The Interdisciplinary Research Team on Internet and Society (IRTIS) conducted 15 scientifically based studies over a period of six years. The research focused on the effects of digital technologies on the well-being of young people.

The impact of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents is a growing concern for society. In a discussion paper published in July 2025, the German National Academy of Sciences (Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina e.V.) described the current situation as part of a „global mental health crisis“ affecting young people. The paper set out concrete recommendations for action to address this challenge.

Exploitation of and tracking in children (any person under the age of 18) are increasingly shaped by digitalisation processes and are thus constantly changing their forms. "Pocket money dates" represent a newer form of sexual exploitation of children and combine sexual exploitation in the digital and analogue space. You can read more about this study here.

Although children and young people make up about one third of internet users worldwide, their perspectives are still rarely taken into account in technology-related policies, design processes, and decision-making structures. To counter this, the authors Sonia Livingstone and Kruakae Pothong argue that a tool such as the “Child Rights Impact Assessment Tool” can serve as a practical instrument for integrating children’s rights more comprehensively, early on, and systematically into political and administrative decision-making processes.

The study ‘Balancing the right to privacy with the children's right to protection from online sexual exploitation’ by terre des hommes Netherlands fin…

The primary objective of the evaluation was to review and assess the progress and success of the BIK+ strategy since its adoption in May 2022, identify emerging risks and new challenges, and propose actionable recommendations for improvement.

This WeProtect Global Alliance study, conducted by Economist Impact (EI), explores the experiences of more than 5,000 18 to 20 year olds who had regular access to the internetas children to understand their experiences of and exposure to online sexual harms during childhood.

The study offers a global overview of children's and carers' perceptions of risks in the digital environment and provides advice on how these can be countered. The categorisation and evaluation of the results do not necessarily reflect the views of the project.

In April 2024, ECPAT International, terre des hommes Netherlands and Eurochild together presented the VOICE study in Brussels. In the study, children and parents were asked about their views, opinions and experiences regarding children's safety online. You can find more information in our article here.

The research report offers an unprecedented insight into the behavioral patterns and habits of online offenders with recommendations for action for platform providers to prevent sexual violence against children online. Further information can be found in our article "Measures required to protect children from sexual violence online".