Project Safe Childhood visits SSYP
/By Tyler Cavanagh, Development Associate
Growing up in the 90s, I remember the excitement the first time my family got internet on the massive desktop computer in our living room. My parents carefully monitored everything that we did on the computer, and were constantly reminding me about the importance of internet safety. My mom could hear every conversation I had with friends on the corded phone in our kitchen, and even when we upgraded to a cordless phone, she would check in on our conversations, and was always quick to remind me that I shouldn’t be talking about other people, and to always choose to be kind. The limitations of technology in my youth made it easy for my parents to help influence the decisions I was making online and with my peers.
A student from SSYP’s LEARN program gets to meet a real FBI agent during the Project Safe Childhood presentation on November 19th.
Today, most people walk around with a small computer in their pocket which connects directly to the internet from anywhere, with nobody to monitor what is happening. Youth today are able to connect with their peers publicly, privately, and anonymously, creating wonderful opportunities through communication but also building platforms for cyber bullying with far reaching implications. New apps are released and updated daily in the competition to be the top social media communication platform of choice, but the privacy features of these apps open us, and all of our private information, up to a world of strangers. There is no doubt that access to our global community and connecting with others through digital platforms has created a lot of opportunity, but the threat to the safety of our youth is a constant fear for parents and youth workers.
On Tuesday, November 19th, St. Stephen’s Youth Programs hosted the Department of Justice to present on cyber safety and security as a part of the Project Safe Childhood program. Project Safe Childhood, initiated in 2006, in a unified and comprehensive strategy to combat child exploitation. Presentations were tailored to the concerns and needs of our elementary youth in LEARN, middle school participants in our YLC program, teens on staff, and parents of our youth. The program was effective in addressing concerns and providing our community with the information that they need to know to keep themselves and our young people safe online. This presentation also provided our youth an opportunity for positive and proactive interactions with law enforcement representatives and the Department of Justice, building important connections in a climate with significant and legitimate fears and a lack of trust.
The constantly changing landscape of our culture through technology creates new challenges daily and ensuring that our young people and their families have the information necessary to navigate this world is critical to SSYP’s mission. Through partnerships like Project Safe Childhood we are able to expand our impact by providing education.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood please visit their website: https://www.justice.gov/psc
Tyler holds a bachelor's degree in music with a concentration in vocal performance from Westfield State University. With over 15 years of experience in youth work, including licensed camps and childcare, teen leadership programming, mentoring, and arts education, Tyler is excited to bring his experience to the development side of the table. He has a passion for building community and creating opportunities to celebrate diversity and inclusion in all ages but especially in young people. Tyler currently lives on the South Shore where he is an active performer in community theatre, choirs, and recitals.