[SELF-PACED] Helping kids build and manage healthy online relationships

Start: 16 March 2026

Estimated effort: self-paced

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For today’s youth, the internet and digital technologies play a crucial role in facilitating and supporting their communication and relationships with their friends, family, peers and others. Many children and young people use technology as a way to develop new friendships and relationships, as well as manage and strengthen existing relationships with those they know offline. Youth online communication can take many forms, and young people use a range of services and platforms to meet their needs for developing relationships. However, with the limitless opportunities for connection and communication with others, there are also many risks ranging from cyberbullying, or grooming to radicalisation of youth or harmful gender stereotypes, among others.

Against this background, this MOOC will address some of the most prominent risks and challenges that arise from the online interactions and relationships of youth. The course will provide participants with opportunities to explore and understand the nature of youth online relationships (including but not limited to those that are considered to be romantic), the features of healthy relationships, what constitutes positive and safe behaviour online and how educators can empower youth to build healthy relationships and positive online communities.

You can follow the course entirely at your own pace. All modules and materials are available from the start, and there are no deadlines to keep in mind.

Learning objectives

To understand the ways in which youth communicate online and through technology.
To understand the benefits that online communication offers to young people as well as the most prominent risks and challenges that arise from the online interactions and relationships.
To explore the strategies that youth can employ to manage these risks and the educational approaches to teaching these strategies.
To identify skills required to develop and maintain healthy relationships between individuals and groups, with a focus on how educators can empower and support their learners to become active and positive digital citizens.
To raise awareness of the BIK+ strategy and Insafe network, as part of the network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs) in Europe, and associated resources.

Modules

Module 1: Online communication
Module 2: Understanding healthy relationships
Module 3: Tackling unhealthy and harmful relationships
Module 4: Empowering positive online behaviour

Prerequisites

The course will target primary and secondary school teachers of any subject, particularly those who provide pastoral support or education (ethics) to learners. It will also benefit other educational professionals and stakeholders, such as heads of schools, school support staff, professionals working in non-formal education settings, and policymakers interested in this topic.

Certification

To earn the certificate, participants must successfully complete the course content and pass the quizzes.

Note pour les enseignants du Luxembourg: En plus de l'attestation délivrée par l'European Schoolnet Academy à l'issue du cours, les enseignants du Luxembourg peuvent obtenir une reconnaissance formelle de l'IFEN (Institut de formation de l'Éducation nationale). L'inscription via le site web de l'IFEN est indispensable pour obtenir la certification pour ce cours. Plus d'informations disponibles ici.

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