Transcript Tregeaglex - Association of Children`s Welfare Agencies

The Digital Divide in Family
Support
ACWA08
[email protected]
Anna at fifteen
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Family homeless over a year
Re-housed hour+ from school
Can’t afford mobile calls/phone broken
Rented computer is unusable
Can’t IM friends - feels excluded
Difficulties with homework
Feels unsafe to use public library
Barnardos’ interest in ICT
• Need to improve participation in family support
services particularly with children and young
people
• Case management system (SCARF) could be basis
of software which may be potential useful to
service users
• Social justice issues for disadvantaged children
• Experience with mobile phones
Vodafone Foundation project with homeless
young people
• Itinerant lifestyle made contact, early intervention
and monitoring of welfare was difficult
• Access to mobiles and free calls to workers enabled:
– Emergency assistance- overdose, self harm, arrest,
assault,
– Reminders- appointments
– Better engagement- birthdays, events
• Importance of understanding social
circumstances -theft and muggings,
dealing, cashing, debt.
Could we use this the Internet more ?
• Websites for access to information and exchange (depression
sites, medical sites)
• IM/ Email with workers
• Social networks- 13%of adults
make relationships on-line
• Virtual worlds and social learning
How feasible are these ideas?
Access of families to the Internet
• Actual use of Internet and young people:
In 2003 98% used computers (OECD, 2006)
90% of 15 year olds competently used Internet,
(95% in year 12, 49% in Years 1-3).
• 2001 study of disadvantaged families with children:
59% children had computer at home (compared to 74% in general population of
families with children)
32% (cf. 48%) had access to Internet at home (McLaren &Zappala)
• BUT what of agency service users ?
Research on access and attitudes to ICT
among family support service users
2006/7 Qualitative study – 30 in 25 families
4 (under 12)
3 (12-17 years)
5 (18-21years) in after care support
18 parents.
6 programs in Canberra and Sydney including outer areas
Assessed the mix of technologies that were currently used
or which were interest to service users
Families use of mobile phones
Mobile use
25 used pre-paid phones
Only one not interested
4- lost, stolen
Wide usage but problems of
running out of credit.
..my worker would call me and
I wouldn’t be able to call her
back
Home Access to Internet
• Home internet functional (6 of 30)
• Previously had Internet- 11
Broken, fires, pawned, couldn’t afford payments
– no IT Support
– cost of service providers-no ISP
– no modems in donated machines
• Usually interested- 2 older participants exceptions
• Interested but no access (11):
educational (loosing skills) and social exclusion.
How The Internet Is Used
• Websites: school research, rarely for Jobs/bills/ Centrelink
• Instant messaging:
extensively used and missed where access was poor.
• Email not checked and sense that phone is easier, lessening
popularity with spam and problems of effort. Two previously in
fostercare were the exceptions.
•
•
•
•
Chatrooms: unclear
Blogging: generally unknown, literacy an issue
On-line Games: more limited, download problems
Social Networking Sites: heavy use, age specific
Innovative use by families
• Keeping in touch- geographic separation in
disrupted families
• Overcoming violence- access to children by
violent partners
• Small business ventures
Attitude towards ICT and workers
• Interested- it’s the norm
• There are existing communication barriers- not
identified by all BUT some objection to pagers, workers frequently did not
allow mobile access
• Face to face communication needs to be
maintained
• Timing important- getting to know you, use within relationship
• Interest in information
• Maintaining skills
How could Internet contribute to
work with families
• Initiation of communication - hours, space, social barriers
(education and literacy), sequencing of communication, value of wit and
group membership
• Distribution-
more private than paper, ownership of what is written,
password protection, automatic functions
• Use -attractive, company and entertainment
• Increased self disclosure,
relationship development,
increased participation: self presentation,
focus on feelings, anonymity, time to think, less focus
on appearance
Impact on communication is unclear
Duty of Care
• Safety- Internet vulnerability
Education on safe use of the Net- can we afford not
to do this?
• Distorted communication- changed dynamics,
honesty
• Balancing on and off-line communication,
privacy and individual preference.
We need to ask the questions
– Are we adding to disadvantage by not engaging with
the Internet?
– Are workers ICT practices affecting communication?
– Are we missing an opportunity? Maintaining contact
and communication is central to our work.
– How can we provide technical and educational
support?
– Will it happen to us anyway?