Social workers on the internet As young people today are as likely to hang out on the internet as on the street corner and as fieldworkers should be where their clients are, it's obvious that they need to be online, too. That is why the Swedish youth center Fryshuset has now got its own “web coaches”.

Fryshuset in Stockholm has worked with young people since 1984. Today it is a high school and youth center hosting more than 30 different activities and organisations – all with the interest of young people in mind.  It is well-known for its social work, and since last year its online fieldworkers: the web coaches. The web coaches do traditional social work – listening, supporting and guiding youth – but online.

The web coaches have created their own profiles on popular online youth communities. They are open about who they are and what their purpose is. The web coaches ask and answer questions, start and also participate in already existing discussion forums, but they don’t seek out and contact individuals.

The issues dealt with are the same as “in real life”, and can be of a negative as well as positive nature, for example love, friendship and bullying. All their interaction with teenagers is confidential. The web coaches also refer the teenagers to someone who can offer further assistance when appropriate,. Their motto is “listen and speak as a friend –act as an adult”.

The Swedish Media Council has joined forces with  the web coaches from Fryshuset to take part in two seminars on teenagers’ online habits during the most important political lobbying event in Sweden, Almedalsveckan. Bertil Östberg, State Secretary to the Swedish Minister of Education is also participating in one of these seminars, organised by the magazine Computer Sweden and the Association of the Swedish IT and Telecom Industry.

Read more about Fryshuset’s activities (in English in this PDF): http://www.fryshuset.se/archive/pdf/english_version2.0.pdf

Read more about the Web Coaches (in Swedish): http://www.fryshuset.se/wlt/1F6D7628-C95D-40A3-9296-9F2D019435FC.wlt