Objectives of the Project from Youth Work Practice The main goal of e-SHIELD (Empowering Youth Workers to Shield Against Digital Violence) is to strengthen the capacity of youth workers to protect young people from digital violence. We want youth workers to feel confident and prepared when they face issues like cyberbullying, online harassment, digital partner control, or hate speech. From the perspective of youth work practice, the project has several objectives. 1. Build knowledge and understanding Many youth workers know that digital violence is a growing problem, but they do not always understand how it works or what forms it takes. The first objective is to increase their knowledge about the different types of digital violence. This includes traditional problems like cyberbullying but also new risks such as AI-generated harassment, deepfakes, fake profiles and violence in virtual worlds. By learning about these issues, youth workers will be better prepared to recognise them when they appear in their daily work. 2. Develop practical skills Knowing about digital violence is not enough. Youth workers need concrete skills to respond. The second objective is to improve their practical skills. Through non-formal education methods, they will practice how to facilitate workshops, how to guide discussions with young people, and how to react when a young person comes to them with a problem. They will learn how to use role play, digital storytelling, VR tools and awareness campaigns as part of their work. This makes the project very practical and directly useful in youth work practice. 3. Strengthen inclusive approaches Digital violence often affects young people with fewer opportunities more strongly, for example those from rural areas, low-income families, or minority groups. The third objective is to prepare youth workers to be inclusive. They will learn how to support vulnerable groups, how to recognise the gender dimension of online harassment, and how to create safe spaces where all young people feel protected. In this way, the project links digital safety with inclusion and equality in youth work. 4. Increase cooperation and exchange Youth work practice is stronger when youth workers share ideas. Another objective is to build cooperation between youth workers from Türkiye, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Lithuania. By working in international teams, they will exchange experiences and learn from each other’s realities. This cooperation will not only improve the activities but also build long-term connections between organisations. 5. Connect youth work with innovation The project also aims to make youth work more innovative. Digital violence is connected with technology, so youth workers need to use technology in a positive way. By testing VR glasses, digital storytelling, and AI tools, youth workers will see how innovation can help them raise awareness and engage young people. This keeps youth work modern and attractive for today’s youth. 6. Improve recognition of youth work Another objective is to show that youth work is important for digital safety. Too often, digital violence is seen only as a problem for schools, police or psychologists. This project shows that youth workers are also key actors. By producing a toolkit, awareness videos and recommendations, the project gives visible results that show the value of youth work in protecting young people. 7. Create long-term impact The last objective is to make sure the results continue after the project. Youth workers will not only gain competences for themselves but also act as multipliers. They will share their learning with colleagues, schools and communities. Each partner organisation will integrate the results into its regular activities. The toolkit and videos will stay online as open resources. In this way, the project objectives go beyond one training course and become part of daily youth work practice in different countries. In short, by implementing e-SHIELD we want to: * Increase youth workers’ knowledge of digital violence. * Improve their practical skills to prevent and respond. * Make them more inclusive and gender-sensitive. * Strengthen international cooperation between youth workers. * Bring innovation into youth work through digital tools. * Improve recognition of youth work in the field of digital safety. * Ensure long-term use of results and impact on communities. Through these objectives, the project will make youth workers stronger, youth organisations better, and young people safer in digital spaces.