March 2008 Archives

We're still putting the finishing touches to the survey report from the Youth Work and Social Networking survey, but you can find the Executive Summary headlines that are emerging from the data below.

Your reflections and thoughts are most welcome...

Survey Results: Youth Work and Social Networking

How does youth work best support young people to manage the risks and make the most of the opportunities presented by social networking technology?

Summary:

1) Demographics:

We received responses from over 120 youth workers, youth support workers, youth work managers and youth work administrators to an online survey available between the start of December 2007 and the end of January 2008.

2) Priorities and perceptions:

Youth work has a crucial role in supporting young people's engagement with Online Social Networking

Opportunity:
85% of respondents believe that youth workers have a crucial role supporting young people to make the most of the opportunities of Online Social Networking

Only 35% if respondents feel equipped to support young people making the most of the opportunities presented by Online Social Networking.

Risk:
90% believe that youth work has a crucial role in supporting young people to navigate the risks of Online Social Networking.

42% of respondents said that they feel equipped to support young people navigating risk of online social networking,

3) Existing activity:

Online Social Networking is being used positively by youth workers and youth work managers with young people in a limited number of cases (41 reported examples)

It is being used in youth work contexts for: Promotion and recruitment - letting young people know about activities and events; Engagement - seeking views from young people; Keeping in contact - sending messages to young people; And sharing media - including photos from events or music from young bands.

The most used mechanism for ensuring young people's safety online (blocking and filters) is least trusted as effective - and those interventions most trusted as effective are some of the most infrequently used.

Only 29% identify they currently have "Training for youth workers to understand and support young people's use of online social networking" whilst 86% believe this would be an effective intervention.

4) Capacity and Infrastructure

Many youth workers and youth work managers lack access to Online Social Networking in their places of work.

Only 29% of youth workers and youth work managers have access to Social Network Sites in the spaces where they work with young people

Many youth workers and youth work managers have experience of using Online Social Networking - but only in interacting with family and friends.

5) Key questions from the field:
The field would value resources, guidance and capacity building to enable youth work to effectively support young people's engagement with Online Social Networking.

6) Next Steps
These survey results will inform a series of focus groups that are intended to:

• Identify good practice in Youth Work and Social Networking;
• Identify key areas of existing capacity, and key areas of need;
• Identify the dynamic issues that may affect capacity building and interventions to build understanding, awareness and engagement with Online Social Networking in youth work.

These survey results will also inform the development of a literature review to evaluate actual opportunities and risks of online social networking.