Youth protection law for media educators - activity plan
Theme
An introduction to youth protection law that is directly relevant to media education, focusing specifically the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNRC). EU policy specifically refers to the UNRC, “The rights of the child are part of human rights: rights that the EU and EU countries must respect, protect and fulfil as laid down in the in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child UNRC” This lesson is therefore designed to help media educators to explore key aspect of the UNRC that relate specifically to media and social media.
Aims
To be aware of youth protection laws
Objectives
- To discuss the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child in general terms.
- To consider the meaning of article 36 to ‘protect children from all other forms of exploitation, for example the exploitation of children for political activities by the media’.
- To explore the meaning of article 17 especially the phrase ‘the right to reliable information from a variety of sources’.
- To discuss article 24 to ‘protect children from all forms of sexual abuse and exploitation.’
Target audience
12+
Youth worker activity (step by step)
1. Project the UNRC from the UNICEF web site and discuss why it is important to protect the rights of children
2. Faciltate a discussion to identify political organisations that might want to use the media to exploit young people.
- Ask learners to define the term propoganda.
- Ask learners to discuss the impact that political propaganda might have on young people.
- Ask learners list a number of reasons why young people might need the right to reliable information from a variety of sources.
3. Create a character who might have been targeted by a politacl organisation and subject to propaganda, ask puils to list things that they might say to encourage her to focus on reliable information from a variety of sources.
4. Ask pupils to define the term grooming. Facilitate a discussion of how media and social media are used by people for the grooming of young people.Media Literacy resources for youth workers
- Ask pupils tom identify responsible adults who could help if a young person was being groomed.
- Ask pupils to discuss the best way to approach a responsible adult if you thought someone was being groomed.
Learner activity (step by step)
1. Note how the UNRC is a list of some important youth protection rights.
2. Identify a number of political organisations that might want to use the media to exploit young people.
- Discuss the meaning of the term propaganda and as a group write a definition of the term.
- Identify and discuss political organisations that have used propaganda to target children.
- Identify and discuss why the right to reliable information from a variety of sources is important.
3. Make a list of things that they might say to encourage critical thinking and a focus on reliable information from a variety of sources.
4. Discuss the meaning of the term grooming and as a group write a definition of the term.
- Share your understanding of grooming.
- Make a list of responsible adults who could help if a young person was being groomed.
- Make a list of people they could approach for help.
Resources required
1. Access to the UNICEF web site
2. Dictionary definition of the term propaganda
3. An appropriate example of a political organisation that has used propaganda to target children
4. Tips for how to encourage critical thinking and the use of reliable sources
5. Dictionary definition or the term grooming
6. A reliable web site with information on how grooming happens is NSPCC site in the UK
Assessment of learning
- Assess list identified by learners
- Assess the definition created by learners
- Observe discussion
Duration
1 hour
The publication was created as part of the project: EMELS
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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