Training to help practitioners understand children's digital lives amid online safety reforms

The University of Kent's Centre for Child Protection is encouraging social workers and other safeguarding professionals to strengthen their understanding of children's digital lives as new restrictions on social media for under-16s are introduced.

The call comes following the government's recent announcement of a social media ban for under-16s, with the Centre arguing that while legislation may change the online landscape, practitioners will continue to need the skills to identify and respond to digital safeguarding risks.

The Centre has developed a range of interactive "serious game" simulations that place professionals in realistic safeguarding scenarios, often allowing them to experience situations from the perspective of a child. The simulations are designed to help practitioners recognise how online relationships, gaming platforms and digital communication can be used to groom, manipulate and exploit young people.

Dr Tracee Green, Head of the Centre for Child Protection, said: "Young people’s online worlds present both opportunities and risks, and these spaces increasingly shape their relationships, identities and everyday experiences.

"Whatever happens with legislation, professionals and children will still need the skills to recognise harm, understand what is happening in children’s lives, and respond effectively when concerns arise. That’s where our Centre’s work and training make a valuable contribution."

Among the training resources is Maryam and Joe: Behind Closed Doors, an interactive social media-style simulation developed with Home Office funding to help professionals and young people identify signs of radicalisation through two separate scenarios. Another resource, Young Zak the Gamer, focuses on the risks children aged nine to 13 may encounter in online gaming environments, including grooming and radicalisation.

The Centre has also developed Looking Out for Lottie, which explores child sexual exploitation through the experiences of a young girl who is groomed both online and offline. The simulation demonstrates how digital communication and face-to-face relationships can combine to increase children's vulnerability to exploitation, helping practitioners understand the grooming process from a child's perspective.

Alongside its simulation-based learning, the Centre offers postgraduate Master's level modules covering a range of safeguarding and child protection topics, which can be studied individually or as part of a postgraduate qualification in Advanced Child Protection.

Dr Green said the immersive nature of the simulations helps practitioners move beyond identifying warning signs to understanding how children experience abuse and exploitation.

"Unlike traditional safeguarding training, our simulations immerse learners in realistic scenarios and allow them to experience situations from the perspectives of children, families and professionals," she said.

"Participants are encouraged to identify emerging concerns, make decisions, and reflect on the consequences of those decisions in a safe learning environment. This helps move beyond simply recognising signs of harm to understanding how children experience risk, vulnerability and support in their everyday lives."