OzCHI 2025 Workshop
Advancing Interdisciplinary Approaches to
Online Safety Research
30th November 2025 | The University of Sydney, Australia
Deadline for Expression of Interest : 19th October 13th November 23:59 (Anywhere on Earth)
Deadline for Expression of Interest : 19th October 13th November 23:59 (Anywhere on Earth)
Registration Now Open!
Workshop attendees must register for both the workshop and at least one day of the main OzCHI 2025 conference.
Day passes are available via the registration website: https://www.ozchi.org/2025/register.php
Early bird registration closes on 31 October 2025.
Online safety is a critical and complex challenge that affects users across diverse digital platforms. Despite substantial research efforts within Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and related fields, work remains fragmented across disciplines such as Social Computing, Design, Policy, Cybersecurity, Ethics, and Social Sciences. This workshop aims to unite researchers, policymakers, industry practitioners, and community advocates to bridge these silos. Together, participants will share knowledge, identify gaps, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration to develop comprehensive, inclusive, and impactful solutions addressing the multifaceted nature of online safety.
The workshop will facilitate dialogue to:
Build a shared understanding of the current research landscape.
Identify research gaps and opportunities for collaboration.
Develop coordinated interdisciplinary research agendas.
Establish sustained networks for multi-stakeholder collaboration.
The workshop is planned as a full-day event from 09:00 to 16:30 on 30th November 2025. Times are tentative and can be changed based on the timetable of the conference.
Morning Session
09:00 - 09:15 Workshop Opening
09:15 - 10:30 Expert Panel Discussion
10:30 - 11:00 Morning Tea Break
11:00 - 11:30 Mapping Participants' Research Interests
11:30 - 12:30 Group Presentations
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch Break
Afternoon Session
13:30 - 15:00 Developing a Mini-Project Proposal
15:00 - 15:15 Afternoon Tea Break
15:15 - 16:15 Proposal Presentations
16:15 - 16:30 Closing and Next Steps
We particularly encourage submissions that describe interdisciplinary work involving multiple stakeholders across academia, industry, policymakers, and community advocates to address the complex social, technical, policy, and ethical challenges of online safety.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
Designing for Safety and Wellbeing
User-centred approaches to understanding and responding to online abuse
Safety by design principles and their practical implementation across platforms
Designing for resilience and digital literacy in online safety
Participatory design methods for developing safety interventions with affected communities
Prevention-focused approaches to online safety
Evaluation methods for assessing safety intervention effectiveness
Psychological impacts of online harm and trauma-informed design
Cultural and contextual considerations in online safety design, particularly for marginalised groups
Technology, AI, and Ethics
Emerging online safety challenges from generative AI and synthetic media
Use of AI for enhancing online safety and harm detection
Transparency and explainability in safety-related AI systems
Privacy-preserving safety interventions
Ethical considerations in developing safety technologies, especially for marginalised or vulnerable users
Evaluating the impact and unintended consequences of AI-driven safety tools
Policy, Governance, and Industry
Policy frameworks and regulatory approaches to online safety
Inclusion of equity-focused safety standards and obligations for protecting marginalised users
Industry perspectives on implementing and scaling safety features
Cross-platform safety considerations and interoperability
Collaborative models involving academia, industry, policymakers, and communities
Social, Behavioural, and Cultural Perspectives
Social and behavioural dynamics of online abuse (perpetrator, bystander, and survivor perspectives)
Cross-cultural differences in perceptions of safety, harm, and acceptable behaviour online
Structural, cultural, and socioeconomic factors influencing online safety for underrepresented communities
Psychological impacts of sustained exposure to online harm and strategies for resilience
Online safety education, awareness, and digital literacy interventions from a behavioural perspective
Collective action, social movements, and advocacy around online safety and digital rights
We welcome submissions from researchers and practitioners across diverse disciplines such as HCI, Social Computing, Design, Policy, Cybersecurity, Ethics, and Social Sciences. Policymakers, industry professionals, and community advocates engaged in digital safety are encouraged to join. Both emerging and established researchers working on new or ongoing online safety projects will find this workshop valuable.
To participate, please submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) by 19th October 13th November 23:59 (Anywhere on Earth).
Your submission should include an abstract of up to 300 words describing your current or recent research, theoretical discussions, emerging challenges, or new perspectives related to online safety. Contributions from both early-stage and completed work are welcome.
Selected participants will be invited to join a collaborative, interactive workshop focused on co-developing research agendas and building lasting interdisciplinary networks.