1. Commitment and
time usage –
Reaching out online to youngsters and seeing how
they see Online Outreach Youth Work
Hong Kong 3.12.2015
International Conference on Outreach Work
Helmi Korhonen, youth agent

2. Workshop Schedule
Introduction
I. Online Outreach Youth Work what?
II. Reaching out – 4 groups who react
III. Reflection and discussion

3. Introduction
- Community educator since december 2009
- Thesis: Outreach Youth Work in Russian Karelia
- Social media educator since january 2010
- Online youth work and social media studies project worker (North Karelia College
Niittylahti)
- Social media marketing and communication (Union of Rural Education and Culture)
- Youth agent since december 2011
- Online Outreach Youth Work, social media
development and communications, social media
lecturing for youngsters and workers, preventive
substance abuse work etc.

4. Nuorten Palvelu ry briefly
(Youth Service Association)
- Finnish nationwide politically and religiously
independent youth work organization
- Nuorten Palvelu ry has been pioneering on
developing the outreaching street youth work
in Finland, which guides the operations of the
organization
- Founded 1969 to help the youth who need
extra support

5. Working in new arenas of
youth
Our root and core: To work where the youngsters
really are
- Outreach approach to find about youth cultures
(new phenomenons of hanging and chilling)
- New arenas of youth work (e.g. ABC service stations,
shopping centers, Ruka and Ylläs ski resorts, outreach work
online)
- Intermediatative role (youngster, security officer, cashier,
janitor, school, parent, municipality, youth worker …)

6. II. Online Outreach Youth Work
what?

7. Online Outreach Youth Work
• Funded by Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture
• Started august 2010
• Based on a finnish outreach youth work method
-> converted into online based work
• 2 part time workers + extra help from youth agent and
other organization members
Online: Sunday, Monday & Tuesday
20.00-23.30

8. Online Outreach Youth Work
• Targeted for young people aged 15-25 years old who are
in need of a trustworthy adult in their lives
• Working on the terms of youngsters (e.g. having the right to
choose if they want to have the contact or what topics they are
willing to speak about)
• Aimed to case management and helping young people to
understand their own feelings
• Problems connected are usually bullying, loneliness,
anxiety, sexual abuse and different feelings of inadequacy

9. Values of
Online Outreach Youth Work
Voluntary
Confidelity
Equality
Interaction
Respect for difference

10. ONLINE where needed

11. II. Reaching out – 4 groups who react

12. Pop ups
- Exploring the
service
Heavy weights
- Needing long time
support
Light weights
- Searching answers
to a certain problem
Chatters
- Lonely youngsters
longing for friendship
Time spent in
the service
Main target
groups
Need of a
support

13. Pop Ups
Commitment low, time use high
Social orientated visitors:
- Exploring and testing Online Outreach Youth Work
out
- Might visit service only one time
- Say they will come back if in need
- Messengers – will lead their friends to the service
”What is this place?”
”I don’t have any
problems.”
”Just
chilling.”
”Trololoo”
”Rick rolled”

14. Chatters
Commitment high, time use low
Company orientated:
- In need of a friend or an adult who listens, lonely
youngsters seeking social company
- Regural visitors in service
- Need of support is little because usually they don’t
have any spesific need of a case management
”Nothing special, just
wanted to come and
say hi. So hi!”
”Of course I have a
problem! It is that …
uhm … ””What kind of music do
you listen to?”
”You like
movies?”

15. Light weights
Commitment low, time use low
Problem orientated:
- Randomly active youngsters who vanish to show up
again
- Come to service spesific question, problem or life
situation in mind
- Are seeking answers or reflection, confirmation for their
own decision from an adult
”My boyfriend
just dumped
me.”
”I was drunk and then
I got raped. What
should I do?”
”I like girls
panties,
am I gay?”
”Can’t get
sleep. I’m
exhausted.
It started
when … ”

16. Heavy cases
Commitment high, time use high
Support orientated:
- ”Process youngsters”- connection can last even for years
being active
- Needing long term support, usually in many ways
problematic life situations
- Case management targeted to elaborate long term traumas,
mental disorders, anxiety and overall coping
• Usually are part of a social welfare net and getting many
services – still feeling need of an extra support
”My dad raped
me again and
again. Can’t
speak about …”
”Well it’s easy, I just
don’t eat. Never.”
”I am cutting
myself.
Again.
I wanna die!”

17. III. Reflection and discussion

18. Strenghts
• Anonymity
• Easy to acces -> web connection is considered
to be a human right
• Low treshold work possible – customer
doesn’t need to think how worker reacts
• Gives reaction time for the worker before
answering
• Advertising and telling about us to others is
strong
Weaknesses
• Trolling, lying easy
• Customers can disappear whenever
• Can waste human resources – never know
if there is customers online
• Customer can get dependent – risk of
encouraging web addiction
• Not easy to predict customers or rush
hours
Opportunities
• New tools and possibilties to reach
out (e.g Steam, Periscope)
• When choosing tools correctly – can
reach whole new target groups
• Low cost work – free tools, only
working hours cost
• Gamification -> Can we glue
together outreach work and games?
Threats
• Will cyberreality kill anonymouslysness?
Web 3.0
• How to hit the target group
• Workers get stuck to tools – to prevent this
have to be curios and innovative
• Using internet mobile -> Not always the
easiest way for the worker (WhatsApp,
KikMessenger)

19. ?”Usually I feel being understood (in web based
conversasion). I can see answers coming more
quickly and the message is more clear.”
”I feel I am able to express myself and my
feelings in web pretty freely, when I speak with
OOYW-worker I know they will understand me
and they don’t judge me or underrate my
feelings.”
” It is easier for me to tell about it via
internet in a private message. I want to
have confidence to my ponderings so I
would feel like I am being understood.”

20. Commitment and
time usage –
Reaching out online to youngsters and seeing how they see Online Outreach Youth Work
THANK YOU
Helmi Korhonen, youth agent
Nuorten Palvelu ry, Youth Service Association Finland
Online Outreach Youth Work
helmi.korhonen@nuortenpalvelu.fi
Twitter: @rakshuFI (personal) / @etsivanettityo (OOYW)