During the European Digital Citizenship Week, GEYC organized a thematic visit to the Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe (C-PROC) in Bucharest. The visit gathered ESC volunteers and youth workers engaged in the project “Digital Bridges: Youth Work and Citizenship in the Digital World”, offering them a glimpse behind the scenes of one of Romania’s most important hubs for cybercrime policy and cooperation.
This visit highlighted an important reality at the intersection of youth work and digital citizenship: the fight against cybercrime now extends beyond specialists, becoming a shared responsibility involving governments, institutions, and everyday citizens.
Cybercrime without borders
Opening the discussions, Virgil Spiridon, Head of Operations at C-PROC, explained the main challenges countries face in tackling cybercrime: cross-border, different legal systems, sometimes unclear jurisdiction, slow international cooperation, and the misuse of virtual assets.
Mr. Spiridon said:“Our mission is to support countries—help them shape legislation, build expertise, and strengthen their ability to cooperate. We provide tools, training, and knowledge so that they can stand stronger against cybercrime.”
Prevention through partnership
Sorin Stănică, Chief Inspector, Head of Crime Prevention Bureau, Research and Crime Prevention Institute, Romanian Police, spoke to the frontline of prevention: schools, families, and communities.
From nationwide campaigns on cyberbullying and child safety (Siguranța Online) to partnerships with NGOs, Stănică outlined how the police engage with society to foster awareness and resilience.
“Partnership is one of our strongest tools. We collaborate with international NGOs and are ready to work with any organization committed to cybercrime prevention. Our local departments reach many students across the country. NGOs are indispensable partners in this effort.”
Mr. Stănică also mentioned that criminals are turning to artificial intelligence to exploit weaknesses - another reason to raise awareness that AI can be both a powerful tool and a dangerous weapon. The most dangerous belief remains: “It can’t happen to me."
Understanding cyberviolence
The conversation then shifted towards emerging phenomena. Irina Drexler, Senior Project Officer at C-PROC, unpacked the notion of cyberviolence, situating it within the broader landscape of digital threats. Her intervention revealed how the Programme Office works to address these often-overlooked harms through policy and training initiatives.
Meanwhile, Hortensia Pasalău, Project Officer at C-PROC, led an interactive session where participants learned how OSINT framework tools help in staying safe online. Her approach showed that real empowerment comes not just from laws and policies, but from everyday knowledge people can use right away.
Overall, the thematic visit provided new insights into today’s digital threats and highlighted the importance of working together to confront them. GEYC encourages youth workers, educators, organizations, and decision-makers to join in strengthening digital resilience and fostering responsible digital citizenship.