The ABCs of SBC

SBC in Online Child Protection

• UNICEF SBC • Season 2 • Episode 3

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The internet is where kids learn, play, and connect, but it’s also where they can be bullied, exploited, surveilled, and manipulated. As digital threats evolve faster than the systems designed to protect children, how do we keep them safe in a world that’s always online?

From outdated legal frameworks to overwhelmed parents and disconnected protection services, this episode highlights not just the risks children face online, but the opportunities to involve them and their caregivers as co-designers of safer digital spaces, and how SBC offers a way forward.

You'll hear from:

  • Afrooz Kaviani Johnson, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF Headquarters
  • Mahwish Saeed Syed, SBC Officer at UNICEF Pakistan
  • Saji Thomas, Chief of Child Protection at UNICEF Gulf Area Office

Resources:

The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only.

The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by Helena Ballester Bon in partnership with Common Thread.

Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance.

We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

Afrooz:

for many young people today, there isn't that distinction between the online and the offline world or life. For many children growing up today it's integrated. I. The internet, digital technologies are very much part and parcel of everyday life. It's where they play they communicate with their friends, , their learning happens, , online. we also have to recognize that online spaces just have the potential to inflict harm at scale. Perpetrators, can access victims, you can access children. In any part of the world, at any time of day and wherever a child might be.

Saji:

There is no online protection without offline protection we have to have some of the basics of child protection systems in place so that we are also effective online.

Qali:

Welcome to the ABCs of SBC. A UNICEF podcast where we explore how social and behavior change can help us confront some of the most urgent and complex issues facing children today. I'm your host, Qali Id, and in this episode we're diving into the digital world, a place of learning connection and increasingly risk As children spend more time online, they face a growing range of harms from bullying and surveillance to deep fakes and algorithm driven content designed to keep them hooked. But these risks don't exist in a vacuum. Today we'll hear from three experts working on the front lines, senior Child Protection Specialist Afrooz Kaviani Johnson from UNICEF Headquarters, social and Behavior Change Officer Mahwish Saeed Syed from UNICEF Pakistan. Chief of Child Protection, Saji Thomas from UNICEF Gulf Area about what children are facing, why current systems are struggling to keep up, and how SBC can help shape a safer, more supportive digital world for every child. Let's start with the challenges of keeping pace with children's digital lives and the risks they face. Here's Afrooz.

Afrooz:

What makes it particularly difficult, , is you know, those systemic and structural factors that haven't kept up with the rapid change and the rapid evolution of digital technologies. So , the industry is well regulated in some parts of the world. It's not regulated at all. We also have to recognize that online spaces just have the potential to inflict harm at scale that in person dynamics may not.

Qali:

We've all felt it, that dizzying pace of change. As parents, as young people, as citizens of a digital world, it can feel like technology is evolving faster than we can understand it. In a space where convenience and novelty often come before privacy or even safety, it's no surprise that children are left vulnerable. So in a world where policymakers, parents and kids are all struggling to keep up, how do we ensure that children aren't just using technology but using it safely, confidently, and with the protections they deserve? For Mahwish and Pakistan, one story really brought this issue to national attention.

Mahwish:

The 14-year-old girl in Karachi, she went missing from her home and she was later found in Punjab where she claimed to marry a boy. Who she met through online gaming platform, pubg, which is a very popular and commonly used gaming site in Pakistan. The two underage children, they started communicating via chat , and the parents were not aware of it because they thought that, they were just using the gaming site. There was a lot of national attention that. That sparked because of this case, because of the conflicting claims around the age of the child. The child kept on saying that she's 18 and has the legal age to get married. But when official doc documents are in medical reports, were giving a different picture., The legal system had to struggle a lot, , while , undergoing the. Case and eventually the custody and the parents played a very pivotal role because the father kept on pursuing the case and eventually , , the parents got the custody of the child,, but it was a very long case. And this basically exposed the gaps that we have when it comes to child online protection in Pakistan, especially around the online grooming, lack of, , parental awareness around , digital platforms. And then absence of clear coordinated legal response to that.

Qali:

Stories like these are not unusual, where the pace of change and blind spots online expose real challenges offline while emphasizing the fundamentals of child protection, parental engagement, and enforcement. Let's ask Afrooz to unpack this further.

Afrooz:

When we talk about national policies around children's safety, they may not be thinking about the digital environment, or when we talk about national policies on digitalization, they might not be thinking about children and children's safety. So these, macro policy, legal frameworks have not kept pace , technological evolution. And then at the service delivery level in terms of the systems of protection around a child, that we count on for protecting them from physical harm, say they are not necessarily up to speed, aware of, able to, support children or to respond appropriately if they do experience harm. So we can talk about that kind of first level of, first level of protection for a child being their parents and caregivers. Parents, aren't necessarily cognizant of the way in which their children are using digital technologies and those risks and ways to support them to navigate it safely. It may be that. Parents are not even online. So UNICEF has got a wide body of research and in some countries, in some communities there is a big digital divide.. And then there are, all the challenges of parenting in 2025. All the various stresses on the family. Those combined with not necessarily being completely conversant with digital spaces not knowing, not having a precedent on how to parent in this day and age. Not knowing what that right balance is. These are very serious challenges at that kind of familial and micro level.

