Agency is also visible in how children seek care and advocate for themselves, even when systems fail to respond appropriately. Some continuously searched for psychological support even after their concerns were dismissed or minimized by adults, while others navigated multiple services in search of someone who would listen without judgement. In some cases, children chose to step away from justice processes that felt retraumatizing or unsafe, an unfortunate but important act of self-protection. At the same time, recognizing children’s agency must never mean placing responsibility on them to manage abuse they have been subjected to. Many of the strategies children use to protect themselves emerge precisely because platforms, institutions and adults have failed to create environments that are sufficiently safe or responsive. Children’s resilience should not be treated as a substitute for protection. Rather, the need for children to rely on their own coping and safety strategies is evidence of systemic failures and shows how urgently platforms and protection systems need to improve. However, as some of the young women interviewed in North Macedonia reflected, prevention and support should not only be thought of in terms of rules, protocols, or awareness campaigns. Instead, they stressed the importance of emotional safety, trust and relational support. One young woman from Montenegro described a sense of distance from prevention initiatives that rely on warnings, or abstract risk narratives, noting how such approaches often fail to resonate with young people: “No matter how many posters or infographics are made on Instagram and things like that about cyberbullying or any ‘cyber’ issue, or even things that happen in person, there’s always that moment when young people go: ‘Okay, what do these adults know? This wouldn’t happen to me. And why should I listen to you? I’ll use my phone how I want; I’ll go online how I want.’” A common response to technology-facilitated abuse is to teach children to block the perpetrator or report their account. On the surface, this seems sensible. But by the time a child is blocking someone, the harm has often already occurred. Abusive messages have been sent, manipulation has taken place, or sexual images have been seen. Through Children’s Eyes How do children get support and recover? 35