Increasing Digital Literacy and Building Community Trust in Greater London

Challenge

The local government identified specific vulnerabilities among young people, including exposure to extremist content in gaming and social media, right-wing narratives and a fascination with violence. These risks were often compounded for individuals with additional needs, such as neurodivergence or mental health concerns. Additionally, initial apprehension regarding the sensitive nature of the topic created barriers to early engagement and attendance for parents and carers.

What NSTN did

• Delivered a mixed-model project featuring 12 workshops, split between face-to-face sessions for young people in schools and accessible online sessions for parents and carers.

• Focused on digital literacy and critical thinking, teaching participants to recognise manipulation techniques, misinformation and the social media algorithms used to promote extremist echo chambers.

• Conducted early engagement with local community and religious leaders to explain the project's supportive, non-judgemental approach, which successfully built trust and secured participation in community-based 'safe spaces'.

Outcome

The project reached approximately 85 young people and 47 parents and carers, with 100% of surveyed participants reporting a measurable improvement in their understanding and confidence compared to their pre-session knowledge. Participants moved from limited awareness to a strong working knowledge of early warning signs, while the trauma-informed delivery approach successfully reduced the stigma and fear often associated with the Prevent safeguarding process.