This is how street workers help young people on the Internet

Bullying, violence, addiction, poverty: Many young people are accompanied by various fears every day. Some feel excluded from public social discourse. They then often dive into the Internet and flee into virtual living spaces, like Online gaming platforms, social networks or forums. They hardly take part in public social life. The reduced social contacts often lead to loneliness and isolation.

To support those affected online and to integrate them back into the analogue world Charlotte Sweet and Franz Schiermayr from the department “Social work” the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria together with the associationInitiatives for Social Integration” (ISI)the center for migrants “migrate” and the youth information center “accents” the classic street work relocate to the internet.

Street work is a form of social work in which people in need are actively addressed and accompanied by professionals, often on the street.

develop manual

“Lifeworlds are expanding. Social support must think about these living environments and be able to offer support there as well,” says Schiermayr in the futurezone interview. How this can be implemented in practice is the subject of the research project “Artificial Eye“. The aim is to develop standardized instructions for action for social work in digital spaces.

The target group includes young adults with different topics such as unemployment or eating disorder as well as people with migration background and other marginalized groups. These are often on different platforms on the Internet.

Successive multi-contact

Social workers must actively enter these platforms and address the target group. As the contact work takes place depends on the respective digital space, says co-project manager Sweet: “The social workers have to adapt to these living spaces because they are used differently.” Often there are forums in which people move with specific questions.

“There are several ways to reach out to people, such as through streaming or games. In doing so, one makes first contacts and through these then further contacts. Sometimes you are also invited to certain groups, such as one Gaming Group. This gradually creates more contact,” adds Schiermayr.

In any case, in order to build trust in these virtual spaces, it is essential that the professionals declare themselves openly from the start and communicate their mission to the outside world. In addition to a high level of transparency and openness be also continuity important, because a one-off contact is usually not enough.

find connection

The social work itself hardly differs from that on the street, as Schiermayr explains: “Analogue work is often done anonymously for a long time because you often don’t have a name. In principle, it is about accompanying people who are marginalized or in difficulties so that they can also visit other digital spaces where they can access existing offers and thus receive support.”

In addition, one wants to help them to find a connection to analog societies. How well those affected can be reintegrated into society is difficult to collect statistically due to the anonymity.

“But what is evident is that this digital contact works and is accepted. New perspectives arise for those who are in contact with the social workers. They become interested and suddenly suggest forums to meet up,” explains the researcher.

The project will run until September. With the knowledge gained so far, a process manual designed, which Sweet says is constantly being reviewed: “Social workers have guidance available on how to navigate and build trust in these spaces for social work to emerge there.”

This series is published in editorial independence with the financial support of the Research Promotion Agency (FFG).