Direct reporting of child abuse by children themselves is rare. Children’s communication is increasingly managed through mobile phones and associated apps and are often referred to as digital natives. Little is currently known about how statutory child protection services might be accessed through apps to support direct reporting, or to find out about statutory child abuse responses.
This talk will focus on the findings of a research study identifying the characteristics of apps that included reference to child abuse and to understand how a child might report if they had concerns. A longitudinal over a nine year period study regarding safeguarding apps from 2014 to 2023. Sharing information on thematic analysis relevant to child abuse, target user, and child abuse reporting functions. Summarizing with understanding the barriers to access including organizational membership and locality.
Speaker
Dr Sarah Carlick started her professional career as a social worker and then as a probation officer, gaining experience in the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia. Her experience builds on a rigorous academic background. Sarah is the Director of MeSafe supporting organisations to develop a strategic approach to Digital Safeguarding that promotes co-design with children and young people. She was also the founder of a Safeguarding Training and Consultancy company for over 20 years.
Her academic research focus is on co-producing new ways of working at the front door of child protection to extend the current socio-technical framework to improve outcomes for children. This includes developments in child protection and early help, smart phone apps relating to managing risk and safeguarding. She currently chairs the Digital Safeguarding Special Interest Group on behalf of the Association of Child Protection Professionals (UK). She is an international speaker, panel judge, published author, a visiting university lecturer and associate researcher.
(Photo: Ania Pankiewicz)
Socialchefsdagarna 2026
Onsdag 30 september kl. 11.30