Parent/Guardian Information Sheet
Project Title: In Real Life youth co-design project
Project Summary:
Your child is invited to participate in a research project being conducted by the Young and Resilient Research Centre at Western Sydney University and Project Rockit. This project will co-design youth-driven education that aims to realise digital ethics and participation through the development of online safety expertise, core personal and social competencies (e.g. respectful relationship literacy), strategies to support diversity and inclusion, and community-building skills. These learning modules will be rolled out to up to 20,000 young people across Australia.
How is the study being paid for?
The Commonwealth of Australia is paying for this project through the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
What will my child be asked to do?
Your child will be asked to take part in two 2 hour online workshops which will be held over Zoom and facilitated by a Project Rockit presenter. Your child will first choose to take part in one of three workshops focused on one of the following topics:
- Connecting and interacting with others online
- Privacy and security online
- Getting support and supporting others online
Following this, your child will then take part in a 2-hour online workshop focussed on designing and delivering engaging content for young people.
In the workshops, participants will work with a group of up to 10 other young people. There will be individual and group activities. The workshops are designed to be fun, creative and engaging for young people and will include breaks.
How much of my child’s time will he/she need to give?
Your child will need to give 4-hours of their time (2 x 2-hours each). All workshops will be held outside of school hours.
What benefits will my child, and/or the broader community, receive for participating?
By being a part of this research, your child will have the opportunity to contribute to the design of online safety education that is inclusive, relevant and meaningful, and that is estimated to reach up to 20,000 young people across Australia. These learning modules will help young people develop online safety expertise, key personal and social competencies, strategies to support diversity and inclusion, and community building skills in online environments.
Your child will also receive a $50 gift voucher after attending each workshop.
Will the study involve any risk or discomfort for my child? If so, what will be done to rectify it?
It is possible that your child’s participation may involve some risks. Because we are discussing online safety issues, some activities in the workshops may be distressing for your child. The facilitator will have a number of strategies in place to ensure that the workshop environment is safe and supportive for all participants, and children will not be pressured to take part in any activity if they don’t want to. All participants will also receive the contact details of a range of support services, should they wish to speak to someone after the workshops.
In addition, there are also two things that you and your child can do if they experience distress:
- Your child can mention any issues to the facilitator during the workshops using the direct messaging function in Zoom;
- Your child can withdraw from the project – or you can withdraw them – at any time before or during the workshops.
What is extended consent?
You have been asked to agree to extended consent. When you agree to extended consent it means that you agree that your child’s data, as part of a larger dataset (the information collected for this project) can be re-used in projects that are:
- an extension of this project
- closely related to this project
- in the same general area of this research
Western Sydney University and government policy encourage the use of extended consent because collecting information for research can be an inconvenience or burden for participants and has significant costs associated with it. Sharing data with other researchers gives the potential for others to reflect on the data and its findings, to re-use it with new insight, and increase understanding in this research area. By providing your consent you are allowing your child’s data to be used by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner and researchers at the Young and Resilient Research Centre of Western Sydney University for other similar research. The re-use of the data will only be allowed after an ethics committee has agreed that the new use of the data meets the requirements of ethics review.
How do you intend to publish or disseminate the results?
It is anticipated that the results of this research project will be published and/or presented in a variety of forums. If a quote from your child is used in any publication and/or presentation, only their age, gender and state will be published.
How will the data and information that my child provides be disposed of?
Your child’s data will be held securely and managed under a detailed Data Management Plan. The stored data available for re-use will not have information in it that makes your child identifiable. The researchers want to keep the data for 5 years for possible re-use. After this time the data will be securely destroyed.
Can I withdraw my child from the study? Can my child withdraw from the study?
Your child’s participation in the study is entirely voluntary and they are not obliged to be involved. Your child may withdraw from the study at any time – or you may withdraw your child from the study at any time before or during the workshops. However, because workshops will involve group activities, if they withdraw during the workshop, any information they have contributed up until that point will not be able to be removed. If they want to withdraw, they can talk to the workshop facilitator.
What if I require further information?
You are welcome to discuss the project further with the researchers before deciding if you agree.
Ms Lilly Moody
Senior Research Officer
Young and Resilient Research Centre
Western Sydney University
+61403565826
l.moody@westernsydney.edu.au
What if I have a complaint?
If you have any complaints or reservations about the ethical conduct of this research, you may contact the Ethics Committee through Research Engagement, Development and Innovation (REDI) on Tel +61 2 4736 0229 or email humanethics@westernsydney.edu.au
Any issues you raise will be treated in confidence and investigated fully, and you will be informed of the outcome.
This study has been approved by the Western Sydney University Human Research Ethics Committee. The Approval number is H14753.
