The “Safe Space” Program – Fair Chance for Children Association
2Director, “Resilience is Built During Times of Quiet”, Fair Chance for Children Association
The “Safe Space” program relates to possibilities and challenges that the internet present to children in care. The exposure to technology creates both opportunities and risk situations. On the one hand, there are a lot of new opportunities; on the other, risks involving alienation and harassment.
Adults have therefore additional responsibilities towards children under their care. The adult mediates, regulates, previews and critiques. The adult sets out a framework of values as would be required for most of the children and youth in care.
Care-giving staffs have to create a safe space for children outside the internet which is appropriate to their ages and developmental needs. The same responsibility lies on them regarding the evaluation of the tools, and learning the parallel discourse in the digital world. However, children lack the maturity, insightfulness and responsibility required for using the advanced technologies.
In that discourse, the educators have to set the boundaries and establishe their authority. Knowledge is needed to identify states of risk and, primarily assist each child in protecting them from potential risks.
Goals of the program
- To develop a work program adjusted to the needs of children in residential care centers in order to sustain a safer virtual space for them.
- To train residential staff and provide them with educational and therapeutic tools for strengthening coping abilities related to the virtual space.
- To provide tools for identifying risks, develop prevention and effective coping measures with diverse internet situations.
- To reinforce strengths for creating an empathic group climate that encourages the senses of involvement and belonging.
- To support the residential staff in creating a safe space for experiment prior to activities with students.