An educational workshop for teenagers and a parallel workshop for parents and teachers on the topic of early sexualisation and gender-based online violence took place in Borovetz on December 18-20.
Theseventeen girls and boys, who participated in the workshop “For a few likes more,” are volunteers aged between 15 and 17. They are members of a youth panel of the National campaign for counteracting contemporary methods of gender-based violence, financed by the Norway Grants Programme 2009-2014. The youth panel is the main working group for the creation of relevant messages, content and vision for the National campaign. The panel members were selected among more than 30 applications.
The workshop for teenagers included intensive group work, during which they discussed topics like online popularity and reputation, as well as the risks coming from the inappropriate ways in which youngsters look for more attention online. After a presentation and discussion on how to conduct a successful campaign, the teenagers began developing messages and ideas for the informational materials of the campaign. They identified girls and boys aged between 12 and 18 as a target group, with an emphasis on vulnerable groups – teenagers, who have experienced abuse or are marginalized.
In a parallel workshop with parents and professionals from the educational sector, our experts presented the project, its goals, as well as some basic online dangers and the ways of preventing them. The group discussed the safety settings of the new Windows 10 and Facebook, as the security settings of the programs and websites that the youngsters use are among the preconditions for creating a better Internet environment for them.
