The training programme “Cyberscout of the Bulgarian Safer Internet Centre was ranked 9th in the European Crime Prevention Award competition which was conducted in December 2017.

The Cyberscout Programme was selected to represent Bulgaria in the competition of the European Crime Prevention Network (EUCPN), dedicated to the cyber safety. It was presented at the Best Practice Conference organized by the Estonian Presidency of the EU Council on 15th of December in Tallinn. All together projects and programmes from 18 EU member countries were presented at the conference and the first prize was awarded to an Estonian team.

The EUCPN Secretariat and evaluation committee recognized the Cyberscout initiative as a training programme raising the efficiency of prevention and helping the work of the Bulgarian Hotline, Helpline and Cybercrime police unit aimed to prevent and reveal sexual exploitation of children online.

In the Cyberscout programme a total of 500 pupils of the age of 11-12 from more than 30 cities and towns were trained. They conducted various awareness raising activities before more than 5 000 peers and act as advisors to them in cases of online problems advising them to report to the SIC Hotline or contact the Helpline when they feel some threat or risk online.

The programme will continue in 2018 with 18 additional trainings around Bulgaria.