Qali:

This new ish online frontier really does present unique and unprecedented challenges. We have systems, we have legal frameworks, we have families, we have schools. But how are they coordinated and how can parents, let alone children understand and take advantage of these systems for justice and support? Mahwish walks us through the system and a few acronyms in Pakistan.

Mahwish:

The, reporting mechanisms or systems are very insufficient. So let's suppose if a parent, has to report a case of a child sexual abuse or exploitation the parent does not know which agency to go to. So if they go to PTA, the max PTA can do is they will put the page, they will block the URL and the page. But for the parents to find out the perpetrator, they will have to go to FIA, and then going to FIA and the technical and the lengthy process usually, , parents back off. It takes too much of their time. It's tedious. And at the same time, we do have the child online protection helpline, number 1, 1, 2, 1 in Pakistan. But, you know how to report that, should the caseworkers link it with the right system if the parents are going to police does not have the skill, how the police should link it with FIA and then the other agencies. These linkages are missing and these are linkages that we need.

Qali:

Saji works in the Gulf region in Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia countries where internet penetration is close to 100% and nearly all children over the age of eight have online access and a digital life. For Saji, Online challenges present an opening to strengthen offline child protection systems.

Saji:

Online child protection is an opportunity to be working further with all our stakeholders. Essentially saying there is no online protection without offline protection, right? So we have to have some of the basics of child protection systems in place so that we are also effective online. That's where we also see an opportunity with the high levels of interest on this area of work. It's also an opportunity to strengthen the offline child protection systems as well.

Qali:

So far, we've heard how policy gaps, fragmented services and generational divides are leaving children exposed in digital spaces. But how do we begin to close that gap? A key first step, start with the people closest

to children:

parents, caregivers, and teachers may not be digital natives, but they can be powerful allies when equipped with the right tools and support. Let's turn again to Mahwish and Afrooz.

Mahwish:

First is building that confidence and that openness between a child and a parent. So if a child experiences any kind of cyber bullying or cyber harassment or sexual abuse or exploitation or any kind of grooming, the child knows and has that openness to discuss that with the parent and that trust needs to be built between the child to feel safe to speak up.

Afrooz:

a really important, UNICEF intervention around the prevention of violence generally is around parenting programs... I think many of those similar kind of interventions are entirely relevant and applicable for online spaces. The work that we, we do to support parents to have better communication with their children, to have open communications, to talk about the importance of children's bodily autonomy so that kids understand what's, what's okay and what's not okay, including in digital spaces.

Qali:

Communication is one way for sure, but why not just prevent children from being online in the first place?

Mahwish:

The world is evolving and everything is going online and we have AI and we have so many other things that children have access to. So restricting children from using internet is not the solution. Openness with child, understanding the, , the internet space knowing the privacy settings and the warning signs and reporting mechanisms is how parents will be able to deal with the situation.

Qali:

So restriction is not the answer. But families aren't the only layer of protection in a child's life. Schools are increasingly introducing digital tools, but often without the resources or knowledge to guide safe use. Here's Afrooz again.

Afrooz:

Technology is being introduced into schools without adequate safeguards or without teachers being aware of particular risks that may be introduced through the introduction use of technologies in schools. And then teachers also being aware of things, it might be happening outside of the classroom, but the ways in which children are, , impacted.

Qali:

In a world designed by and for adults, it's easy to overlook young people as architects of their own protection. But Saji reminds us children and youth are not just passive users of tech. They're ready to lead- if we let them

Saji:

We are good at giving platforms for young people to raise their voices, but I. How do we engage them as co-designers and especially when it comes to these issues, online protection, they should be leading it, right? Because, they know the ecosystem much better than some of us. Definitely me, for example. How do we make sure that is not tokenistic? We are not getting one or two children to be part of these meetings that we have. So how do we involve them from the very beginning of any consultation process? How do we make sure that children from all walks of life are part of it? Because sometimes it's the case that some of the most outspoken, well-spoken, children end up being, part of your processes and children on the margin, so to say, are not really part of it

Qali:

Sji isn't speaking theoretically, his recent program put these principles to the test.

Saji:

The starting point is not online protection. It's about, core child protection work, and then you obviously add on the element of online protection. what we did during COP 28, we appointed 10 youth advocates,, Emiratis and non Emiratis, and it was hugely successful. They were able to reach millions of people in the country on climate change, mental health, and related issues. Again, a very good example of how. We can engage young people, in being part of the solution. And, we were just immensely proud of what they achieved, in terms of both the articulation of issues. Which they didn't need a lot of supporting. They were, they were quite clear on what they wanted, but also reaching, millions of people through different platforms as well.

