Young people live in a world where online and offline life are constantly intertwined. What happens when protection, respect, and consent are addressed in the digital realm?
This is a crucial question—one that concerns not only those working with younger generations, but society as a whole. Our online presence has become an integral part of everyday life: we communicate, express ourselves, and build relationships through screens and platforms. For this reason, it’s essential that rights such as privacy, personal boundaries, and consent are recognized and protected both online and offline.
On April 28, at the EUROMADONIE Institute in Palermo, 24 students aged between 14 and 18 took part in a workshop dedicated to these very topics: online safety, digital consent, and respect in virtual environments. It was an opportunity to learn, share, and reflect together on how to navigate digital spaces in a conscious and safe way.
A Youth-Centered Journey: Participation, Listening, Creativity
The workshop was led by Gea Di Bella, a sex educator and activist who has been engaged in prevention and education for years. Through concrete examples, personal stories, and testimonials, the class was guided in a reflection on topics often seen as difficult or “uncomfortable”—yet they are part of the students’ everyday experiences. The importance of linking Comprehensive Sexuality Education to digital realities became clear, especially where the boundaries between public and private are more blurred, making respectful and assertive communication all the more essential.
The workshop focused on interaction—no lectures, but creative labs and educational tools designed to engage and connect with the participants. The group developed alternative narratives and awareness messages on issues such as respect, self-determination, and the prevention of cyberbullying. Thanks to an inclusive, non-judgmental, and accessible approach, barriers gradually came down, the atmosphere became more relaxed, questions increased, and above all, a space of mutual listening emerged—where participants could express opinions, doubts, and personal experiences.
Educating Today Also Means Educating for the Digital World
The workshop is a concrete example of how it is both possible and necessary to involve young people from the bottom up in addressing current and urgent issues, using familiar language and inclusive methods. Talking about consent and online safety is not just an informative act: it’s an educational gesture that recognizes young people as active participants, capable of thinking critically, proposing ideas, and driving change.
In a rapidly changing world, we can no longer separate the digital from the offline. The bE-AWARE project aims to train, raise awareness, and educate on online safety through a cross-sectoral and intergenerational lens. To access educational resources for professionals and youth groups, visit: https://beawareproject.eu/
About bE-aware
bE-aware is funded by Erasmus+ programme, KA220-YOU – Cooperation partnerships in youth, and aims at understanding, preventing, detecting and addressing Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OSEA) through a holistic, multi-faceted and multisectoral approach.
Partners
- DʼAntilles et DʼAilleurs (France, Coordinator)
- To Hamogelo Tou Paidiou (Greece)
- Kentro Meleton Asfaleias (Greece)
- CESIE ETS (Italy)
- Storytellme, Unipessoal LDA (Portugal)
- Missing Children Europe (Belgium)
- A.B. Institute of Entrepreneurship Development LTD (Cyprus)
For further information
Contact Ludovica Leotti, ludovica.leotti@cesie.org.
