Digital technology can both help and harm children
Child Abuse Review has published a special issue covering digital technology, child abuse and child protection. The theme that emerges from the papers in this issue is that digital technology can both ‘help’ and ‘harm’ in respect of child protection and wider child wellbeing. Articles look at prevention, intervention, parental mediation, online family support and adoption.
It looks back at a special issue from 2005 with the same theme and draws comparisons, and highlights just how much software and hardware have advanced during this time, particularly the developments of social media platforms. This means young people now socialise and communicate through digital technology.
Alongside the papers, there are reviews of two 'e-safety' training packages aimed at those working with children and young people.
One of the starkest themes in this special issue concerns the evidence base surrounding the role of digital technology in child protection. All of the authors indicate that this evidence base is either non-existent, limited or of a poor quality. This is particularly evident with digital technology-based interventions to help children and young people, or to directly tackle the threats they face.