Social media has amplified abuse and bullying

Young people campaigning to remove shame from conversations about relationships online and offline have brought their message to Clydebank Town Hall with an art exhibition.

Artwork from the Shameless Youths group has gone on display at the town hall, spreading the campaign’s message of healthy relationships in the internet age.

The exhibition opened on 16 April and will be on display at Clydebank Town Hall for a month.

Shameless Youths is a campaign delivered by NSPCC Scotland in partnership with West Dunbartonshire Council. Led by young people in the area, it launched at Clydebank Town Hall in November 2024 and encourages parents and carers, professionals and young people to have conversations about healthy relationships, on an offline, and issues around consent.

The campaign aims to support young people to learn about healthy relationships with realistic, judgement free and informed conversations. It also aims to help young people understand what consent online looks like, particularly when sharing personal information or images.

The group is made up of young people from the West Dunbartonshire Youth Council, aged 15 to 20. They named the campaign ‘Shameless Youths’ because they want to be supported, not shamed or judged for their choices, even when they’ve made a mistake. They have been spreading their message through their website, social media, posters and leaflets.

The exhibition launch event featured speeches by members of the Shameless Youths, who talked about the motivation and goals of their artwork.

The group worked with Glasgow-artist Maya Rose Edwards to help create the sculptures and other artworks.

Euan MacLaren, NSPCC Campaigns Officer in Scotland, said: “This gallery is a testament to the creativity, courage, and determination of our young people. By promoting positive conversations, the Shameless Youths are promoting a better understanding of what healthy relationships looks like for young people, which is essential for navigating the challenges of life online.

“While the internet can be a fantastic resource for young people to learn, socialise and have fun there are also risks such as contact from someone who may attempt to exploit or groom a young person, seeing inappropriate content, bullying, and the oversharing of personal information, which can all have a significant impact on a young person’s mental health and wellbeing.”

Kaz, a member of the Shameless Youths group, said: “We want the exhibition to raise awareness of the campaign’s messages. We’re all proud to have something that speaks to young people. While that is an important part of the exhibition, the artwork is also for adults to learn what it’s like for young people growing up in an online world.

“It’s crucial we talk about relationships, including queer ones. Queer people are facing increasing abuse and harassment and it’s important they are not excluded from these conversations.

“Working with Maya was great. They brought a lot of amazing energy and hype to the project and we were all super excited to be working with them.”

Ailsa Dinwoodie, Promise keeper for West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “Young people today face challenges in building safe online relationships and the Shameless Youths are removing shame from that conversation.

“This campaign is about equipping young people and adults around them with the tools and confidence to support respectful and secure connections in the digital world. It was great to see their creative work as they take this to the next level with the gallery in West Dunbartonshire.”