Children are increasingly exposed to digital risks, including cyberbullying, online gender-based violence, hate speech, and misuse of personal data. Most of them don’t know they have rights in online spaces. That is the problem the Institute for Human Rights (IHR) in North Macedonia decided to address.
IHR is a civil society organization committed to the promotion, advancement, and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, while strengthening the rule of law and democratic institutions. Over the years, IHR has conducted several surveys and workshops at primary schools and has found that children aged 8–14 often lack a basic understanding of privacy protection, safe data-sharing practices, and mechanisms for responding to online abuse. The project “Digital Rights for All: Privacy and Online Safety Academy for Children” is IHR’s direct response to that gap.
A problem the system is not addressing
The issue is not simply that children are online; it is that they are online without the knowledge or tools to participate safely. Cyberbullying, online gender-based violence, hate speech, and the misuse of personal data are not abstract risks. They are everyday realities for many children in North Macedonia and throughout the world. Yet there are no structured, accessible tools addressing these risks through a human rights lens, designed specifically for children.
This situation is most difficult for the most vulnerable. Vulnerable groups, including girls, Roma children, children with disabilities, and youth from rural communities, face heightened exposure to digital violence and limited access to protective knowledge and resources. Digital exclusion does not only mean lacking a device. It also means lacking the awareness to use one safely.
Creating the course.
The project aims to develop and launch an interactive online course within the IHR Online Human Rights Academy, focused on digital rights, personal data protection, and safe online participation. The course includes five modules: What are digital rights; personal data and privacy; recognizing cyberbullying and online hate; gender-based digital violence; and safe and responsible digital participation.
The aim was to use simple language and visual storytelling suitable for ages 8–14, with inclusive design principles including clear layout and audio options. Short animated videos, interactive quizzes, and downloadable privacy checklists and child-friendly guides keep the experience engaging. Children complete modules at their own pace.
Teachers are part of the design too. Short orientation sessions will equip them with guidance on how to support students during the course and respond appropriately to disclosures of online violence, turning each partner school into a safer environment.
Reaching those who need it most
The course will be directly disseminated through IHR’s network of primary school partners, built through previous projects and workshops on cyberbullying, discrimination, and hate speech. This network also includes schools with high populations of Roma students and students from different ethnic communities, as well as schools in rural areas. The platform is mobile-optimized, allowing easier access in communities where individual devices are limited.
Inclusion is embedded throughout the project: In the design of the content and the targeted outreach strategy grounded in IHR’s existing school networks. The learning modules include gender-sensitive examples that address online harassment and digital gender-based violence, particularly the experiences of girls, while also reflecting the realities faced by Roma children and youth from rural communities.
For instance, students walk through interactive scenarios tackling issues like deepfake sexual harassment against young women, as well as doxxing and cyberbullying, teaching them how to block perpetrators, secure evidence, and contact trusted adults and local authorities every step of the way.
What success looks like and what comes after
The project aims for at least 300 children to complete the online course across at least 20 engaged schools, with a minimum 30 percent increase in knowledge scores measured through pre- and post-course quizzes. Anonymous participant surveys, completion rates, and teacher feedback forms will capture what the numbers alone cannot: Increased awareness of safe data-sharing practices and increased reporting confidence regarding online abuse.
The real outcomes, however, extend well beyond September 2026. The online course will remain permanently accessible on the IHR Online Human Rights Academy platform, ensuring that children, teachers, and schools can continue to benefit from the resource free of charge.
Because it is developed in a modular format, the content can be updated to reflect new digital risks, legal developments in data protection, or emerging trends in online behaviour. Additional modules such as artificial intelligence literacy, digital consent, or online civic participation can be added in the future. The methodology and materials can be adapted for secondary school students, with more advanced content on digital rights, online activism, and responsible digital citizenship. In the longer term, the project opens opportunities for cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science and other institutional stakeholders interested in strengthening digital literacy and child protection frameworks.
What this project contributes to, ultimately, is something larger than a course. By strengthening digital literacy and rights awareness from an early age, it contributes to a safer digital civic space, empowers children as responsible digital citizens, and promotes inclusive digital democracy grounded in human rights principles. Digital democracy depends on informed, safe, and empowered digital citizens.
