GroSafe Real World Trial Parent Information Sheet
Dear Parent,
We would like to inform you about the GroSafe Real World Trial, in which your teen (the 'participant') has been invited to participate.
When: July - September 2025
Location: Online
Inclusion Criteria: Participants must be between 13 and 17 years old and resident in Ireland. Participants must be regular users of at least one online platform listed: Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Roblox.
About GroSafe:
GroSafe is an ongoing initiative aimed at enhancing online safety for children and young people. Led by Technological University Dublin, and developed collaboratively with experts, educators, and teens, GroSafe is creating a comprehensive solution to equip young individuals with the knowledge and skills to navigate the digital world safely and resist child grooming. The primary goal is to empower teens to recognise and respond to online threats. Our approach includes engaging and effective educational games and interactive learning, with active teen involvement in the design process to ensure the final product meets their needs and interests.
Purpose of the Trial:
Over the past 2 years, GroSafe has been investigating the issue of child grooming and collaborating with teenagers to create an educational resource. The initial phase involved interviewing nearly 40 professionals in child welfare and protection. Our analysis revealed that many young people struggle to recognise the signs of grooming and to distinguish whether someone online is genuine or potentially harmful. To address this, we developed an educational game designed to equip young people with the knowledge and skills to identify and report harmful online interactions. During the development process, we conducted co-creation workshops with over 450 young people to understand their gaming preferences and gather feedback on our game design. Now, we need to test the game to ensure its effectiveness. Your child's participation will help us determine whether the game improves their ability to identify and report potentially harmful online behaviour.
What to Expect:
At the beginning of the trial, we will set up a video call with you and your child. Your child will be asked to share their online usernames to one or more of these four platform:
- TikTok
- Snapchat
- Roblox
This trial uses a randomized research design. This means that half of the children who participate in this trial will be put into the 'Test' group: These children will be asked to play our GroSafe game. The other half of children will be put into the 'Control' group, and they will not be asked to play our game. During the trial, our researchers will attempt to contact children in either group, while they are online and using the platforms they shared with us. Contact will only be made between the hours of 9am and 11.30pm.
Our researchers will attempt to interact with your child in the following ways:
- Send initial message on social/gaming platform
- Send connection/friend request
- Request to move to a private/encrypted channel
- Request to share personal information
We will never ask to meet in real life. If your child is asked for a meeting, this is not the GroSafe team, and they should inform you immediately.
A participant will never be asked to share inappropriate content. If a participant shares inappropriate content without being asked, the following steps will be taken:
- The participant will be informed that the content is not appropriate.
- You will be informed.
- The participant will be offered support.
- An incident report will be recorded.
- Relevant authorities will be informed, if necessary.
- The content will be deleted.
Can I make sure my child plays the training game?
During the trial, only children assigned to the Test group will be given access to the GroSafe training game. This is a very important part of the research, as it will allow us to see if and to what extent our game makes children better prepared to recognize and respond to online grooming attempts.
After completion of the trial, we will gladly extend access to the game to children in the Control group. If this applies to you and your child, you will not have to take any action: This information will be sent to you as part of a post-trial email.
What about aftercare?
The GroSafe project is partnered with the ISPCC. Experts from the ISPCC will be available to provide aftercare to any participating children in the event that they becomes distressed during the trial. If you become aware that your child is becoming distressed, do not hesitate to reach out to us; We will make the necessary referrals.
Privacy and Safety Measures:
The privacy and safety of the children are our top priorities. All discussions will be confidential, unless otherwise required by law, and personal information will be handled securely. We will assign a ID number to each person for further anonymity in our notes. One important exception to the privacy rule is if your child informs us about any significant harm being done to them. In such cases, we would have to report the situation to relevant agencies, such as TUSLA or An Garda Síochána.
Consent and Participation:
Participation in the trial is entirely voluntary, and your child has the right to decline participation in this research. No reason or explanation needs to be given for this.
Children with additional needs are welcome to participate in this trial.
We kindly request your permission for your child to join this trial, and consent will be collected in the next section of this form. Consent can be revoked at any time, either by you or by your child, if either of you does not want to continue the participation: Simply send an email to grosafe@tudublin.ie to inform the team that you do not wish to continue, and your child will immediately be removed from the trial. Any data collected about your child during this time will also immediately be deleted.
Remuneration:
All participants will receive a voucher of €50 on completion of the trial. These vouchers are One-4-All digital gift cards, and are only valid for use in Ireland. The vouchers will be sent to the email address you provide at the start of the trial. All participants will also be entered into a draw for an iPad on completion of the trial.
What if I have more questions?
If you are curious or feel like you need more information, please do not hesitate to email the research team on GroSafe@tudublin.ie We're here to answer any and all questions you might have about the trial and our research.
When you're confident about your child's interest in participating, we can arrange an online meeting with you and your child. Just send us an email at GroSafe@tudublin.ie to start this process.