#JagaBareng: Young people champion online safety campaigns for children
Working together for a safer internet for children
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Ni Made Cista Striratna, age 17, speaks clearly and confidently to a room full of attentive young listeners who are gathered to share their experiences on a very sensitive topic.
“Some friends, even one of my best friends, were asked to send their private photos and blackmailed to expose them widely. I think our awareness about online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) is still low and I want to help as much as possible,” she says.
Cista is at a #JagaBareng campaign workshop with almost 30 other adolescents and young people who have developed campaigns to prevent OCSEA in their communities.
The #JagaBareng campaign was launched by the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (MoWECP) and UNICEF in February 2023. The phrase “Jaga Bareng” means “caring for each other” and serves as a rallying call for Indonesians from all walks of life to help prevent OCSEA. By the end of 2023, the digital campaign had reached 44 million internet users.
Cista and her fellow workshop participants were selected through a rigorous process and trained in OCSEA prevention. Their campaign proposals were chosen from over 65 submissions. Ten selected youth-led campaigns have been implemented through social media, the use of Augmented Reality (AR) and interactive activities in schools and pesantrens (faith-based schools) around their neighbourhoods, reaching hundreds of students.
At the #Jagabareng workshop, facilitated by members of the Mitra Muda (Youth Partners) network from Aceh, Java, Jakarta, and Sulawesi Provinces, the young participants are sharing their campaign ideas and being guided by mentors from the information and communication technology industry, the field of media and the Children’s Forum.
Cista and her team’s campaign is AMAN (Anak Muda Aman & Nyaman) – a Safe and Secure Space for Youth – to spread awareness on child sextortion. Simson Upuy, a 21-year-old, worked with other young people to design the Education on Reproductive Health and Life Fulfilment (S.E.L.F.) Week campaign, which discourages jokes about obscene online content and educates young people about reproductive health.
These youth-led initiatives are part of wider efforts to prevent OCSEA, being led by UNICEF in collaboration with the MoWECP and The Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children (EVAC). This involves targeted interventions and a series of training sessions on OCSEA prevention module for children, including children with disabilities, as well as parents, teachers and police officers. The goal is to build their capacity to effectively prevent and respond to risks and refer cases of OCSEA to appropriate authorities.
UNICEF has also provided support to develop a national roadmap for online child safety, as part of a Presidential regulation, and to generate evidence about online knowledge and practices among parents and children.
“I hope that the internet in Indonesia can be safer, secure and free from the threat of online sexual violence, especially for children,” says Cista. “All members of society can work together to create a safe internet environment for positive and healthy use.”