Youth Work and Online Social NetworkingFindings from research

November 27th 2008Tim Davies (tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk)

Young people network photo by ranflickr, (http://flickr.com/photos/rainforestactionnetwork/. Creative Commons Non-Commercial Attribution licensed)

Research funded by:

www.nya.org.uk/research

STAND UP - SIT DOWN

What is online social networking?

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What is youth work?

Youth Work• Statutory sector youth service

established in the 1960s• Young person centered model –

starting where young people are• Informal education, associational,

group work - moving beyond where young people start

• Resourcefulness, Resiliency, Resolve

Youth Work• 4,225 (3,630 FTE) Youth

Workers, • 17,000 (3,900 FTE)

Youth Support Workers• In contact with average

27.5% of local 13 – 19 year old population

• Works with excluded groups

Source: NYA Audit, 2005-6 (www.nya.org.uk)

Youth Work and Social Networking

• Literature review

• Survey

• Focus groups

• Action research

How are young people ‘social networking’

online?

Keeping in contact Sharing content

Exploring identityHanging out

Making new contacts

Informallearning

www.flickr.com/photos/28859335@N00/120018144

http://flickr.com/photos/mshades/169570194/ http://flickr.com/photos/loosepunctuation/959524837/

http://flickr.com/photos/morgantepsic/176795867/

http://flickr.com/photos/lewiselementary/152620388/

http://flickr.com/photos/andreasnilsson1976/530776998/

Finding a ‘youth work perspective’ on online

social networking...

Youth Workers perceptions of the risks to young people

• Bullying (53%)• Disclosing personal

information (35%)• Abuse and exploitation

(29%)• Too much time on

computer (23%)• Risks from sexual

predators (22%)

Youth worker perceptions of opportunities for young people

• Increased opportunities for self expression (64%)

• Developing wider range of contacts in the UK and internationally (60%)

• Getting involved in real world positive activities (31%)

Wordle

Social Network Sites (SNS) present young people with a wide range of opportunities and risks. Opportunities and risks go hand in hand. The opportunities and risks of most concern to young people (keeping in touch with friends and bullying respectively) are different from those most frequently highlighted in the mainstream media.

Young people need support to develop the appropriate resources and resilience to navigate risk and to make the most of opportunities on SNS, and peer groups need opportunities to negotiate and develop positive norms for their interaction on SNS.

Many of the reasons young people may encounter risks through SNS have roots outside of the technology, in issues of young people's personal and social development. The appropriate response to SNS risk may not involve technology.

Social networking sites can be made safer when youth workers, as professional and trusted adults, actively engage with them.

Youth work can engage with SNS as one or more of: an environment in which young people need support and guidance; a marketing tool for promoting youth work opportunities and

activities; a communications tool for interacting with young people and

groups of young people; a youth work tool for promoting young peoples creative

expression, political engagement and wider personal and social development; a starting point to work from in helping young people develop

their skills, interests and capacities across a range of issues and areas; a platform for new forms of online youth work;

Youth work methods have a particular contribution to make in encouraging and supporting young people to adopt safe and positive online behaviours.

Are youth workers ready to put this perspective

into practice?

Survey results90%

believe that they have a crucial role supporting young people to navigate

risk

42% feel equipped to

provide that support.

44% believe web filters

to be effective way to manage

risk

81% find web filters are used in their work

settings

86% believe that

training for youth workers would be

effective in maximising

support for young people

29% have received such training

29% have access to

SNS in their work settings

Survey, safety, staff, strategy

Guidance is provided for staff to manage their personal SNS profiles.

It is clear who is allowed to use SNS as part of their work. And in what ways are they allowed to use SNS.

It is clear how should youth workers manage their work SNS profiles.

It is clear what recording of contact should take place.

Guidelines should exist for workers and young people about conduct in online SNS spaces.

There are guidelines on how workers should deal with concerns about young people's safety or conduct.

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Three levelsAwareness of SNS in youth work

Promotion of Youth Work through SNS

Using SNS as a Youth Work Tool

http://www.youthworkonline.org.uk

http://www.csn.info

http://www.nya.org.uk

http://www.timdavies.org.uk

http://www.nya.org.uk/research http://blogs.nya.org.uk/ywsn

tim@practicalparticipation.co.ukhttp://www.timdavies.org.uk

Links to credits for Creative Commons photos from Flickr.com are included on images/in slide notes

Graphics by Small Kid Design (http://www.smallkid.co.uk/)