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About

The Digital Youth Work Research Network is hosted by the University of Leeds within the INCLUDE+ Network. DYWR.HUB aims to explore the intersections of equity, inclusion, digital technologies and youth work. Our network seeks to foster an environment of knowledge and practice co-creation between researchers, youth workers, young people, policymakers, tech organisations, and other relevant stakeholders.

We see digital youth work as a practice that brings digital technologies into youth-centred initiatives in ways that support digital literacy and citizenship. We recognise that the term was first used in Finland in 2012, and that since then, there’s been a growing effort to understand how digitalisation fits into youth work.

We build on the 2018 definition from the Council of Europe, which sees digital youth work as the intentional use of digital tools in youth work. It's not something separate from 'traditional' youth work, but something that can be embedded across non-formal settings like youth clubs, detached work, and information services. We take this further by recognising that digital youth work happens across online and offline spaces and that it sits within the same ethics and principles as traditional youth work (European Commission, 2018).

We also see digital youth work as something shaped by broader systems—social, political, and technological—that affect both young people and youth workers. Patterns of digital exclusion don’t stop with young people; we see them in youth work organisations too (Pawluczuk, 2022).

Youth workers who have access to digital tools and expert support are more likely to try new approaches and influence the direction of the field. Meanwhile, those with little or no access often feel left behind and unable to keep up with changes in tech. This makes it harder for them to respond to the evolving needs of young people. That’s why we think of digital youth work as something that needs to include everyone involved—from young people to practitioners—and why we see addressing structural inequalities as part of the work itself.

The DYWR.HUB also grounds its operational definition and ethical framework in existing research and policy findings from the European youth sector:

  1. Defining Digital Youth Work (DYW)

We see digital youth work as a practice that brings digital technologies into youth-centred initiatives in ways that support digital literacy and citizenship. This conceptualisation builds on a historical understanding of the practice, recognising that the term was first used in Finland in 2012.

We build specifically on the 2018 definition from the Council of Europe, which views digital youth work as the intentional use of digital tools in youth work—not as something separate, but something that can be embedded across different settings. The Hub further asserts that digital youth work happens across online and offline spaces and sits within the same ethics and principles as traditional youth work.

  1. Addressing Structural and Ethical Complexities: Digital Youth Work as an Emerging Field of Practice

Digital youth work represents a rapidly evolving field of practice, still being defined and developed across policy, research, and frontline delivery. The Hub recognises that whilst European policy consensus exists on DYW as essential, the field remains under-resourced, under-theorised, and systematically absent from UK policy infrastructure. Our approach to DYW as an emerging field involves rigorous engagement with both the opportunities and limitations inherent in digital youth work practice, whilst building evidence bases and professional standards for the sector's development.

The Hub's work goes beyond definitions, utilising policy mapping and empirical research to address the critical challenges the field faces:

• DYW as Integrated Practice: We recognise that DYW is not a separate discipline or method but must be integrated across practice, as confirmed by both international guidelines and the National Youth Agency's policy finding that digital wellbeing, online safety, and digital literacy must be woven into all youth work practice. This necessity is underpinned by the finding that nearly 99% of young people aged 12-15 are regularly online. As an emerging field, DYW requires strategic, sector-wide commitment to professional development and organisational capacity rather than isolated, project-based interventions.

• Structural Equity Focus: The Hub's research is grounded in the analysis that digital exclusion is not limited to young people's individual lack of skills, but is demonstrably present within youth work organisations themselves. Youth workers who lack access to appropriate devices and support feel marginalised and unable to support young people facing educational inequalities due to factors like inadequate hardware or lack of academic support at home. This emerging field therefore requires a structural approach that addresses infrastructure deficits, workforce development, and sustained funding—not merely technical training.

• Criticality and Citizenship: The Hub's work is grounded in the research finding that many existing digital inclusion programmes are corporate-led and focus on functional digital literacy (e.g., job skills) rather than critical digital literacy (e.g., how to critically analyse information). The Hub aims to ensure DYW enables young people's critical digital abilities to respond to the "big data divide" and understand the power structures of data society. As DYW emerges as a field, the Hub emphasises that the sector must maintain its youth work values—centering young people's voice, agency, and human rights—rather than adopting technocentric, market-driven approaches.

