Smart online safe offline (SOSO)

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'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 is targeting online bullying and is now underway.

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

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