The aim of this first session was to identify the diversity of problems around the world and the research challenges that result. In particular, contributors discussed the particular barriers to, and opportunities faced by, children in engaging with digital technologies in their country or region, also identifying areas where more research is needed.
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Researching children's rights globally in the digital age: Overview, context, aims, challenges
1. Embedding children’s rights in policy-
making: lessons from research and evidence gaps
Sonia Livingstone, Media@LSE
s.livingstone@lse.ac.uk
Livingstone_S
www.eukidsonline.net
2. From 2006-09, as a thematic network of 21 countries, EU Kids
Online identified and evaluated the findings of nearly 400
research studies to draw out substantive, methodological and
policy implications.
From 2009-11, as a knowledge enhancement project across
25 countries, the network surveyed 25,000 children and
parents to produce original, rigorous data on online
opportunities and risk of harm.
From 2011-14, the network expanded to 33 countries to
conduct targeted analyses of the quantitative survey and new
qualitative interviews with children.
In 2015, network coordination passed from Department of
Media and Communications at LSE to the Hans Bredow
Institute for Media Research, University of Hamburg.
See www.eukidsonline.net
Nearly a decade of research
(funded by EC Better Internet for Kids)
Net Children Go Mobile replicated parts of
EU Kids Online’s qualitative and quantitative
research in selected countries in 2011-14.
See www.netchildrengomobile.eu
8. Usage Activities
Risk
factors
Harm
or
coping
INDIVIDUAL USER
SOCIAL MEDIATION
NATIONAL CONTEXT
Parents School Peers
Child as unit of analysis
Country as unit of analysis
Demographic
Psychological
Cultural
values
Socio-economic
stratification
Regulatory
framework
Education
system
Technological
infrastructure
9. Usage Activities
Risk
factors
Harm
or
coping
INDIVIDUAL USER
SOCIAL MEDIATION
NATIONAL CONTEXT
Parents School Peers
Child as unit of analysis
Country as unit of analysis
Demographic
Psychological
Cultural
values
Socio-economic
stratification
Regulatory
framework
Education
system
Technological
infrastructure
10. Usage Activities
Risk
factors
Harm
or
coping
INDIVIDUAL USER
SOCIAL MEDIATION
NATIONAL CONTEXT
Parents School Peers
Child as unit of analysis
Country as unit of analysis
Demographic
Psychological
Cultural
values
Socio-economic
stratification
Regulatory
framework
Education
system
Technological
infrastructure
12. Models of comparison
Nation as object of study: idiographic, seeing our own and others’
countries better through contrasting cases
Nation as context of study: testing hypothesised generalities across
countries to examine claims of universal phenomena
Nation as unit of analysis: seeking systematic relations among a
priori dimensions on which countries vary, each serving as source of data
Nation as component of transnational system:
comparing countries systematically related as a result of an underlying process
(Melvin Kohn, Cross-national research in sociology 2009)
13. Putting ideas into practice
Country report 1
Country report 2
Country report 3
Country report 4
RQ1 RQ2 RQ3 RQ4
C1
C2
C3
C4
National teams write country reports that answer
a set of research questions
Nation as
object of study
(Sonia Livingstone and Uwe Hasebrink, Designing a European project, 2010
14. Practice gets complicated
RQ1 RQ2 RQ3 RQ4
C1
C2
C3
C4
Country report 1
Country report 2
Country report 3
Country report 4
Different researchers analyse single research questions
across countries
Com-
pari-
son 1
Com-
pari-
son 2
Com-
pari-
son 3
Com-
pari-
son 4
If similarities - nation as
context of study (claim
universals?)
