Adolescent Resource Center (ARC)

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A.G.E.N.C.Y. – 2025

Since its establishment, The Smile Outreach Foundation has collaborated with hundreds of enthusiastic young Nigerians through various initiatives, including volunteers, Youth Lab fellows, club leaders, and facilitators who share the organization’s vision to educate, advocate, and transform communities. To leverage the collective strength of these stakeholders and create a sustainable pipeline for youth-led social impact, […]

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Discussion Guide: All About Device Access

The Thorn guide “All About Device Access” equips parents with strategies for discussing device use with children, emphasizing early, ongoing conversations to explore kids’ online interests, address safety concerns, and build healthy habits without relying on tech tools. It recommends using natural prompts during daily life and breaking topics into manageable parts for better engagement.

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Online grooming: What it is, how it happens, and how to defend children

This blog post explores online grooming, a form of sexual exploitation where abusers build trust with children online to manipulate and abuse them. It discusses how grooming occurs, shares research findings and survivor stories, and offers guidance for parents and caregivers on online safety and prevention. It also offers practical guidance for parents and caregivers […]

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Online Sexual Grooming among Female Secondary School Students: A Nigerian Case Study

This study investigated prevalence and patterns of online sexual grooming among female secondary school students in Oyo State, Nigeria. It adopted the descriptive survey design approach to collect data, using a multistage sampling procedure to select a total of 400 female secondary students from selected secondary schools, with 275 of the 400 administered copies of […]

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Youth Perspectives on Online Safety, 2024: an Annual Report of Youth Attitudes and Experiences

The “Youth Perspectives on Online Safety, 2024” report, published by Thorn in partnership with Burson, synthesizes annual monitoring research on the online experiences and risks faced by U.S. minors aged 9-17. The study covers four main areas: the evolving digital landscape, exposure to potentially harmful online experiences, attitudes and behaviors related to Self-Generated Child Sexual […]

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Online Sexual Abuse of Children in Nigeria

This paper examines the legal protection of children against online sexual exploitation and abuse in Nigeria. It identifies the various types of online child sexual abuse, examines the legal framework for the protection of children against online sexual abuse, pinpoints the challenges associated with the legal framework and proffers durable solutions that will help tackle […]