A new youth-led campaign is encouraging teenagers to spot warning signs in online interactions. It aims to help young people recognise harmful behaviour and know where to seek support.
A new youth-led campaign, titled "It's Not That Deep," has launched across Merseyside to raise awareness about technology-enabled violence against women and girls. Designed to address the growing threat of online abuse, the initiative aims to change how young people perceive harmful digital behavior, which is often dismissed as mere banter or normal relationship dynamics.
The campaign was developed after research revealed that many teenagers frequently minimize serious online misconduct. By labeling such behavior as "not that deep," young people often overlook its potentially criminal or abusive nature. The initiative focuses on critical issues such as deep fakes, the sharing of intimate images, sextortion, and cyberstalking.
At a recent launch event at St. Julie’s Catholic High School, pupils engaged in interactive sessions that featured films based on real-life online scenarios. During these screenings, students were encouraged to raise red flags when they identified behavior they deemed concerning. The campaign emphasizes the importance of listening to one's intuition. According to Rhiann Barrett, a mental health promotion worker with MYA, the goal is for young people to recognize that gut feeling that signals when a situation has crossed a line. Barrett noted, "We've been using the phrase of 'use your intuition' and so how we recognize when we can take action safely."
Merseyside Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell highlighted the vital role young people, including boys, play in dismantling these patterns of behavior. She emphasized that bystanders have a significant responsibility to intervene when they witness peers making jokes or bothering a young woman. Spurrell noted that the campaign is designed to be a collaborative effort, with resources being made available to schools across Merseyside and youth organizations through a free digital platform.
Students participating in the event underscored the necessity of such education. Jessie, a pupil at St. Julie’s, noted the value of the awareness, observing that while such issues are present in everyday life, the extent of the problem is often hidden. Another student, Jasmine, emphasized the legal aspect of the issue, stating, "It is illegal to send like nude images, but you're not going to get in trouble if you're the victim, which obviously I didn't know before this."
By centering the voices and perspectives of young people, the "It's Not That Deep" campaign seeks to shift the culture surrounding online interactions, encouraging students to support one another and take a definitive stand against abusive digital conduct.