If differences - nation as
unit of analysis (need
external indicators)
15. But what about ‘the nation’?
Ethnos - The ethno-cultural nation
• Maps identity and culture onto nation by prioritising belonging, trust and efficacy
generated by a homogenous & committed imagined community
• But problem of global flows, diversity, migration, instability
Cosmos - The community of communities
• Maps the kaleidoscope of variety and contrast, embracing diversity, difference, flux,
even cosmopolitanism
• Responds to the critique of the ethno-cultural nation, but more description than
explanation
Demos - The civic/democratic nation
• Replaces cultural homogeneity with political/administrative culture of social rights &
inclusivity
• Invites strategic questions of priorities, of targeting structures that may effect change
(Kevin Robins, Becoming anybody 2001)
16. Activities
Literacies
Strategies
Affordances
Design
Practices
Benefits and
harms that affect
well-being
SOCIAL RESOURCES
& MEDIATORS
SOCIETAL CONDITIONS
Outcomes
Digital
ecology
User-led
Family Educators
Peers and
community
Cultural values,
norms, practices
Education
system
Technological and
regulatory infrastructures
Structures of inclusion
and inequality
Identities
Experiences
Capacities
Children
Opportunities
and risks
INDIVIDUAL
17. Activities
Literacies
Strategies
Affordances
Design
Practices
Benefits and
harms that affect
well-being
SOCIAL RESOURCES
& MEDIATORS
SOCIETAL CONDITIONS
Outcomes
Digital
ecology
User-led
Family Educators
Peers and
community
Cultural values,
norms, practices
Education
system
Technological and
regulatory infrastructures
Structures of inclusion
and inequality
Identities
Experiences
Capacities
Children
Opportunities
and risks
INDIVIDUAL
18. Activities
Literacies
Strategies
Affordances
Design
Practices
Benefits and
harms that affect
well-being
SOCIAL RESOURCES
& MEDIATORS
SOCIETAL CONDITIONS
Outcomes
Digital
ecology
User-led
Family Educators
Peers and
community
Cultural values,
norms, practices
Education
system
Technological and
regulatory infrastructures
Structures of inclusion
and inequality
Identities
Experiences
Capacities
Children
Opportunities
and risks
INDIVIDUAL
19. Activities
Literacies
Strategies
Affordances
Design
Practices
Benefits and
harms that affect
well-being
SOCIAL RESOURCES
& MEDIATORS
SOCIETAL CONDITIONS
Outcomes
Digital
ecology
User-led
Family Educators
Peers and
community
Cultural values,
norms, practices
Education
system
Technological and
regulatory infrastructures
Structures of inclusion
and inequality
Identities
Experiences
Capacities
Children
Opportunities
and risks
INDIVIDUAL
27. UNCRC
Protection from any kind of discrimination (Art.2), all forms of abuse and neglect (Art. 19),
including sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (Art. 34), and other forms of exploitation
prejudicial to the child’s welfare (Art. 36), from ‘information and material injurious to the
child’s well-being’ (Art. 17e), ‘arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy,
family, or correspondence [and] unlawful attacks on his or her honour and reputation’ (Art.
