Help4u: A New Digital Platform To Support Young People Facing Online Sexual Abuse

Catherine De Bolle

Europol Executive Director

Children and young group merit to beryllium safe and supported some online and offline. Help4U gives them – and those who protect them – clear, reliable accusation and entree to thief erstwhile it is astir needed. This level is simply a tangible illustration of really European practice tin make a existent quality for victims.

Professor Babak Akhgar

Director of CENTRIC

We are proud to activity pinch Europol and our European rule enforcement agency partners to build Help4U – a level that places young people’s safety, privacy, and spot astatine its core. By combining integer invention pinch nan voices and experiences of young group themselves, Help4U offers a safe, accessible measurement for them to find thief and beryllium heard. This inaugural represents really research, technology, and co-creation tin travel together to protect children and fortify Europe’s corporate consequence connected harm against children.

Built pinch young group successful mind

What sets Help4U isolated is its beardown attraction connected accessibility. The level lets young group take really they want to person support – whether by reading, chatting, aliases locating a adjacent service. All contented is written successful clear, age-appropriate connection truthful it is easy to understand and use.

Finding nan correct help, however, is not ever straightforward, arsenic navigating nan scope of disposable services tin beryllium challenging. For young group who person been victimised, nan hunt tin consciousness overwhelming, particularly erstwhile they are distressed, emotion vulnerable, aliases unsure wherever to turn. Many whitethorn not consciousness fresh to speak to personification straight and will first look for accusation online. Providing accessible, meticulous resources astatine that infinitesimal is crucial: it empowers them to return nan adjacent measurement towards getting nan support they need.

Help4U besides connects young group to professionals who tin listen, advise, and guideline them towards information and recovery.

A Europe-wide effort

Help4U began arsenic a aviator task betwixt Belgium, Germany, Ireland, nan Netherlands and Slovenia, has since expanded to besides see Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Romania, pinch much countries expected successful 2026 and beyond.

Help4U was developed successful adjacent collaboration pinch experts from psychology, education, IT, information protection, rule enforcement, and academia. By uniting nationalist efforts nether 1 platform, Help4U strengthens Europe’s consequence to online intersexual maltreatment and ensures that support reaches those who request it most.

Because everyone deserves to beryllium safe – and heard

If personification is making you consciousness uncomfortable online, sharing your photos without permission, aliases asking for things that don’t consciousness correct – Help4U is present for you.

Help4U is simply a safe spot to commencement – to find answers, scope out, and return backmost control.

Visit the Help4U website to study more, get advice, aliases inquire for help.

Participating authorities

• Belgium: Federal Judicial Police (Belgische federale gerechtelijke politie / Police judiciaire fédérale belge)
• Bulgaria: General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (Главна дирекция „Борба с организираната престъпност“)
• Croatia: Ministry of nan Interior (Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova)
• Cyprus: Cyprus Police (Αστυνομία Κύπρου)
• Greece: Hellenic Police (Ελληνική Αστυνομία)
• Germany: Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt)
• Hungary: National Bureau of Investigation (Nemzeti Nyomozó Iroda)
• Ireland: An Garda Síochána
• Italy: Italian National Police (Polizia di Stato)
• The Netherlands: National Police (Politie)
• Portugal: Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública), Judicial Police (Polícia Judiciária)
• Romania: General Inspectorate of Romanian Police (Inspectoratul General al Poliției Române)
• Slovenia: Police (Policija)
• Spain: Guardia Civil (Guardia Civil), National Police (Policía Nacional)