When we talk about violence prevention, it's easy to focus on what happens in schools, neighbourhoods and public spaces.
But young people across Humberside are telling us that many conflicts, pressures and harms they experience start online. At a time when there is growing national debate about whether social media platforms should face tougher restrictions for under-16s, questions around young people's online safety have never been more needed.
This Global Media and Information Literacy Week (24 - 31 October) is an opportunity to reflect on how social media, online behaviour and digital literacy are increasingly linked to young people's safety and wellbeing. The evidence gathered from our Youth Connect project shows that understanding online harm is now a vital part of preventing violence.
The online world is shaping real-world experiences
Young people consistently report that arguments and disputes can begin or escalate on platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok before spilling over into schools, friendship groups and local communities.
For many young people, this can make conflict feel inescapable. Unlike previous generations, there is no clear break at the end of the school day. Notifications, messages and social media interactions can continue around the clock, increasing anxiety and allowing tensions to build.
In North East Lincolnshire, of secondary school pupils who said they'd been bullied, 16% reported experiencing cyberbullying (Adolescent Lifestyle Survey 2024). Meanwhile 9% of children aged 9 to 11 in North Lincolnshire said they had sent unkind emails, texts or web messages about another child (Children and Young People’s Lives Survey: Primary School). The evidence suggests that online bullying is frequently connected to face-to-face bullying, demonstrating how online and offline experiences are often intertwined.
Young people are facing a range of online harms
Along with cyberbullying, local research found that around 16% of pupils in North Lincolnshire had taken part in challenges that they thought might be risky to their health, including trends promoted through social media platforms (Children and Young People’s Lives Survey: Secondary School).
Young people have also highlighted concerns about:
- Being contacted by strangers online
- People pretending to be someone they are not
- Being hacked
- Exposure to harmful content
- Pressure linked to body image and social media expectations
Some practitioners have also identified concerns around young people accessing harmful online spaces and becoming influenced by individuals they encounter online.
One particularly important finding is that a small but significant group of young people spend a disproportionate amount of time online and become involved in harmful behaviour or offending through online contacts and influences. This reinforces the need to view online safety as a violence prevention issue, not simply a technology issue.
Digital literacy can help prevent harm
Media and information literacy includes understanding healthy online relationships, recognising manipulation and exploitation, knowing when behaviour crosses legal boundaries and understanding how online actions can affect others.
Consultations with Youth Justice Services in Humberside revealed that some young people did not fully understand the law surrounding certain online behaviours until after they had become involved in the justice system. Young people themselves identified a need for clearer and more consistent education around digital behaviour and online laws.
This is particularly relevant when we consider behaviours such as sharing images, coercive control and checking a partner's phone or social media accounts without consent, which can be misunderstood or normalised despite being unhealthy and potentially abusive behaviours.
What is working across Humberside?
The good news is that our partners and local organisations are already delivering innovative work to address online harms:
- Not In Our Community provides educational resources focused on online harm, exploitation and grooming. The website helps young people, families and professionals better understand the risks that can exist online and the steps they can take to stay safe.
- Youth Justice Services include online harm within their interventions and support offer, recognising the role digital experiences can play in vulnerability and offending.
- Through the Engage project (delivered by Hull FC Foundation), gaming and esports are used as a way of engaging young people in broader conversations about life skills, identity and personal development.
- Beats Bus has used educational films and community screenings to encourage conversations between young people and families about online predators, exploitation and staying safe online.
These initiatives recognise that technology itself is not the problem. Instead, the focus is on helping young people use technology safely, positively and confidently.
Turning youth voice into action
Understanding these issues starts with listening to young people. Youth Connect brings together youth voice reports, surveys and engagement findings from across the Humber region, making it easier to understand what young people are saying about safety, violence and their experiences online.
By analysing large volumes of evidence, the Gemini Notebook identifies common themes, highlights emerging concerns and links insights back to the original sources while eliminating consultation fatigue for young people. This can help practitioners, commissioners, community organisations and decision-makers quickly access evidence that might otherwise be buried across multiple reports.
The insights emerging from Youth Connect show that online harm is not separate from violence prevention, but is an increasingly important part of it.
Want to explore what young people across Humberside are saying about safety and violence? Use Youth Connect to discover evidence-based insights and help turn youth voice into action.
