Title: Award in Child-Centred Community Policing in Today’s Online World
MQF/EQF: 4
ECTS: 2
Mode of Delivery: Face-to-face lectures, presentations, workshops, and resources.
Programme Duration: 1 month
Languages of Instruction: Maltese and English
Accreditation Category: Further education course/programme
This award is designed to empower community police officers to become trusted, approachable, and effective communicators with children, particularly in relation to online safety and digital wellbeing. Since children’s online and offline lives are becoming increasingly interconnected and equally important, the community police should able to address the risks children experience online as much as those that occur in the physical neighbourhood community. This course also emphasises that the position of the community police is not solely that of an enforcer of the law, but as a supportive adult figure capable of fostering continuous, trust-based relationships with children and young people.
Total Contact Hours: 10
Self-Study Hours: 25
Assessment Hours: 15
Total Learning Hours: 50
| Learning outcomes | Learning outcomes for overall programme
a) To develop a deep understanding of the digital lives of children and adolescents, including the platforms they use, the types of content they engage with, and the social meaning of their online interactions. b) To apply communication skills that are emotionally safe, that validate children’s feelings and that reduce fear of disclosure. c) To evaluate the community police’s role of building trustworthy relationships with children rather than authoritarian relationships, by reflecting on democracy, availability, empathy and consistency in the community rather than punitive control. d) To reflect and comment on the indications of online risks in children’s behaviours and build confidence in responding appropriately and sensitively to children’s shared experiences. e) To identify the child’s circle of trust and other supportive adults needed by the child. f) To bridge the online and offline risky experiences such as bullying and cyberbullying and intervene in both spheres to support the child.
|
| Competences |
At the end of the module/ unit, the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to: a) Communicate online safety awareness into routine community policing practices. b) Adapt communication style to different ages, personalities, backgrounds, and histories, demonstrating child-centred community policing. c) Display a way of creating preventive and educational presence in the community, promoting responsible digital citizenship through dialogue, role-modelling, and awareness-raising activities in schools and local networks. d) Develop ways of how to build and maintain long-term, trust-based relationships with children in their community. e) Show confidence and autonomy in initiating conversations about online risks through good questioning and child-centred techniques. f) Create emotionally safe environments that enable children to disclose experiences of digital harm, and manage such disclosures responsibly and ethically, following established safeguarding procedures. |
| Knowledge |
At the end of the module/ unit, the learner will have been exposed to the following: a) Evaluate the principles of child-centred communication, so that there is no stress, fear, shame and power dynamics inhibiting the child’s willingness to disclose the online/ offline risks. b) Identify the spectrum of online risks (content, contact, conduct, and contract risks) and explain how these risks can impact children. c) Recognise the interconnection and equal overlap of online and offline risks, and analyse how digital harm often reflects in the offline world. d) Critically evaluate the emotional, and social development stages of children and adolescents, and how these stages influence the way they perceive safety, trust, relationships, and authority. e) Develop familiarity with the digital safety tools and platforms as preventive tools and the legal boundaries in safeguarding and reporting duties to other professionals. |
| Skills
· Module-specific learner skills · Module-specific digital skills & competencies |
At the end of the module/ unit, the learner will have acquired the following skills: a) Propose and evaluate conversations where children feel listened, not judged, respected and emotionally safe, especially in experiences related to digital risks. b) Discern verbal and non-verbal signs of fear, shame and distress in children and be able to respond with adequate interventions. c) Identify and utilise safety digital tools, platform and resources that support privacy, blocking and reporting inappropriate behaviour and accessing helplines and support services. d) Present information related to digital safety education formally and informally to children and people close to children to explain privacy, boundaries, consent, and critical thinking.
Module-specific learner skills a) Identify and apply mediation techniques to manage interactions between distressed children and/ or families, related to online incidents. b) Develop real-life digital safety case scenarios and deduce practical steps for responding supportively and professionally in line with safeguarding protocols. c) Facilitate small group discussions or classroom-based digital safety workshops in schools or youth centres, and present safety strategies in a way that is engaging, developmentally appropriate, and grounded in trust-building techniques
Module-specific digital skills and competences a) Identify and use key digital safety features across commonly used social media and messaging platforms. b) Develop critical thinking skills to evaluate online content for credibility, risk, and potential harm, and inform children on how to assess digital information and interactions independently. c) Use mobile devices, educational websites, and apps to present child-friendly guidance on online safety topics such as digital consent, respectful communication, and avoiding exploitation. |
The students must be in possession of any 3 O levels and a school leaving certificate.
Pass mark: 45
Grading system as per below:
| Mark Range | Grade |
| 90%-100% | A+ |
| 80%-89% | A |
| 75%-79% | B+ |
| 70%-74% | B |
| 60%-69% | C+ |
| 55%-59% | C |
| 50%-54% | D+ |
| 45%-49% | D |
| 0%-44% | F |
Core Reading List
Supplementary Reading List
For registration or further information, please send an email on: info@mfws.gov.mt
Next intake dates: TBC (To be Confirmed)
Course Fees: TBC (To be Confirmed)
The Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society became a licensed higher education training institute in June 2024.
Licence Type: Further and Higher Education Institution
Licence Number: 2024-021
The Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society
Maison Notre Dame, St Calcedonius Square,
Floriana, FRN 530, Malta
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