About the organisation
The Safer Internet Centre (SIC) in Bulgaria was established and is coordinated by the non-governmental Applied Research and Communications Fund (ARC Fund). Its mission is to protect, support and educate children in order to empower them to use the digital technology for learning, communicating, socialising and entertainment in a safer and positive way.
Awareness centre
Besides development and dissemination of awareness material, the awareness centre develops, pilots and disseminates educational methodologies for use in schools. It provides trainings for teachers, conducts open lessons for children of all ages, and seminars for parents, carers and professionals. To enlarge the outreach of the SIC activities, it organises at least three annual campaigns: Safer Internet Day (SID), Teacher-leader in the Digital Era and Back to School campaigns. It implements a Cyberscouts Programme training children 11-13 years of age to act as advisers of their peers and promoters of online safety rules.
Helpline
The helpline operation of the Bulgarian SIC started in 2008 and is operated by the partner Association Parents. Helpline consultants are psychologists who answer a short telephone number and provide advice and consultations to children, young people, parents, teachers and other professionals via a real-time chat module on the SIC website and by email. The consultants also actively participate in developing awareness materials, educational materials and in trainings.
Hotline
The hotline became operational in May 2006. Since then, it has dealt with more than 20,000 reports not only about child sexual abuse material (CSAM), but also about sexual grooming, cyberbullying, and other harmful for children content online.
In 2015, the hotline received a special award from the Ministry of Interior for outstanding contribution to the work of law enforcement in the country.
Youth participation
The youth panel of the Bulgarian Safer Internet Centre is a voluntary structure which has existed as a successful form of youth participation since 2010. Its members are young people aged 14-18 who meet face-to-face regularly (at least once per month) to develop their digital and media skills and play an important role in the initiatives and the events, organised by Bulgarian SIC and its partners.
Key successes
In 2015, the Safer Internet Centre (SIC) hotline received a special award of the Ministry of Interior for outstanding contribution to the work of law enforcement in the country.
In 2017, the Cyberscouts Training Programme was ranked 9th in Europe by the EU Crime Prevention Network. More than 800 children aged 11-12 have been trained in more than 35 cities and towns around the country.
Key partners/promoters
Among the key supporters of the SIC are the Ministry of Interior, the State Agency for Child Protection, the Bulgarian Association for Information Technologies, and the telecom operators Telenor and Vivacom. They participate and co-fund a number of joint activities and initiatives.
Further information on Advisory Board members can be found on the SafenetBG website.
Additional links / resources
About the organisation
The Safer Internet Centre (SIC) in Bulgaria was established and is coordinated by the non-governmental Applied Research and Communications Fund (ARC Fund). Its mission is to protect, support and educate children in order to empower them to use the digital technology for learning, communicating, socialising and entertainment in a safer and positive way.
Awareness centre
Besides development and dissemination of awareness material, the awareness centre develops, pilots and disseminates educational methodologies for use in schools. It provides trainings for teachers, conducts open lessons for children of all ages, and seminars for parents, carers and professionals. To enlarge the outreach of the SIC activities, it organises at least three annual campaigns: Safer Internet Day (SID), Teacher-leader in the Digital Era and Back to School campaigns. It implements a Cyberscouts Programme training children 11-13 years of age to act as advisers of their peers and promoters of online safety rules.
Helpline
The helpline operation of the Bulgarian SIC started in 2008 and is operated by the partner Association Parents. Helpline consultants are psychologists who answer a short telephone number and provide advice and consultations to children, young people, parents, teachers and other professionals via a real-time chat module on the SIC website and by email. The consultants also actively participate in developing awareness materials, educational materials and in trainings.
Hotline
The hotline became operational in May 2006. Since then, it has dealt with more than 20,000 reports not only about child sexual abuse material (CSAM), but also about sexual grooming, cyberbullying, and other harmful for children content online.
In 2015, the hotline received a special award from the Ministry of Interior for outstanding contribution to the work of law enforcement in the country.
Youth participation
The youth panel of the Bulgarian Safer Internet Centre is a voluntary structure which has existed as a successful form of youth participation since 2010. Its members are young people aged 14-18 who meet face-to-face regularly (at least once per month) to develop their digital and media skills and play an important role in the initiatives and the events, organised by Bulgarian SIC and its partners.
Key successes
In 2015, the Safer Internet Centre (SIC) hotline received a special award of the Ministry of Interior for outstanding contribution to the work of law enforcement in the country.
In 2017, the Cyberscouts Training Programme was ranked 9th in Europe by the EU Crime Prevention Network. More than 800 children aged 11-12 have been trained in more than 35 cities and towns around the country.
Key partners/promoters
Among the key supporters of the SIC are the Ministry of Interior, the State Agency for Child Protection, the Bulgarian Association for Information Technologies, and the telecom operators Telenor and Vivacom. They participate and co-fund a number of joint activities and initiatives.
Further information on Advisory Board members can be found on the SafenetBG website.
Additional links / resources
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