... with an improved box design, an extra card and new instructions.
Statistics tell us that up to 40% of teenagers are involved with sending explicit images and messages (sometimes called sexting). To help youth leaders, teachers and parents talk to young people about sexting, social media and staying safe online, we've worked with Youthscape to create a card-based resource that's been piloted and tested with young people.
It's a game that's simple to play, using carefully designed images and messages which connect with young people's real-life experiences, that enable them to ask "#isitOK? to create, send or receive content like this?"
The #IsitOK? box contains:
- 12 image cards
- 12 text message cards
- A 12 sided dice
- Information on sexting, the law and safeguarding young people
- Instructions for using the resource
- Discussion starters and topics
GAME 1: Young people think about how they would respond to receiving a sext - either one of the 12 image cards or one of the 12 text cards. They choose between 'do nothing', 'tell someone' or 'respond or reply'. The game helps begin a discussion about what's appropriate and what isn't.
GAME 2: Young people assume the role of characters, including the people in the photo, the senders, parents, teachers and police officers. The group discuss how each character might feel once the message has been sent and received, before deciding how to resolve the situation.
GAME 3: Young people discuss the images and messages on the cards, deciding whether each one should be kept private, shared with a select few people or for public viewing. The discussions help teenagers consider the implications of sharing private and personal information with other people.
"I’ve used #IsItOK? many times in classroom lessons on sexting and media messages and body image. I’ve also used it in small groups. When meeting with a new boys' grammar school when they saw this resource it absolutely swung their decision to invite us in to teach RSE!
It’s always been a great resource as it’s a tactile, hands-on way to explore messages behind the images we send and receive and critically think is this ok? To think through consequences of the images bring viewed by potential partners, bosses, children, family and friends... it’s been great to have a fun activity to use to teach on the law around sexting, as well as the emotional and social consequences.
Some lessons, we’ve spent 30 minutes around the activity and chatted through various aspects of sexting. Other times, it’s been possible to introduce the cards and do a five minute summary of sexting in lessons on media messages and body image. So I’d say the resource is very flexible and the more you use it the more you find ways of introducing it as a resource in formal class settings and also informal small group settings.
We work in a hostel with homeless young people and have used it effectively to spark great discussions. We also do one to one mentoring in secondary schools where social media and sexting come up in the majority of sessions, so I’m planning to use the resource for training our mentors in how to handle these issues and possibly they will use the resource in one to one mentoring too where appropriate.
Generally, I love the resource and am very grateful for it... please keep producing fab resources us!"
Ali, PSHE educator and youth mentor