Attention! Designing a Target Group-Oriented Risk Communication Strategy

Abstract

Online conversations through chat applications have become a universal part of human communication. But how can we be sure that the person we are chatting with is in fact the person they claim to be? This question significantly gains importance from the standpoint of safety and security when considering the chat behavior of children who are allowed access to web-enabled devices at an increasingly younger age. At the same time, the number of reported experiences with online sexual harassment and so-called grooming is unfortunately growing steadily. This paper presents insights from focus groups with school children and a resulting approach to communicating the risk of cyber grooming. The paper explores communication strategies for different stages of risk – before, during and after an incident. The way people interpret information affects the way they interact with it, which is why a user-centered design approach is employed in addition to standard guidelines of design to structure and design a communication strategy. Protecting children from sexual predators who use grooming strategies to bond with their victims is the main goal of this project.