Smart online safe offline (SOSO)

Cyber safety continues to be a key concern for Australian parents. SOSO brings together community, government and the digital media industry as partners to keep young internet users safe online.

By targeting children and young people directly - in their language and within their social networking environments - SOSO helps children and young people understand dangers that exist online and educates them about how to manage their personal safety both online and offline. SOSO is the only Australian initiative operating within the online space and social networking sites that raises awareness.

SOSO's first campaign was targeted to educate about the dangers of online predation. Reaching over 80% of its target market, an independent evaluation found the campaign to have achieved statistically significant shifts in awareness, attitude and intended behaviour.

SOSO's second campaign targeted online bullying.  This campaign seems to be making an impact with kids, according to our recent external evaluation of our anti-cyber bullying campaign.  Our "Cyber Bullying - Bystander Behaviour" uses a YouTube video and educational game called "Web Warriors".  The evaluation shows we have had a significant impact on intended behaviour change with:

  • Over 80% of online Australians between the ages of 10 and 15 had the opportunity to see our SOSO campaign
  • Around 9 in 10 of those who actually took notice of our SOSO cyber bullying campaign thought it had had an impact on how they felt about cyber bullying and made them more aware of the effect of cyber bullying on others
  • About 79,000 clicks on to our "Cyber Bullying - Bystander Behaviour" YouTube video  
  • About 71,000 clicks on our Web Warriors page with 8,628 kids registered to undertake the game.

SOSO works because it operates within social networking sites and utilises the space, style and format traditionally reserved for commercial advertising. SOSO also has its own website where users can learn more and also report suspicious behaviour.

SOSO exists because:

  • 93% of children and teenagers use the internet
  • 84% of children, some as young as 8 years old, are linked into social networking sites every day
  • Technology like instant messaging, email, mobile phones and voice over internet protocol can all be used with the aim of compromising children's safety, either through bullying, predation or online grooming
  • SOSO's campaigns will reach approximately 2 million children aged 9-15 yrs and will positively impact their awareness, attitude and behaviour about online safety

The success of our SOSO campaign is being recognised in great industry reviews and coverage and website awards. In fact, we are really excited that we have just been shortlisted as a finalist in the Webby Awards (pretty big!). Getting the award is about getting people to vote. Winning this Award will help secure more funding so we can continue to develop SOSO and broaden its reach. All you have to do is click here and sign up, and then you can vote.

NAPCAN, digital marketing group Profero Sydney, and social venture group SOCIAL collaborated to develop the SOSO initiative. SOSO is grateful to the Australian Government and the Telstra Foundation for funding that ensures the continuity of SOSO and the expansion of the campaigns. SOSO also thanks its industry partners, who form the biggest and best of the digital media community, for contributing their resources and expertise, and for demonstrating their commitment to keeping children and young people safe online.

www.soso.org.au