“porn literacy in the everyday work of social workers” Erasmus Project

Project Title

“porn literacy in the everyday work of social workers”

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Reaching the policy level/dialogue with decision makers; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Today Pornography is part of the life of the youth. Research shows that young people (despite existing legal regulations) are also able to access illegal pornographic content, and almost half of all surveyed adolescents regularly consume them (Altstötter 2006; eNASCO, 2015). In addition, the share of unwanted contacts with pornography is increasing (Grimm 2010, S. 15). If children type the harmless word “disgusting” in Google, they will see pornographic content. Larger Europe-wide studies and meta-analyzes lead to the conclusion that the confrontation with Internetpornography is one of the most important online risks in Europe (Hasebrink et al., 2009).
There is therefore no doubt that the wide range of possibilities and the easy access to pornographic content involve risks and unsettling the adolescents in their sexual socialization. Europe has therefore already reacted and provided protection filters and classification tools for user-generated content, as the project “You rate it” shows. However, since filters (1) can be circumvented easily, (2) do not work in every case and (3) are not sufficient (even if necessary) to address this problem area of Internet use adequately, a cooperation between non-state actors is of great importance at this point.
Due to the problem, which is similar across Europe but at the same time characterized by differing experiences and research efforts, we need a transnational learning through professional exchange in order to be able to establish professional capacity for action. In contrast to other topics relevant to education, we have to deal with the special feature that the communication with the parents and the corresponding development of competences in dealing with it usually does not take place, the subject is tabooed. Accompanying and assisting in case of specific problems or uncertainty can therefore usually not take place within the framework of the parent’s home.
Therefore, professional actors are needed who are outside the family context to acquire pornography competencies and to find contact persons. The social work group was the target occupational group of this project because it deals with these current questions and problems in the fields of open youth work and prevention and can fill this gap professionally. At the same time, there is a huge need for further education and training both in terms of current developments and legal regulations on pornography in Europe, as well as on the respective individual professional self-understanding of the youth workers.
We were able to close this gap with “PSSSST” and create a tailor-made offer for social work. A consortium of seven partners from 6 European countries involved in educational work
has taken on this task and, based on the results of the meta-study, developed material for working with children and young people. It is available on the project homepage www.psssst.eu.
With the help of this material, the planned double strategy can be implemented: a) the teaching of instrumental-qualifying skills, personal and institutional, and b) active-reflected discussion. The following results serve this double strategy.
1. pornography competence: definition and promotion / training modules to promote pornography competence
2. discussion impulses to promote professional intervention
3. a handbook for philosophizing with children and teenagers.
4. legal enlightenment/legal framework conditions
5) “Without TABU” game for direct work with children and adolescents as an additional product
6. guide for action in case of suspicion of sexual assault
7. country-specific network card
The results can be accessed and used free of charge in 6 European languages on www.psssst.eu .
Politics could also be included from the very beginning. The protection of children and young people in the digital world is a pan-European concern.
With the involvement of politicians, we have succeeded in initiating an active political discussion, above all in the multiplier events. Thus, political table groups were formed in each MA, which gratefully accepted the position paper!

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 223331 Eur

Project Coordinator

Stiftung Medien- und Onlinesucht & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Sambucusforum vzw
• Marktplatz GmbH – Agentur für Web & App
• OSTERREICHISCHE GESELLSCHAFT FUR KINDERPHILOSOPHIE
• Fundatia romano-germana de pregatire si perfectionare profesionala in domeniul constructiilor
• RECHT IN EUROPA EV
• UCHEBNA RABOTILNITSA EVROPA SDRUZHENIE
• EDUCOMMART SIMIO SINANTISIS EKPEDEVSIS KE DIMIOURGIAS ASTIKI MI KERDOSKOPIKI ETERIA