Evaluation of the education pilot for West Yorkshire Combined Authority Violence Reduction Partnership
The latest report has been released after a pilot project in Bradford focusing on online harms, education and support.
“If you post something it’ll never be deleted. It can be on someone’s phone. Someone could have saved it. You can’t control what is online.”
Artificial Intelligence, virtual reality, deep fakes and misinformation. Just some of the subjects which young people want more support around, according to the latest report.
In October 2023, the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) commissioned a pilot project in Bradford focusing on online harms, education and support. It saw a universal in-class workshop for years 5 to 10, as well as one-to-one and group-based sessions.
As Global Media and Information Literacy Week begins, a full evaluation of the work has now been published outlining a series of recommendations.
Director of the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Partnership, Detective Chief Superintendent Lee Berry said:
“The online world is rapidly changing, and we must continue to be ahead of the game, when it comes to understanding the impacts on our children and young people.
“This report captures all our findings and will help guide partner organisations in making the right decisions when it comes to educating the younger generations.
“We can see they are conscious of issues like grooming and exploitation, but it crucial that there is a consistent and tailored approach to education across West Yorkshire.”
All Star helped deliver the pilot and created a digital resource for parents and carers.
Michael Davis, All Star Operations Director and Online Harms Programme Lead said:
“The Online Harms programme highlighted the importance of educating young people about the dangers of online harms; some young people weren’t even aware that they were at risk of harm.
“We hope that the workshops will have a lasting legacy encouraging young people to make better life choices surrounding the use of the internet and applications.”
Liz Robinson CEO from Step 2 added:
“The one-to-one support work allowed us to offer additional work with young people who were particularly vulnerable to online harms, tailoring the support to their needs.
“Several of the young people we worked with had already experienced a level of harm, and we were able to support them to develop strategies to prevent further harm.
“We believe all the young people we worked with will be safer online in the future.”
Rocket Science Director Cherri Blissett Director added:
“The evaluation identified the need for further education and support with almost half of young people experiencing some form of harm, as a result of their online activity.
“As a result of the pilot, young people report increases in understanding of the risks and potential harms that can occur, how to reduce these risks, and where to seek support in the event of harm.”
