ITU Child and Youth Advisory Group
DESCRIPTION
In 2020, the International Telecommunications Union and partners, updated the ITU Child Online Protection Guidelines, which is a set of recommendations for parents, guardians, carers and educators, policy-makers, the ICT industry, and children of different ages about how to make sure online environments are safe and empowering for children and young people. The ITU has used these guidelines to develop
ITU's global programme on Child Online Protection, which aims to
create safe and empowering digital spaces for children.
To make these guidelines more accessible and engaging, the ITU developed a range of products specifically designed for children and youth, including:
The development of these products involved the active participation of the Child Online Protection Child and Youth Advisory Group. This group not only contributed to the design but also played a crucial role in testing the products to ensure they were suitable for their peers. Children and young people actively shaped these products to reflect their own perspectives and experiences.
The aim was to hear and respond to the views and experiences of young members of the Advisory Group to guide the development of online safety resources that are both empowering and enjoyable for children and young people.
Membership in the Child and Youth Advisory Group was open to individuals aged 8 to 18, organised into two groups: one for children aged 8-12 and another for young people aged 13-18. Members shared interests in areas such as building a safer internet, game development, app development, and children’s rights, representing diverse cultural, religious, economic and geographic backgrounds.
What did children and young people contribute?
Depending on their age, interests, and skills, members of the Child and Youth Advisory Group provided valuable insights, including:
- Offering suggestions on what topics children and young people want to learn about online safety and how they prefer to learn.
- Collaborating in deciding the content for online lessons, the app, and the game.
- Providing feedback on different versions of these products during their development, including thoughts on features and design.
- Testing out the final versions of the app and game.
- Assisting in the dissemination of the final products within their communities.
Through these efforts, we strive to create a safer and more enjoyable online experience for children and young people worldwide.
