlinks with children’s exploitation and vulnerability online. The research makes a number of key recommendations to improve the global response to this issue.
Download briefing paper PDF [English] or [Thai]
Download report PDF [English]
Animations
The focus of our research was on listening to children’s views on the issue of ‘self-generated’ sexual material. As part of the project, we sought to elevate children’s voices by creating a series of animations which captured some of the real voices of the children we spoke to.
Literature review – what is currently known about child self-generated sexual material
A key component of our research was a comprehensive literature review of the published research on self-generated sexual material. This review offers an assessment of what is currently know about self-generated images and an analytical review of the complexities around how this issue has been written about and approached.
Making age assurance work for everyone: inclusion considerations for age assurance and children
Published: March 2023
This research commissioned by the DCMS is focused on understanding the inclusion considerations presented by the introduction of age assurance technologies. The research includes a wide range of interviews with companies, regulatory and standards bodies, policy makers and child safety groups. To fully understand the impact of different methods on inclusion and access we also spoke to children from excluded groups including children in care, Children with SEND and children educated outside of mainstream school, as well as their parents, carers and the professionals that work with them.
Exploring effective prevention education responses to dangerous online challenges
Published: November 2021
The ways children and young people watch and copy challenge content across social media channels is a relatively new feature of the ways children spend time and engage online. Here, we have conducted and published the first ever global study that seeks to understand children’s engagement and experiences of viral online challenges. This study reviews the evidence on how to tackle dangerous challenges and viral hoax content in our educational interventions, in policies and on platform and makes a series of recommendations. This report was conducted on behalf of TikTok and has been translated into all of the languages of the study.