Empowering Children Against Misleading and Pornographic ContentS
Description
The E-CAMPS project is a European research and educational initiative funded under the EU Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme (DAPHNE). The project aims to prevent gender-based violence by empowering primary school children aged 6–12 with media literacy and critical thinking skills regarding early exposure to online pornographic and misleading content. Recognising that technological filters and blockades fall short of stopping harmful content, E-CAMPS focuses on building “mental firewalls” through a participatory co-creation process, child-led workshops, and the establishment of a Hub of Trusted Adults across three case study countries (Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands).
Goals
- Educate Children: Equip primary schoolers (ages 6–12) with age-appropriate critical thinking skills to evaluate online media and protect their personal integrity.
- Promote Child Participation: Directly involve children in co-creating educational games, textbook materials, and learning tools.
- Build Capacity: Train teachers, educators, and parents through webinars and child-led workshops to detect early warning signs and act as positive role models.
- Improve Institutional Responses: Form the Hub of Trusted Adults to provide cooperative reporting spaces for children affected by cyber violence or early pornography exposure.
- Foster Community Well-being: Engage local authorities, schools, and CSOs to reject the normalisation of sexual violence and promote healthy relationship attitudes.
Activities
- Need Assessment: Literature review, qualitative interviews with children (36 interviews total), teacher focus groups, parent surveys, and expert foresight workshops in Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands.
- Co-Creation: Social innovation workshops with primary school children in Spain to design games, textbook visuals, and role-play activities, validated by teachers.
- Capacity Building: Child-led training workshops for educators and local policymakers, alongside interactive teacher webinars (3 webinars across partner countries).
- Testing & Validation: Piloting co-created materials across 13 schools and youth centres (including 2 Dutch youth centres managed by ICDI).
- Dissemination & Sustainability: European awareness campaigns, public talks, and policy advocacy for curriculum integration.
Expected results
- A co-created, validated Educational Toolkit (board games, digital activities, textbook visuals).
- Over 1,200 children engaged in testing educational materials across partner countries.
- 150+ teachers and educators trained via webinars, and 30+ educators trained in child-led workshops.
- Establishment of a Hub of Trusted Adults connecting schools, psychologists, police forces, and local government bodies (targeting 20+ participating organizations).
- Policy recommendations for integrating pornography exposure prevention into primary school curricula.