16)
Provision to support children’s rights to life and development (Art.6), to preserve his or her
identity (Art. 8), to an education to support the development of their full potential (Art. 28)
and prepare them ‘for responsible life in a free society’ (Art. 29), to recreation and leisure
appropriate to their age (Art. 31), to diverse material of social and cultural benefit to the
child (including minorities) to promote children’s well-being (Art. 17) and all appropriate
measures for recovery from neglect, exploitation or abuse (Art.39)
Participation: ‘In all actions concerning children… the best interests of the child shall be a
primary consideration’ (Art. 3), including the right of children to be consulted in all matters
affecting them (Art. 12), to freedom of expression (Art. 13) , freedom of thought (Art.14), of
association and assembly (Art. 15), to information (Art.17) and to participate fully in cultural
28. CRC Issues for the digital age
Protection from any kind of discrimination
(Art.2), all forms of abuse and neglect (Art. 19),
including sexual exploitation and sexual abuse
(Art. 34), and other forms of exploitation
prejudicial to the child’s welfare (Art. 36), from
‘information and material injurious to the child’s
well-being’ (Art. 17e), ‘arbitrary or unlawful
interference with his or her privacy, family, or
correspondence [and] unlawful attacks on his/
her honour and reputation’ (Art. 16)
• Sexual grooming and sexual exploitation
• Creation and distribution of child abuse images
• Online dimensions of child trafficking
• New threats to privacy, identity and reputation
• Availability of (diverse, extreme) pornography
• Personal data exploitation, misuse, tracking
• Hostility, hate and bullying content and conduct
• Persuasion re: self-harm, suicide, pro-anorexia, drugs
Provision to support children’s rights to life and
development (Art.6), to preserve his or her
identity (Art. 8), to an education to support the
development of their full potential (Art. 28) and
prepare them ‘for responsible life in a free
society’ (Art. 29), to recreation and leisure
appropriate to their age (Art. 31), to diverse
material of social and cultural benefit to the
child (incl. minorities) to promote children’s
well-being (Art. 17) and measures for recovery
from neglect, exploitation or abuse (Art.39)
• Formal and informal learning resources and curricula
• Wealth of accessible and specialised information
• Opportunities for creativity, exploration, expression
• Digital and information skills and literacies
• Ways to counter traditional inequalities or problems
• Expanded array of entertainment and leisure choices
• Access to/representation in own culture and heritage
Participation: ‘In all actions concerning children
the best interests of the child shall be a primary
consideration’ (Art. 3), incl. the right of children
to be consulted in all matters affecting them
(Art. 12), to freedom of expression (Art. 13) ,
freedom of thought (Art.14), of association and
assembly (Art. 15), to information (Art.17) and
to participate fully in cultural life (Art.31)
• Enhanced connections and networking opportunities
• Scalable ways of consulting children about governance
• User-friendly fora for child/youth voice and expression
• Child-led initiatives for local and global change
• Peer-2-peer connections for sharing and collaboration
• Recognition of child rights and responsibilities
29. CRC Evidence Internet Rights & Principles Coalition
Protection from any kind of
discrimination (Art.2), all forms of abuse
and neglect (Art. 19), including sexual
exploitation and sexual abuse (Art. 34),
and other forms of exploitation
prejudicial to the child’s welfare (Art.
36), from ‘information and material
injurious to the child’s well-being’ (Art.
17e), ‘arbitrary or unlawful interference
with his or her privacy, family, or
correspondence [and] unlawful attacks
on his/ her honour and reputation’ (Art.
16)
• Sexual exploitation
• Child abuse images
• Child trafficking
• Threats to privacy
• Pornography
• Personal data
exploitation
• Hostility, hate,
bullying
• Self-harm, suicide,
pro-anorexia
•Dignity must be respected, protected, fulfilled online
•Privacy, freedom from surveillance & censorship and
the right to online anonymity
•Control over personal data collection, retention,
processing, disposal and disclosure
•Protection against harassment, crime, defamation,
hate (& for children, sexual exploitation)
•Children must be free to use the internet and be
protected from its dangers, depending on capabilities
Provision to support children’s rights to
life and development (Art.6), his or her
identity (Art. 8), an education to
support the development of their full
potential (Art. 28) and prepare them
‘for responsible life in a free society’
(Art. 29), to recreation and leisure
appropriate to their age (Art. 31), to
diverse material of social and cultural
benefit to the child to promote
children’s well-being (Art. 17) and
measures for recovery from neglect,
exploitation or abuse (Art.39)
• Learning resources
• Wealth of
information
• Creativity &
expression
• Digital literacies
• Ways to counter
inequalities
• Expanded
entertainment
• Access to own
culture
•Life, liberty and security
•Access and use of a secure and open internet, incl.
addressing specific needs of disadvantaged groups
•Cultural and linguistic diversity on the internet must
be promoted and innovation should be encouraged
to facilitate plurality of expression
•Education through the internet, to culture and
knowledge online
Participation: ‘In all actions concerning
children the best interests of the child
shall be a primary consideration’ (Art.