• New Pedagogical Models: The Hub embraces emerging critical practices, such as Neuroqueering Digital Youth Work, to challenge normative assumptions around participation and success, advocating for fluid, non-linear, and self-determined modes of engagement in digital spaces. This ensures that evaluation moves away from reductive, easily quantifiable skills towards truly inclusive outcomes. As DYW develops as a field, the Hub insists on resisting "tech-solutionism"—the notion that technology alone solves social problems—and maintains that digital practices must enhance, not replace, the relational core of youth work.

By aligning its outputs with established international policy findings and critical academic research, the DYWR.HUB provides the evidence base necessary for securing the sustainable and ethical future of youth work infrastructure in the UK. Our positioning as researchers of an emerging field means we remain vigilant to both the possibilities and the pitfalls of digital transformation, ensuring that the sector develops with integrity, equity, and professional at its centre.

References

Council of the European Union. (2019). Council conclusions on digital youth work (ST-13935-2019-INIT) [Policy Document]. https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13935-2019-INIT/en/pdf

Digital Youth Work Research Hub - INCLUDE+. (2024). Expert Review of the Digital Youth Work Research Hub (DYWR.HUB) at the University of Leeds: A strategic analysis of policy, equity, and institutional capacity [Report].

European Commission. (2018). Developing digital youth work: Policy recommendations, training needs and good practice examples for youth workers and decision-makers. Luxembourg: Publication Office of the European Union.

INCLUDE+. (n.d.). INCLUDE+ Network [Website]. Retrieved from https://include-network.org/

Kiviniemi, J., & Tuominen, S. (Eds.). (2017). Digital youth work—a Finnish perspective. Helsinki: Verke.

National Youth Agency (NYA). (2025a). Digital Youth Work Standards [Sector Standards Document]. https://nya.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/1768-NYA-Digital-Youth-Work-Standards-%E2%80%93-DIGITAL.pdf

National Youth Agency (NYA). (2025b). Digital Youth Work in an Online Setting [Sector Guidance Document]. https://nya.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Digital-Youth-Work-in-an-Online-Setting-.pdf

Pawluczuk, A. (2020). Digital youth inclusion and the big data divide: Examining the Scottish perspective. Internet Policy Review, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.14763/2020.2.1480

Pawluczuk, A. (2022). The emerging digital divides: Covid-19 and European youth work [Report]. United Nations University in Macau.

Pawluczuk, A. (2025). Digital youth work infrastructure in UK policy: A critical analysis of visibility, positioning, and strategic opportunity [Research Report].

Pawluczuk, A. (2026). Neuroqueering Digital Youth Work: Reimagining participation, inclusion, and digital literacy through a neuroqueer lens. In K. Waldock & N. Keates (Eds.), Applications and practices for empowering neurodivergent learners (pp. 319–340). IGI Global Scientific Publishing.

Pawluczuk, A., & Șerban, A. M. (2022). Technology and the new power dynamics: Limitations of digital youth work [Research Report]. European Union & Council of Europe Youth Partnership.

Van der Graaf, L., Dunajeva, J., Siarova, H., & Bankauskaite, R. (2021). Education and youth in post-COVID-19 Europe – crisis effects and policy recommendations. European Parliament, Policy Department for Structural and Cohesion Policies.

Vermeire, L., & Van den Broeck, W. (2024). A signal-based approach to inclusive digital youth work for socially vulnerable youth. Media and Communication, 12. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.8160

Vermeire, L., Van den Broeck, W., Van Audenhove, L., & Mariën, I. (2022). Digital Youth Work in Flanders: practices, challenges, and the impact of COVID-19. Seminar.Net, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.7577/seminar.4701

Workshop Report. (2025). Digital Youth Work Infrastructure in UK Policy: A critical analysis of visibility, positioning, and strategic opportunity [Research Report for Digital Youth Work Strategy Workshop].

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