Better Internet for Kids

The main objective of C-DAYS is to promote best practices and strengthen the foundations for a more resilient national cyberspace. The 11th edition of C-DAYS, which took place under the theme "+Resilience", attracted over 2,000 registrations and brought together a wide range of participants, from public and private sector leaders and technical experts to educators, academics, civil society organisations and citizens of all ages.

As part of this high-level event, the main auditorium hosted the panel "Preventing and combating cyberbullying: challenges and strategies at national and European level", where Sofia Rasgado, Coordinator of the Portuguese Safer Internet Centre, took the floor. During the panel session, she was asked to respond to three key questions on this topic.

Cyberbullying is on the rise in Europe

The first question related to the continuing rise of cyberbullying in Europe, and the limits of digital literacy as the only prevention mechanism. It was asked what a turning point for effective national change could be. In her response, Sofia Rasgado referred to the publication in February 2025 of a national report prepared by the working group on combating bullying in schools. This document contains a series of strategic recommendations aimed at implementing a comprehensive and effective public policy to combat bullying and cyberbullying in schools. The proposed measures include:

• the adoption of a national programme for the prevention and combat of bullying and cyberbullying, which would ensure the harmonisation of school policies and practises; the creation of specialised multidisciplinary teams in schools, the expansion of the presence of student support offices in all schools to provide conflict mediation and victim support; the strengthening of training for teachers, psychologists and operational staff to ensure early detection, intervention, mediation and response to bullying and cyberbullying situations;
• the development of socio-emotional and relational skill-building programmes for aggressors, victims and bystanders alike to prevent aggressive and violent behaviour;
• the establishment of a national student helpline that provides an anonymous, accessible and specialised channel to support victims and, if necessary, refer cases to the appropriate support services at school level.

Preventing and combating cybercrime

The second question focused on the main preventive measures currently being promoted by the Portuguese Safer Internet Centre to combat cyberbullying in Portuguese schools and how these have been received by the educational communities. In her response, Sofia Rasgado began by pointing out that the Consortium adopts the definition of cyberbullying established by the Portuguese Association of Psychologists, which defines cyberbullying as an increasingly common form of bullying that consists of using technology to harass, threaten, provoke, humiliate or embarrass someone, whether it is a classmate, a teacher or a stranger, in a repetitive and deliberate manner. Examples include sending cruel messages, posting insults, creating fake pages in another person’s name, spreading rumours or sharing disrespectful pictures or videos on social media. 

Cyberbullying can be particularly harmful and distressing because it is often anonymous and difficult to control. Victims may not know where the messages or posts came from, nor how many people have seen them. Cyberbullies may target someone for a specific reason or for no reason at all. The CNCS, which is responsible for coordinating the national awareness centre CIS, has a clear mandate to promote responsible and healthy use of the internet and to contribute to the fight against illegal content online. This mission is fully in line with the European Better Internet for Kids  strategy (BIK+). 

In 2025, CIS joined forces with the Council of Europe and chose Digital Citizenship Education as a central theme for its national activities. This approach aims to equip children and young people through education with the tools to actively learn and meaningfully participate in today’s highly digitalised society. It fosters key skills such as critical thinking, digital empathy and emotional intelligence, which are essential for responsible and healthy interaction in the digital environment, while promoting ethical values and attitudes. She emphasised that the recommendations on digital wellbeing recently published by the Portuguese Directorate General for Education, which are central to the prevention of cyberbullying, are fully in line with this framework developed by the Council of Europe. 

Throughout the first half of the year, the CIS actively implemented this strategy and disseminated various educational resources available on its platform. The topic was the focus of the Safer Internet Day 2025 celebrations in Portugal, which reached more than 2,100 participants. It is also the current focus of the CIS roadshow, which has already covered the centre region, Lisbon, the Azores and the North, with a total of 2,847 participants. In the second half of the year, the roadshow will continue in Madeira, the Alentejo and the Algarve, as well as in the remaining islands of the Azores archipelago where CIS has not yet been present, namely São Jorge, Graciosa and Flores. 

She also emphasised the provision of MOOCs, Massive Open Online Courses, which are freely accessible to all citizens and support the development of digital skills. In the area of cyberbullying prevention, she drew particular attention to the Cidadão Cibersocial course, which helps participants acquire skills for responsible use of social media and for ensuring safety and privacy online. In 2024 alone, this course had 18,501 registrations. She also highlighted the value of the educational resource “Mum, can I use your phone?” which was developed as part of Positive Digital Parenting. This booklet supports parents and carers of children aged 3 to 6 in navigating the challenges of the digital world. It provides clear guidance on how to manage screen use in a healthy way and suggests creative alternatives to promote children's balanced development. Since its publication in 2024, around 5,300 copies have been distributed to schools, libraries and health centres across the country.

Raising awareness for a safe online environment: the CIS Lab

The third and final question related to the innovative awareness-raising and empowerment resources developed by the CIS Lab and how these were used to promote a safer digital environment in the five target communities: children, young people, parents and educators, teachers and researchers, and older adults. Sofia Rasgado explained that CIS 2024 has developed a new platform, the CIS Lab, that serves as a cybersecurity lab and is structured around communities of interest. Each community has access to its own digital space where they can learn, play, communicate, create projects together and access information in an interactive, safe and critical way. These communities reflect the main target groups of the centre's mission. To ensure safe and responsible online navigation, users are encouraged to register so that they can securely access the full range of CIS features:

• for young people, the CIS Lab is designed to enable the sharing of experiences among peers in a safe environment, support the learning of prevention and response strategies and encourage the creation and sharing of content;
• for older adults, the platform aims to improve digital literacy, increase confidence in the internet and provide content in accessible language and format;
• for teachers and researchers, the platform offers the opportunity to share and search for content, exchange experiences and foster a community of practise and knowledge;
• for parents and educators, the goal is to improve their own digital literacy and security while accessing content developed by professionals to support their children. 

Children under the age of 13 can learn about cybersecurity through engaging and age-appropriate games and content. By building these safe and community-led environments, CIS Lab promotes a positive and collaborative digital culture. It actively tackles the isolation that often precedes cyberbullying and is in line with European recommendations calling for an integrated rather than fragmented approach to digital safety and education. 

In terms of specific resources, she highlighted that:

• Minecraft worlds are available for children, various games and discussion forums are offered for young people;
• parents and educators have access to specialised content on positive digital parenting;
• for teachers and researchers, the platform offers lesson plans on cybersecurity and critical internet use, as well as a series of Capture the Flag (CTF) challenges tailored to different age groups. These challenges aim to stimulate students' interest in cybersecurity and identify promising talents who can later be invited to join the Portuguese team in the Cybersecurity Challenge PT. 

In summary, these resources are not only effective in developing digital skills and promoting responsible and ethical online behaviour but also contribute to building a culture of cybersecurity and digital citizenship that supports the creation of a safer, more inclusive online ecosystem for all.

Find more information about the work of the Portuguese Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline, and youth participation services, or find similar information for other Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.