The Index for Youth Media Protection is the result of a far-reaching study that interviewed teachers and educators in Germany to assess online risks for young people. The index was iniated and published by the German Association for Voluntary Self-Regulation of Digital Media Service Providers (FSM e.V.). A research team of the Hans-Bredow-Institut and the Institut für Medienpädagogik in Forschung und Praxis (JFF) [Institute for Media Education in Research and Practice] was responsible for the content. The 140 pages report was presented to the public today in Berlin. The Index for Youth Media Protection is available for download.
About the Study
Last year, Part 1 of the Index for Youth Media Protection was published. It examined the concerns, attitudes and knowledge of parents and children about online risks. The second part takes a closer look at educational specialists. After all, they are - apart from the parents - the people who are mainly responsible for children and young people.
The results of the survey provide insights into the various concerns, positions and attitudes of teachers and pedagogical specialists in school-based and extracurricular fields of work, their needs and wishes. Furthermore, they shed light on the necessary framework conditions in the respective learning environments in order to meet the task of supporting pupils adequately.
Summary
The majority of pedagogues felt that there was a need for protecting minors in the media. In their opinion, children and young people are "often" or "very often" confronted with online risks. They see it as a risk that adolescents spend too much time with online media, that they are confronted with too much advertising, and that they reveal too much data about themselves. Cyberbullying is also seen as a danger to children and young people by many pedagogues.
It was also shown that pedagogues need stronger support in coping with the constantly changing challenge of mediating media protection for young people as well as media pedagogical content. This applies both to a structural level locally and within the framework of extensive further education and training measures. The further training measures carried out within the framework of the Digital Pact for Schools at the respective Federal State levels should therefore be designed in such a way that media education and the protection of minors from harmful media are always viewed in a joint and coordinated manner.
Compared to the results of surveys of parents and adolescents, the results of this survey show clear differences in the perception of challenges related to the protection of minors from harmful media. Pedagogues should also take the specific concerns and fears of adolescents more into account and address them in the course of their work.
Gebel, C.; Brüggen, N.; Hasebrink, U.; Lauber, A, Dreyer, S.; Drosselmeier, M.; Rechlitz, M. (2018): Jugendmedienschutzindex: Der Umgang mit onlinebezogenen Risiken. Ergebnisse der Befragung von Lehrkräften und pädagogischen Fachkräften [Index for Youth Media Protection – Handling Online-Related Risks. Findings of the Survey of Teachers and Educators]. Published by The German Association for Voluntary Self-Regulation of Digital Media Service Providers: FSM (pdf).
