Across Europe, online users are being encouraged to be more responsible in their use of online technology and mobile phones as part of Safer Internet Day (SID) organised by Insafe in February of each year.

University Campus Suffolk (UCS) is supporting the campaign once again by offering professionals who work with children and young people the opportunity to register for two new courses.

The first is a free introduction course to CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) to be held at the UCS Waterfront Building on 22 February 2012. The Thinkuknow Introductory Course aims to provide those who work with children and young people with an overview of CEOP and the Thinkuknow education programme.

UCS have also launched the EPICT E-Safety Awareness Certificate (European Pedagogical ICT); a one day course for school teachers, support staff and CYP professionals in order to obtain an internationally recognised and certificated CPD qualification in keeping children safe online.

The announcement of these new courses comes after UCS and the Suffolk County Council hosted the e-Safer Suffolk Conference in the lead-up to Internet Safer Day. Leaders and managers of organisations who work with, or provide services for, vulnerable adults, children and young people, were able to attend talks and workshops on topics such as social media and cyber mentors, with the ultimate aim of improving their knowledge of online safety within their roles.

Results from the Suffolk Cybersurvey, conducted by UCS lecturers Dr Emma Bond and Pelham Carter, were released during the e-Safer Suffolk Conference on 1 February 2012- revealing that 19% of young people in Suffolk claim to have been cyberbullied.