Work

Pause, Reflect, and Redirect: An Approach to Empowering Youth to Be Safer Online by Helping Them Make Better Decisions

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Stakeholders from parents to policy-makers are concerned about youth online safety. Present solutions are frequently punitive and often lack opportunities for youth to make mistakes and try again in a safe environment. This paper proposes a new framework, based on trauma-informed child psychology models and research by computer scientists and human-centered design scholars, entitled Pause, Reflect, and Redirect (PRR). The PRR framework offers three levels of intervention ranging from casual engagement to coached engagement with crisis response. To further develop and validate PRR as a framework, PRR was implemented within a web-filtering software that was installed in a public middle school comprising grades 6 to 8 (i.e., ages 11–14) in an urban charter district. Preliminary results from the deployment of the software suggest that it may help youth make better choices with respect to their online behaviors.

Source: Social Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/socsci14050302

Authors: Elizabeth A. Sweigart, Aahil Valliani, Pamela J. Wisniewski

Institution: Vanderbilt University

Language: English

Topic: Impact of Technology on Adolescents

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,172