Young people and the law: a fresh start with a new program against abuse!

Young people and the law: a fresh start with a new program against abuse!

A rousing program in Austria is tackling the rapid developments in the area of ​​sexting and young people's use of digital media. The probation service association Neustart has already looked after 127 clients, including 123 boys and four girls, in its first year as part of its social and sexual education initiative “sicher.net”. The aim of this measure is to inform young people who have come into conflict with the law through the possession or distribution of depictions of abuse about the legal consequences. Thomas Marecek, an official at the association, explained that many young people often don't even know that they are breaking the law by sharing a nude photo. “We notice that there are a lot of aha experiences,” said Marecek in the Ö1 morning journal.

Digital media in school learning

In addition to legal education, media consumption also plays a central role in young people's lives. A current study by the Council for Cultural Education shows how important YouTube has become as an informative medium for students. This is particularly evident when you consider that 86 percent of young people between the ages of 12 and 19 surveyed use YouTube as one of their leading digital media. Almost half of them actively use YouTube explanatory videos to get support with homework, exams or artistic projects. This development makes it clear that digital platforms, although not originally intended as an educational resource, are profoundly revolutionizing learning methods and conditions. “Tutorials and explanatory videos obviously meet young people’s expectations of their own learning rhythms and learning times,” explained Eckart Liebau, chairman of the expert council.

The fusion of education and digital media could significantly change both the way teaching and learning itself. According to the study, 52 percent of YouTube users want more support from school when creating their own video content, while 91 percent base their video selection on recommendations from friends. Such findings are not only crucial for educators, but also show how important it is to create both legal and creative frameworks when dealing with digital media. Neustart's program reflects this and could be a valuable addition to education about media literacy and legal issues.

[Volksblatt.at] and [GEW.de] report on the positive effects of these approaches to educate and support young people.