Digital rights and responsibilities

These sessions

Theme: Critically examine digital rights and responsibilities by connecting school policies, national law, and global standards, and empower students to influence safer online cultures through advocacy and active citizenship.

Session 1 Digital Rights

In the Digital Rights session (session 1), students will learn to:

• Identify their core digital rights.
• Explain how rights are protected across local (school), national (HDCA) and global (platform/human rights) frameworks.
• Compare the strengths and gaps of different frameworks.
• Articulate how digital rights connect to their everyday online experiences.

Session 1 Activities:

• Class activity, 8 mins: Brainstorming
• Small group activity, 30 mins: Rights mapping challenge, Sharing and carousel — PDF: HDCA Principles; PDF: UN Convention on the rights of the child
• Individual activity, 10 mins: Rights reflection
• Extensions:
  • Policy in action
  • Rights communication project
  • Global lens, local impact
  • Youth voice in practice

Session 1 key messages:

• Rights online are real rights: Your dignity, safety, privacy, and freedom of expression apply in digital spaces just as they do offline.
• Responsibilities make rights meaningful: By respecting others, avoiding harm, and challenging negative peer norms, you help protect everyone’s rights.
• Multiple systems overlap: School policies, national law, and global platform guidelines all work together -knowing how they connect helps you choose the best pathway for support.
• Student voice matters: Policies and practices are stronger and more relevant when students contribute their lived experiences and insights.
• Active citizenship starts now: Young people have power to influence digital culture through everyday choices, peer advocacy, and policy input.

Classroom resources:

• PDF: UN Convention on the rights of the child
• PDF: HDCA Principle cards (re-used from Yr 9-10 session: The law and who can help)

Teacher support:

• Facilitator guide – with context, research, and learning progression.
• Digital Rights activity plan – with step by step instructions.
• Digital Responsibilities activity plan – with step by step instructions.

Session 2 Digital responsibilities

In the Digital Responsibilities session (session 2), students will learn to:

• Explain why responsibilities are essential to make digital rights meaningful.
• Analyse contested online scenarios and justify who should take responsibility.
• Test and refine responsibilities by shaping them into practical recommendations for schools, platforms, or peers.
• Identify one responsibility they personally commit to upholding in their digital life.

Session 2 Activities:

• Class activity, 7 mins: Rights without responsibilities
• Small group or individual activity, 15 mins: Pressure points
• Small group activity, 20 mins: Policy pitch
• Closing reflection, 10 mins.
• Extensions:
  • Real impact
  • Peer influence
  • Platform challenge
  • Cross-year connection
  • Tracking change

Session 2 key messages:

• Rights online are real rights: Your dignity, safety, privacy, and freedom of expression apply online just as much as offline.
• Responsibilities make rights real: Rights collapse if no one takes responsibility.
• Respecting others, avoiding harm, and stepping in when needed helps protect everyone’s rights.
• Systems overlap but need scrutiny: School policies, national law (like the HDCA), and platform guidelines all aim to protect rights, but they work differently.
• Knowing how they connect helps you find the best support.
• Your voice strengthens the system: Responsibilities and policies are stronger and more relevant when students contribute their lived experiences and challenge what’s missing.
• Citizenship is active, not passive: Every post, choice, and conversation helps shape digital culture. You already have power to make that culture safer and fairer.