Child Helpline International is a partner in the Protection through online Participation Initiative (PoP), led by the office of the UN Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children (UN SRSG VAC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
On 6 June 2024, I had the opportunity to participate in a PoP Experts Consultation, which took place in Paris, France. We had a very rich discussion around the principles and recommendations for digital platforms, companies and spaces to facilitate children with access to protection and support.
What is PoP?
When children risk being victims of online or in-person harm – such as domestic violence and abuse, sexual violence, bullying, physical violence or discrimination, as just a few examples – it’s common that they go online and use the internet to look for help and support. The same can happen if they’re going through some form of mental distress, when they’re scared, or when they’re feeling lonely. Even though they can pose online risks, digital platforms are regularly being used today by children and young people as an entry point to safety and protection.
PoP – Protection through online Participation – is a collaborative global initiative leading the way towards creating a digital world that helps children and young people access this safety and protection in a timely and safe manner, whenever they’re at risk or experiencing any form of harm, whether in person or online. The mission is to align technology with children’s needs when they’re looking for safety and protection.
Simply put, the initiative envisions a world where every child and young person who has access to the internet can connect with the help and safety they need, when they need it.
Child Helpline International and the PoP initiative
Child Helpline International’s role is to work with different stakeholders to explore the linkages and opportunities to the work of child helplines, especially in facilitating partnerships with tech partners. We have been discussing existing ways that child helplines and tech partners work together, looking at best practice and where we can enhance and build. Eventually we hope to produce a set of guidelines for both the child helplines and tech partners on how they can best achieve this working together, and an accompanying tool kit. We’ll endeavour to create more and more active partnerships through the PoP initiative, which will likely also lead to an expansion of channels of access to child helplines and important partnerships at the national level. All of this will serve to further our aims for child helplines to be accessible in the places – online and off – where children are spending their time.
Helen Mason
Director of Operations
