GKO research project ([http://]www.globalkidsonline.net
http://www.globalkidsonline.net/ was developed as a collaborative initiative between the UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti, the London School of Economics, and EU Kids Online. Supported by the WeProtect Global Alliance, the project developed a set of research tools that would enable academics, government, civil society and other actors to carry out reliable and standardized national research with children and their parents on opportunities, risks and protective
factors of children’s internet use. This set of tools also includes guidance on how to use evidence in policy making and has a strong focus on online sexual exploitation of children with a specific survey module and appropriate ethical procedures. National research partners from Argentina, the Philippines, Serbia and South Africa, with support from UNICEF country offices, piloted the research toolkit. These were instrumental in building and testing research resources and in demonstrating how research results can be used for policy and practice. National reports have informed policy advocacy, legislation, awareness raising and consensus building between various stakeholders on the development of national strategies and plans. (The research toolkit, national reports and the synthesis report are to be launched on 2 November and will be available on
www.globalkidsonline.net.
As policy makers and practitioners are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of evidence-based policy, demand for the research carried out under the GKO project is growing. Currently, 10 countries from the Global South are using our resources thus contributing to the growing evidence base. *The panel will discuss the results from the
first year of research under the GKO initiatives and opportunities for using evidence in policy making particularly in relation to children’s digital skills and literacies, safety online, civic engagement, privacy and freedom of expressions*
Panelists are: Professor Sonia Livingstone, London School of Economics, Mario Viola de Azevedo Cunha, Institute of technology and Society, Brazil and Senior Fellow,
UNICEF Office of Research, Innocenti and Alexandre Barbosa, Cetic.br
