Safe Spaces

• Paper
• Coloured Pens
• Phone Template

Discussing the concept of "safe spaces" with the group. Explain that these can be places or situations where they feel comfortable and secure, whether online or in person.

Give each young person a phone template. If some don’t use phones or apps, encourage them to think about things they like doing in real life and imagine how they might use similar spaces online.

Ask the group to think about activities they enjoy, both online and in person. They should fill in the app section of the phone template with apps they use or access through a parent’s device, as well as places they go or activities they do in real life (e.g., school, sports clubs, hanging out with friends).

Once they’ve completed their templates, ask them to use different coloured sticky notes to mark spaces that feel safe and those that feel unsafe.

• They should add information on the sticky notes to explain why they feel that way. For example, “I see violent images on this app” or “I feel safe here because my friends are kind.”

After everyone has marked their safe and unsafe spaces, bring the group together to discuss what they’ve noticed. Are there common safe or unsafe spaces among the group?

Discussion Questions:

• What strategies could you use if you find yourself in an unsafe space?
• What if it’s an unsafe online space?
• Do you act differently in safe and unsafe spaces?
• What could be done to make unsafe spaces, especially online ones, safer?

Encourage them to think about how they can apply the same safety strategies in both online and in-person spaces. For example, if they avoid certain places in real life because they don’t feel safe, they can apply a similar approach online by avoiding certain apps or websites.

Discuss how being aware of what makes a space feel safe can help them make better choices in all areas of their lives.