Designed by young people
for young people.
Throughout the development of our digital safeguarding
solution, SafeToNet has worked with young people to
ensure that their needs and wants influenced and helped
steer the development of our solution.
The Youth Advisory Board (YAB)
SafeToNet formed the Youth Advisory Board (YAB), bringing together young people from different schools and backgrounds to learn about their online experiences and consult on what would work for them as a safeguarding solution.
Over the last four years, we have engaged with approximately 2,000 children and young people through events, workshops and focus-groups in order to help co-design the app with the SafeToNet software developers. Consultation events took place in schools and youth centres across the country. We asked young people to envisage what features they would want to see in an app to not only safeguard themselves but also their siblings, cousins or friends.
From the outset, it was clear that young people wanted a solution that was robust enough to give parents and carers peace of mind while maintaining their privacy and independence.
Young people told us…
…their privacy was paramount, and they did not want their parents, carers or anyone else to see their messages.
SafeToNet responded by developing its Safety indicator which indicates a child’s risk level, while always respecting their privacy. The indicator shows the movements towards or away from risk in real time and is constantly updated, without disclosing what the child is saying, who they are talking to or what they are seeing.
…if they had notifications to alert them to potential risks, they would be able to create safer behavioral patterns for themselves online.
In response, SafeToNet developed the Intelligent Keyboard with advice cards which pop-up when a risk is detected. The artificial intelligence of the SafeToNet keyboard acts as a real-time safeguarding assistant that educates children and young people to become safer digital citizens.
…that they don’t want their parents or carers to worry about them being online, but at the same time, wanted their parents and carers to know if they were experiencing difficulties.
SafeToNet’s technical team responded by creating digital wellbeing features which help with stress relief and provides a way to reflect on emotions. All this helps children deal with the issues related to living in a digital world.
