Analysis of the System for Protection of Minors from Harmful Media – Youth Protection Act and Interstate Treaty
In 2008, the Institute variously outlined and communicated the results of its evaluation of the system for the protection of minors. Carried out from October 2006 to October 2007, this project analyses the current system for the protection of minors from harmful media as established by the Federal Youth Protection Act and the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors from Harmful Media. On the basis of its results, the Federal Government and the States intend to optimise the system.
The project design aimed at evaluating the way the processes and organisations prescribed by applicable laws are working; the research purpose was orientated according to the parameters set by the federal government and the States as well as the States’ declared protocols regarding the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors from Harmful Media. The analysis proceeds in two stages, an analysis of adequacy and one of compliance.
In the analysis of adequacy, the processes reformed in the law’s stipulations were examined with a view to the extent to which they are adequate for achieving the particular regulatory goal in question – that is, the specific regulatory purpose with due regard to constitutional law. In the areas of particular reference, the analysis of adequacy was intended to demonstrate inherent weaknesses in the system for the protection of minors and to assess the assignment of regulatory competencies, the areas of application of the legal frameworks and the inclusion of regimes for self-regulation.
Alongside this, findings on acceptability on the part of relevant agents and addressees are to be determined through workshops, group and individual interviews with parents, minors and disseminating agencies in media-pedagogy as well as through interviews with experts. The qualitative enquiry with parents, minors and pedagogical counsellors was performed by the JFF – Institute for Media Pedagogy in Research and Practice (JFF – Institut für Medienpädagogik in Forschung und Praxis, München).
The analysis of compliance which builds on these results is intended to assess how far the proposed regulations stand up in practice and to establish what weaknesses result in practice, also regarding how suitable the criteria for the protection of minors are in praxis and how well supervision performs. Reasons for possible weaknesses are to be established via case studies and openings for improvements identified.
The overall result of the analysis is that the protection of young people from harmful media has improved fundamentally by dint of the 2003 amendment; the concept of regulated self-regulation was accepted by all parties involved.
The study does, however, point to possibilities for improvement in many concrete fields. The 390 –page final report was submitted to the commissioning agency in October 2007 and made accessible on the Institute’s homepage.
Publications
Schulz, Wolfgang (2009): Alles verändert Gesetze, Gesetze verändern nichts? Zur Evaluation der Wirkung komplexer gesetzlicher Steuerungsprogramme [Everything changes Law, Law changes Nothing? On the Evaluation of the Effects of complex legal controlling Programmes]. Manuscript.
Lampert, C. (2008): Nur eine Frage des Alters? Anmerkungen zur jugendschutzrechtlichen Altersfreigaberegelung [Only a Question of Your Age? Comments on Restrictions by Age according to the Law on Protection of Minors]. In: Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Kinder- und Jugendschutz in Wissenschaft und Praxis (Ed.), Alterfreigaben als Instrument des Jugendschutzes, yr. 53, no. 2, pp. 33-36.
Brunn, I.; Dreyer, S. (2008): Jugendschutz für Spiele – ein Spiel für den Jugendschutz? Was die Novellierung des Jugendmedienschutzes dem Bereich der Video- und Computerspiele gebracht hat [The Protection of Minors and Games – A Game for the Protection of Minors? What the Amendment of the Protection of Minors against Harmful Media has achieved]. In: O. Zimmermann, T. Geißler (Eds.), Streitfall Computerspiele: Computerspiele zwischen kultureller Bildung, Kunstfreiheit und Jugendschutz. 2nd Edition, Berlin, pp. 70-73.
Hasebrink, U. (2008): Zappen, surfen, simsen – Jugendmedienschutz im Mediendschungel. Überlegungen aus der Perspektive der Mediennutzungsforschung [Zapping , Surfing and Texting. Protection of Minors from Harmful Media. Reflections on Reception Research] In: T. Dörken-Kucharz (Ed.), Medienkompetenz. Zauberwort oder Leerformel des Jugendmedienschutzes. Baden-Baden, pp. 109-115.