Qali:

As ever, children can be powerful advocates for themselves and incredible leaders in designing programs with their wellbeing at the heart of them. But what about the technology itself? What role can governments or parents play against companies whose business model is based on securing as much attention as possible and when exposed as children can form lifelong habits, good and bad? He is Afrooz.

Afrooz:

Of course one can be influenced and have a very real lived experience from being a parent to your own children. But I would continue to challenge people who may be designing technology products or who are designing policies. These technologies should be designed with the most vulnerable children in mind, right? We need to be thinking about a child living in a conflict setting or a child with disabilities, or a child with various intersecting characteristics that make them particularly vulnerable. A child that is not in family based care. We need to be thinking about these most vulnerable children and sure, they might not be the majority of children, but those are the children that we have to bear in mind and we are accountable for when we're thinking about tech policy,, broader child protection policy interventions, and importantly technology design as well.

Qali:

Building a safe digital world for children isn't just a responsibility of one actor alone. It's a collective effort. Parents, schools, governments, private sector platforms, all working together, and in some cases, managing risks online depend on support offline. In some cases, SBC can be the glue

Mahwish:

No matter how technology evolves, a child will always be a child and it'll still need the same core things from an adult, from a trust, trusted adult, trust, guidance, and protection. So they need adults first to listen to them without any judgment. The openness they want. I've realized that children want to talk openly. It's a very different time now. It's a very different era. They want their children to be involved. They want them to be to stay involved in their lives, whether it's online or offline. So these are areas, whether it's helping them understand a new app, whether it's supporting them through a mistake, children thrive. When they feel that they are safe, when they see that they're heard, and then when they see that they're supportive and supported. So these basic needs of a child will never change, and no matter where the digital world goes.

Saji:

we sometimes we don't even draw the decision between systems work and s BBC because it's all part of the same, approach and I think like in unicef, we very clearly say we don't change who people are, but the focus is on changing the environment, right? How do we give children a lot more control, over their own safety and behaviors.. So I think SBC would look at some of the core, elements of what makes, children safe in any setting, including online. Afrooz: we can't just talk sadly, that's where we're at. That bare minimum is not being met.. And there are tragic cases and tragic experiences that are having lifelong impacts on children, families, and communities. I think if we had that vision and commitment and we'd created digital spaces with that in mind, they would be spaces where children thrive, right? Where they can be creative, where every child has access to that space. That they can learn across borders, they can play across borders. They are creating and building this amazing dynamic, empowering, healthy space. And yeah, probably, there would still be some tensions and frictions like there is in real life. But it would be designed in a way where they could seek help or they would be supported and that they would be supported to recover from that and continue to thrive. If we had a digital environment that really prioritized those, it would be wonderful. I think you would see a lot more joy amongst children and even within families. And obviously on that local and global scale as well.

Qali:

The harms children face online are real and complex, but we have the solutions from empowered parents and well-equipped teachers to youth-led action and better policy. We already have the building blocks. What we need now is the courage to imagine more than just harm prevention. A digital world where children don't just survive but thrive, where their rights are protected, their voices are heard, and their wellbeing is the starting point, not the afterthought.

Mahwish:

The world has evolved. Things are changing. We cannot stop children from accessing the digital landscape. They will do it whether we stop them at home, they'll do it in a friend's house, they will do it in a family member's house. They will do it in their schools, but how we can positively help them navigate through these platforms is something which is our responsibility as an adult and we should take the owners of our, the responsibility. Us, the government, the tech companies, the private sector, all of us play a very important role in doing so.

Afrooz:

SBC is absolutely critical, on all those levels from micro to macro. We need to look at, what those drivers of behavior are. And I think there are a lot of questions around whether, , the way in which, , children might behave differently online. The way in which we can encourage them to be reflective, critical we can support them in navigating those relationships they may be having online. And that obviously is relevant online but in, in real life as well.

Qali:

In many ways, the digital world reflects the world we live in. The same gender norms, power imbalances, and systemic inequalities that harm children offline are simply magnified in online spaces. And if we treat technology as the only problem, we risk missing the point entirely as Afrooz reminds us.

Afrooz:

So I think that's a major challenge when we look at responses when people just talk to the technology or the digital space as being a space that needs, regulation and control without addressing, those underlying inequalities that exist at every level of our community.

Qali:

That's why SBC, social and Behavior change matters for online child protection because it helps us go beyond the surface and to help protect and equip children in the world as it is and influence and shape the online and offline world as it should be. Special thanks to Afrooz, Mahwish and Saji and thank you for being one of thousands of listeners who have joined us on the ABCs of SBC If you've enjoyed today's episode, please join the other five star reviews. Share this episode with your friends and colleagues, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Check back soon for our next episode where we'll be discussing SBC in faith engagement ending harmful practices. Until next time, I'm Qali Id.