Global Network Online Forum - March 2026
Dear all,
It was great to see so many of you at our Global Network Online Forum last week, as we continued our series on Keeping children safe online.
We were pleased to be joined by our guest speaker, Lucha Sotomayor, from the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children.
You are welcome to view her presentation again by clicking the image/link below (passcode $Sf0@rHY).
Click to watch the video.
Seeing the digital world differently
Lucha encouraged us to take a holistic view of the digital environment. While the online world presents real risks, it also offers important opportunities for connection, participation, access to information, and even seeking help. This reflects a key point: children’s rights apply online as well as offline, including their right to protection from harm.
At the same time, the internet was not originally built with children in mind, and so many safety features are having to be added retrospectively, rather than being built into digital spaces from the start.
Understanding online risks
To help make sense of these challenges, Lucha introduced a simple framework for understanding different types of online risk:
Content – what children are exposed to
Contact – who they interact with
Conduct – how they behave online
Contract – e.g. “Terms and Conditions” that children agree to without understanding
These categories highlight how harm can emerge in different — and often overlapping — ways, from harmful content to unsafe interactions or risky behaviours.
Another key reflection was the growing gap between adults and children in how the digital world is experienced. While adults often separate “online” and “offline” life, for children this distinction may not exist; it is simply one continuous world. This reinforces the importance of our role in education, awareness, and empowerment, helping children navigate these spaces safely and confidently.
The 5 P’s
A key framework shared during the session was the “5 Ps”:
Protect – Ensure systems are in place so children can access safety and support
Progress – Expand how digital platforms and policies respond to children’s needs
Partner – Work collaboratively across sectors (government, tech, communities)
Participate – Involve children in shaping solutions
Push – Use data and evidence to advocate for stronger protections
These recommendations are aimed not only at policy makers, tech companies and child helplines (for whom they were initially developed), but also at organisations like ours — recognising that everyone has a role to play in making the internet safer for children. Find out more about the 5Ps by watching this video.
Listening to children’s voices
A strong emphasis throughout the session was the importance of child participation. Children are not just recipients of protection — they are also key contributors to shaping solutions.
As part of this, the UN is currently gathering input from children and young people worldwide on cyberbullying.
👉 Take part in the consultation here:https://violenceagainstchildren.un.org/en/cyberbullying-poll(available in several languages, including Spanish, Portuguese and Swahili).
Note that this survey is aimed directly at children and young people. We would really encourage you to take part in the consultation with the young people you serve - this could be an excellent way for you to start having conversations about online safety, while contributing to a global report on the issue.
Useful Resources
A number of helpful resources were shared during the session, including two key child-friendly reports:
Violence against children and the digital environment (2023 report to the Human Rights Commission)
Child-friendly version (English). Child-friendly version (Spanish)
Cyberbullying against children and the digital environment (2026 report to the Human Rights Commission)
Child-friendly version (English). Child-friendly version (Spanish)
Other key resources include:
Special Representative’s page on Violence Against Children in the Digital Environment, where you will find further information, links and resources…
…and their page on Child Participation (on all topics relating to violence against children, not just online safety).
Protection through online Participation (PoP): https://violenceagainstchildren.un.org/en/pop.
“Sangophone”, a game and app for children to learn about staying safe online.
NSPCC’s online safety pages, including their “Stop, Speak, Support” pack for schools.
There is also our Cutting Edge session from last year on Online Safety.
Thank you and looking ahead
We can’t wait to see you at next month’s Forum, as we begin to think ahead to how we can implement all that we have learnt in this series.
Thank you again for your engagement — we look forward to continuing the conversation next month.