Schulz, W.; Dreyer, S. (2008): Die Ergebnisse der wissenschaftlichen Evaluation des Jugendmedienschutzes aus rechtlicher Sicht [The Results of the Academic Evaluation of the Protection of Minors against Harmful Media]. In: medien + erziehung (merz), No. 1/2008, pp. 39-46.
Hasebrink, U.; Lampert, C. (2008): Jugendmedienschutz im Netzwerk. Plädoyer für eine integrative Perspektive [Protection of Minors from Harmful Media in the Network. Plea for an Integrative Perspective]. In: medien + erziehung, yr. 52, no. 1, pp. 10-17.
Schulz, W.; Dreyer, S. (2007): Möglichkeiten und Grenzen gesetzlicher Jugendschutzvorgaben. Über das Verhältnis von Recht und Realität im Jugendmedienschutz. Artikel im Dossier “Verbotene Spiele?” der Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung [Possibilities and Limits of Legal Provisions for the Protection of Minors. On the Relationship of Law to Reality in the Protection of Minors against Harmful Media. Article in the Dossier ‘Forbidden Games?’ from the Federal Centre for Civic Education] (available).
Brunn, I.; Dreier, H.; Dreyer, S.; Hasebrink, U.; Held, T.; Lampert, C.; Schulz, W. (2007): Das deutsche Jugendschutzsystem im Bereich der Video- und Computerspiele [The German System for the Protection of Minors in the Area of Video and Computer Games]. Hamburg (pdf-file).
Brunn, I.; Dreyer, S. (2007): Jugendschutz für Spiele – ein Spiel für den Jugendschutz? Was die Novellierung des Jugendmedienschutzes dem Bereich der Video- und Computerspiele gebracht hat [The Protection of Minors and Games – A Game for the Protection of Minors? What the Amendment of the Protection of Minors against Harmful Media has achieved]. In: politik und kultur – Zeitung des Deutschen Kulturrates 1/2008, pp. 37-38.
Schulz, W.; Dreyer, S. (2007): Community-Laws als Ausweg aus dem Web 2.0-Dilemma? Nutzergenerierte Inhalte als Herausforderung für den Jugendmedienschutz [Community-Laws as a Way out of the Web 2.0 Dilemma?]. In: tendenz 3/2007, pp. 14-15.
Hans-Bredow-Institut (ed.) (2007): Analyse des Jugendmedienschutzsystems – Jugendschutzgesetz und Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag. Endbericht [Analysis of the System for the Protection of Minors from Harmful Media – Youth Protection Act and the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors from Harmful Media. Final Report], October 2007. Hamburg (download as pdf-file).
Events
“Analyse des Jugendmedienschutzes – Jugendschutzgesetz und Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag” [Analysis of the Protection of Minors from Harmful Media – Youth Protection Act and the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors from Harmful Media], Workshop for involved parties on 1 and 2 February 2007 in Hamburg.
Lectures
"Online Games – A High Level Quest for Media Regulation in Germany", lecture by W. Schulz at the Law & Technology Centre at the University of Hong Kong on 14 January 2009 (presentation as pdf-file).
„Jugendmedienschutz in Deutschland. Regulierungskonzept, Ausgestaltung und Erfahrungen“ [The Protection of Minors from Harmful Media in Germany. The Regulatory Concept, the Structuring and the Experiences Gained], lecture by S. Dreyer in the context of the event “projuventute Jugendmedienschutzdialog“ in Bern on 18 April 2008.
"Ergebnisse der Jugenschutzanalyse" [Results of the Analysis on the Protection of Minors], lecture by W. Schulz at the Klausurtagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft FSFJ der CDU-Bundestagsfraktion und der Hamburger CDU-Bürgerschaftsfraktion [closed symposium of the Working Group FSFJ of the CDU Parliamentary Party and the Hamburg CDU Constituency Party] in Hamburg on 11 February 2008.