3), incl. the right of children to be
consulted in all matters affecting them
(Art. 12), to freedom of expression (Art.
13) , freedom of thought (Art.14), of
association and assembly (Art. 15), to
information (Art.17) and to participate in
• Enhanced
networking
• Ways of consulting
children
• Fora for child voice
• Child-led initiatives
• P2p sharing
• Recognition of
rights
•The internet is a space for promotion, protection and
fulfilment of human rights & advancing social justice
•Seek, receive and impart information freely, and to
associate freely with others for social, political and
cultural purposes
Before we look closely at the present and the near future – the purpose of this conference – let’s look back 10 years or so.
Internet meant fixed line, via a desktop, in the living room, with access a source of major inequality (digital divide)
Offline versus online (online as virtual, perhaps unreal, definitely voluntary)
Talk of digital natives and digital immigrants (unhelpful for both)
Risks versus opportunities (separate conferences, no recognition of their connections)
Moral panics in the media (encouraging some key fallacies – technological determinism; children as innocent victims, the internet as the wild west)
Online meant web 1.0 – importance of peer-to-peer, social networking came later, as did ‘always on’, ‘constantly connected’
So, little regulation of internet, not even clarity over the array of stakeholders to be involved in diverse kinds of regulation
But call for internet-specific interventions, rather than embedding internet into existing practice, regulation
The more children use the internet, the more digital skills they gain, and the higher they climb the ‘ladder of online opportunities’ to gain the benefits.
Not all internet use results in benefits: the chance of a child gaining the benefits depends on their age, gender and socio-economic status, on how their parents support them, and on the positive content available to them.
New divides
Not digital natives
Uncertainty about the top
Pos Con
Ask parents or teachers for best hopes
Importance of consulting children
Pornography tops children’s online concerns. Violent, aggressive, cruel or gory content came a close second - although violence receives less public attention than sexual material. What particularly upsets them is real (or realistic) rather than fictional violence, and violence against the vulnerable such as children or animals.
Children’s concern about online risks rises markedly from nine to 12 years old. Younger children are more concerned about content risks, and as they get older they become more concerned about conduct and contact risks.
What’s happening with the risks?
More extreme, diverse, visual, intense
Coming from trusted peers
Esp via video-sharing websites as most linked with violent & pornographic risks (though also source of greatest pleasure, showing how risks and opps are linked)
3 key findings
Children’s use, skills and opportunities are also linked to online risks; the more of these, the more risk of harm; thus as internet use increases, ever greater efforts are needed to prevent risk also increasing.
Not all risk results in harm: the chance of a child being upset or harmed by online experiences depends partly on their age, gender and socio-economic status, and also on their resilience and resources to cope with what happens on the internet.
Also important is the role played by parents, school and peers, and by national provision for regulation, content provision, cultural values and the education system.
3 key findings
Children’s use, skills and opportunities are also linked to online risks; the more of these, the more risk of harm; thus as internet use increases, ever greater efforts are needed to prevent risk also increasing.
Not all risk results in harm: the chance of a child being upset or harmed by online experiences depends partly on their age, gender and socio-economic status, and also on their resilience and resources to cope with what happens on the internet.
Also important is the role played by parents, school and peers, and by national provision for regulation, content provision, cultural values and the education system.
3 key findings
Children’s use, skills and opportunities are also linked to online risks; the more of these, the more risk of harm; thus as internet use increases, ever greater efforts are needed to prevent risk also increasing.
Not all risk results in harm: the chance of a child being upset or harmed by online experiences depends partly on their age, gender and socio-economic status, and also on their resilience and resources to cope with what happens on the internet.
Also important is the role played by parents, school and peers, and by national provision for regulation, content provision, cultural values and the education system.