EU–FUNDED PROJECT · CERV-DAPHNE PROGRAMME

Building digital resilience.

Early exposure to online sexually explicit content distorts how children (aged 6–12) perceive consent, respect, and healthy relationships. E-CAMPS equips them (and the trusted adults guiding them) with the critical thinking skills needed to navigate the digital world safely.

The challenge

Premature exposure.

Children are facing sexually explicit content online long before they are emotionally equipped to handle it.

Child looking thoughtfully at a tablet screen

Objectification

Explicit digital content teaches children to view individuals merely as objects, undermining empathy and gender equality.

Normalised violence

It desensitises young minds to aggression and blurs the lines of consent, laying the groundwork for future gender-based violence.

The "manosphere"

Unfiltered online communities actively promote toxic, misogynistic narratives, reaching younger audiences every single day without any guidance.

Our approach

Education, not just restriction.

We move away from top-down lectures and simply blocking access. Instead, we collaborate directly with the community to build evidence-based tools that foster critical thinking.

Digital code overlaid on a child's face, representing online risk awareness

Co-creating with children

We design our materials alongside children aged 6–12. This ensures our resources reflect their actual digital experiences and answer the questions they really have.

Empowering trusted adults

Through targeted workshops and webinars, we provide families, teachers, and policymakers with the skills and confidence to guide children safely online.

Testing across borders

We pilot these pedagogical tools in real school environments and youth centres across Spain, Italy, and The Netherlands to ensure they work across different cultures.

Children as agents

Capable and aware.

We move beyond framing children merely as vulnerable users. E-CAMPS promotes an inclusive, stereotype-free vision where boys and girls are active, empowered decision-makers in their digital lives.

Rather than relying on defenceless portrayals or victimising narratives, we focus on helping children build the critical thinking that keeps them safe.

Children smiling together while using laptops
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The Hub of Trusted Adults

Protecting children is a collective duty. We are building a robust local network (uniting schools, public institutions, and civil society organisations) to create a coordinated safety network for our youth.