"Ein Netz für Kinder", Kuratoriumssitzung mit W. Schulz in Bezug auf die Förderung von Kinderinternetangeboten in der Thüringer Staatskanzlei [The Net for Children, Curatorium Session with W. Schulz in relation to the Promotion of Offerings for Children on the Internet in the Thuringian State Chancellory] in Erfurt on 8 February 2008.
“Analyse des Jugendmedienschutzsystems” [The Analysis of the System for the Protection of Minors from Harmful Media], presentation of the evaluation results by W. Schulz to the Select Committee on New Media of the Bundestag in Berlin on 24 January 2008.
„Evaluierung des Jugendmedienschutzsystems – Ergebnisse der Untersuchung im Auftrag des BMFSFJ und der Jugendministerien der Länder“ [Evaluating the System for the Protection of Minors from Harmful Media –Results of the Investigation of the BMFSFJ and the States’ Ministries of Youth Affairs], lecture by T. Held at the event “Next Generation Jugendmedienschutz?” of the “kölner forum medienrecht” in Cologne on 23 January 2008.
“Analyse des Jugendmedienschutzsystems – Jugendschutzgesetz und Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag: Vorstellung der Untersuchungsergebnisse mit Relevanz für die FSK-Prüferinnen und Prüfer” [Analysis of the Protection of Minors from Harmful Media – Youth Protection Act and the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors from Harmful Media”: presentation of evaluation results with particular relevance for the FSK examiners], lecture by S. Dreyer at the FSK Examiners’ symposium in Wiesbaden on 17 December 2007.
“Mediennutzung und Konsumorientierung – Auslöser oder Begleiter von Kriminalität“ [The Use of Media and the Orientation towards Consumption – a Cause of Criminality or a Collateral Effect of it?], lecture by W. Schulz at the panel "Herausforderung: Prävention – Strategien gegen Kinder- und Jugendkriminalität" [Challenge: Prevention-Strategies against Criminality in Young People and Children] at the Ministry of Justice of North Rhine-Westphalia in Düsseldorf on 13 December 2007.
“Was bleibt? Was ändert sich?” [What Remains? What Changes?], lecture by W. Schulz on the analysis and evaluation of the current regulations for the protection of minors at the Media Days in Munich on 8 November.
"Das deutsche Jugendschutzsystem im Bereich der Video- und Computerspiele – Rahmenbedingungen, Umsetzungen und Handlungsoptionen" [The German System for the Protection of Minors in the Area of Video and Computer Games – General Framework, Applications and Options for Action], participation of W. Schulz in the session of the sub-committee on new media of the Bundestag in Berlin on 5 July 2007.
“Games als Gegenstand des Jugendschutzes” [Games as a Subject for the Protection of Minors against Harmful Media], lecture by W. Schulz in the context of the lecture series “Games – Zukunftsperspektiven interaktiver Medienangebote” [Games – Future Perspectives for Interactive Media Offerings] in Hamburg on 4 July 2007.
„Analyse des Jugendschutzsystems – Eine problemorientierte Projektvorstellung“ (Analysis of the System for the Protection of Minors – A Project Concept orientated towards Problems), Lecture by W. Schulz in the context of the joint annual meeting of specialists in protection of minors of the higher authority for protection of minors at the Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft (FSK) and of the assessors of the Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Fernsehen (FSF) „Childrens’ Film - Childrens’ Television“, 26. April 2007 in Stuttgart.
Contact person
Hans-Bredow-Institut
Heimhuder Straße 21
D - 20148 Hamburg
Tel. +49 (0)40 45 02 17 - 33
Fax +49 (0)40 45 02 17 - 77
Researchers
Co-operation partners
C. Scheunert
Funding
Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (BMFSFJ) (Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth) in consultation with the Federal States.