University of Social Work; Open Child & Youth Work in the Digital Age: A New Publication Offers Practical Insights

Digital media are now deeply embedded in the daily lives of all young people. They use them intensively for relationship building, information, and entertainment. They require understanding support – also from professionals in Open Child and Youth Work, says Prof. Dr. Olivier Steiner of the Institute for Child and Youth Welfare at the University of Social Work FHNW. Together with his team, practice partners, and young people, he conducted an action research project from 2021 to 2025 that examined the mediated life worlds of young people. From these findings arose the brochure 'Practical Insights for Open Child and Youth Work in the Digital Age,' jointly published by the University of Social Work FHNW, the Youth Work Digital association, and the Swiss Federation for Open Child and Youth Work (DOJ) on 19 January. The brochure is available in both German and French.

Digitality as a Cross-sectional Task A central outcome of the project is the insight that digitality in youth work can no longer be seen as an isolated project or mere tool. It is rather a cross-sectional dimension anchoring hybrid concepts as the norm in educational work. Rafael Freuler from Youth Work Digital says, In hybrid youth work, there is no longer a distinction between analogue and digital communication. The focus is on relationship building with young people in various forms of public and private settings. This opens up new possibilities for negotiating a culture of constructive digital communication with young people on an equal footing or even creating their (digital) spaces.

Orientation for Practice Development The practice brochure offers a professional positioning and analyses how long-established principles of OCYW, such as life-world orientation, openness, or voluntariness, can be recalibrated under the influence of digitality. Not only elements within child and youth work are examined, but also societal factors. Concrete consequences for relationship work, understanding roles, and adapting existing concepts are derived very illustratively.

Support for Self-reflection The goal of the publishers is to support professionals and sponsors in Open Child and Youth Work in finding professionally sound answers for their practice. The brochure assists professionals in orienting themselves within the complex network of online and offline relationship building. 'What roles do we assume? What needs to be considered in online communication? Should we acquire a facility smartphone?' Olivier Steiner explains. A multitude of specific reflection questions aims to help teams clarify their stance on digitality and develop their offerings so they meet the hybrid life worlds of young people on an equal footing.

Two Brochures to be Released on 19 January 2026 The brochure 'Practical Insights for Open Child and Youth Work in the Digital Age' will be published on 19 January 2026. Concurrently, a scientific publication evaluating the results of the action research project 'e_space' in a more research-based context will also be released.

Link to Website The practical brochure is available for download in both languages from the Swiss Federation for Open Child and Youth Work website from Thursday, 15 January 2026, 5 PM. www.espace.doj.ch/brochure-practical-insights-open-child-and-youth-work-in-the-digital-age/ www.espace.doj.ch/fr/suggestions-pour-la-pratique-de-lanimation-socioculturelle-enfance-et- jeunesse-dans-la-digitalite/

Contact
University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
School of Social Work
Prof. Dr. Olivier Steiner
Institute for Child and Youth Welfare
Hofackerstrasse 30
4132 Muttenz
Tel: +41 61 228 59 46
E-mail: olivier.steiner@fhnw.ch
www.fhnw.ch/sozialearbeit

About the Swiss Federation for Open Child and Youth Work The Swiss Federation for Open Child and Youth Work DOJ/AFAJ, in collaboration with its members and partner organizations, is committed to the development, professionalization, and establishment of Open Child and Youth Work in Switzerland. The federation is also present in French- and Italian- speaking Switzerland. It unites 18 cantonal and regional associations representing approximately 1,200 professional positions in Open Child and Youth Work.

About the Youth Work Digital Association Youth Work Digital is an independent association supported by more than 100 youth work organizations in Switzerland and Germany. Since 2015, the association has been developing concepts and software for digital youth work. Key products include the Youth App (https://jugend.app) for individually customizable digital youth participation and the Smalljobs platform (https://small.jobs) for the safe mediation of mini-jobs to young people.

University of Social Work FHNW The University of Social Work FHNW, with locations in Olten and Muttenz, is locally and regionally anchored, internationally networked, and widely recognized for its achievements in education and training, research, and services. In its research and development focus 'Social Innovation,' it analyzes, initiates, and supports innovation processes in cooperation and exchange with practice. Thus, it promotes the professionalization of social work and significantly contributes to the understanding and innovative handling of social problems and societal challenges.

Press Contact:
University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
Dominik Lehmann
Head of Communications FHNW
Bahnhofstrasse 6
5210 Windisch
T +41 56 202 77 28
dominik.lehmann@fhnw.ch
www.fhnw.ch

Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher. Image rights: FHWN