Helplines

 

Within the European network of Safer Internet Centres, helplines provide information, advice and assistance to children, young people and parents on how to deal with harmful content, harmful contact (such as grooming), harmful conduct (such as cyberbullying or sexting), and contract issues (commercial factors or where the young person is a consumer).

Helplines can increasingly be accessed via a variety of means – telephone, email, web forms, and online chat services, and many offer anonymous services.

On this page, you'll find a selection of articles corresponding to the work of helplines.

To find contact details for your national helpline, visit your Safer Internet Centre profile page.

2023-05-11 media literacy/education BIK Team

One year of BIK+

Exactly one year ago, on 11 May 2022, the European Commission adopted a new European strategy for a Better Internet for Kids (BIK+), to improve age-appropriate digital services and to ensure that every child is protected, empowered and respected online. Let’s take a look at further policy developments that have happened over the course of the past year. 

2023-04-19 media literacy/education BIK Team

The Insafe network meets to discuss vulnerable users at the Insafe Training meeting

Today, another edition of the bi-annual Insafe Training meeting kicks off. The two-day event is an opportunity for the Insafe network of European Safer Internet Centres (SICs) to meet in person to facilitate the sharing of experience and good practices between network countries, to explore areas of common ground, and opportunities for closer working between awareness raising, helpline, and youth participation strands. The April 2023 Insafe Training meeting is held face-to-face in Vienna, Austria.

2023-04-12 media literacy/education, potentially harmful content BIK Team

In the spotlight: Safer Internet Centre France

As part of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) Quality Assurance Programme (QAP), the Insafe-INHOPE Coordination Teams are jointly conducting a set of fourteen country visits to national Safer Internet Centres (SICs) to better understand what is happening in the Member States: monitoring emerging issues and challenges, identifying good practices to be shared, and harvesting the results of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) policy. On 17 October 2022, the Insafe-INHOPE Coordination Team visited the French Safer Internet Centre in Paris. 

2023-04-12 media literacy/education BIK Team

In the spotlight: Safer Internet Centre Croatia and Slovenia

As part of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) Quality Assurance Programme (QAP), the Insafe-INHOPE Coordination Teams are jointly conducting a set of fourteen country visits to national Safer Internet Centres (SICs) to better understand what is happening in the Member States: monitoring emerging issues and challenges, identifying good practices to be shared, and harvesting the results of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) policy. On 3-4 October 2022, an online cluster meeting with the Croatian and Slovenian SICs was organized by the Insafe-INHOPE Coordination Team. 

2023-03-29 potentially harmful content, technical settings German Safer Internet Centre

Six months of the Helpline Ukraine by Nummer gegen Kummer e.V.

Those who fled from the war in Ukraine to Germany could not receive the help they needed at the German-language counselling services of Nummer gegen Kummer. However, it quickly became clear that this sensitive group in particular needs a high level of support in their native language.

2023-03-17 advertising/commercialism, e-crime, media literacy/education, potentially harmful content BIK Team

Latest helpline trends: Quarter 4, 2022

The Insafe network of helplines collects data about the types of calls they receive and this is analysed every three months in order to look at possible trends and emerging issues. 

2022-12-12 e-crime, grooming, media literacy/education, potentially harmful content INHOPE

Prevention: the value of parental supervision

INHOPEs mission is to support our member hotlines in the rapid identification and removal of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) from the digital world. By processing incoming reports of suspected CSAM, our network prevents distribution and revictimisation, which is crucial to avoid further harm and trauma for the affected children. However, if we want to reach our goal of an internet free of CSAM, we must not only react to abuse but also focus on preventing abuse before it happens.

2022-12-09 media literacy/education, online reputation BIK Team

In the spotlight: Safer Internet Centres Greece and Ireland

As part of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) Quality Assurance Programme (QAP), the Insafe-INHOPE Coordination Teams are jointly conducting a set of fourteen country visits to national Safer Internet Centres (SICs) to better understand what is happening in the Member States: monitoring emerging issues and challenges, identifying good practices to be shared, and harvesting the results of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) policy. Even though the COVID-19 related safety measures are getting lighter across Europe, it was still agreed by both parties that some of the visits would take place in an online format, particularly in the case of cluster meetings, in order to facilitate interaction between SICs that are geographically distant and different from each other in terms of culture and language. To this end, one such online cluster meeting was organised with the Greek and Irish SICs.

2022-12-08 cyberbullying, e-crime, gaming, media literacy/education, potentially harmful content BIK Team

Latest helpline trends: Quarter 3, 2022

The Insafe network of helplines collects data about the types of calls they receive and this is analysed every three months in order to look at possible trends and emerging issues.

2022-12-06 media literacy/education BIK Team

The SIC+ Focus Group: Fostering global collaboration between European Safer Internet Centres and like-minded organisations around the world

In October 2022, the day after the Safer Internet Forum (SIF), participants from the SIC+ programme gathered together from all over the world to participate in the SIC+ Focus Group in Brussels. In addition to the SIC+ members, a number of European Safer Internet Centres (SICs), the European Commission (EC), BIK Youth Ambassadors and Twitter were also represented. The session focused on two main topics for exchange: public-private partnerships and Safer Internet Day 2023. This article provides a brief overview of the points discussed.

Want to find out more about Safer Internet Centre (SIC) services and resources in your country?

Check out your SIC profile page to connect with national resources and sources of support, providing awareness raising, helpline, hotline and youth participation services.