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Training in Cybercrime Prevention addressed to 2,500 teachers in Panama

Panama, March 13, 2023. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) through the Global Cybercrime Program, together with teachers, educators and administrative staff of the Ministry of Education of Panama (MEDUCA) trained more than 2,500 teachers from all provinces of the Republic of Panama.

In February of this year, 30 teachers, educators and administrative personnel from MEDUCA participated in a workshop entitled "Trainer of Trainers in Cybercrime Prevention" with the objective of strengthening their knowledge in the prevention of this type of crime. During the workshop, the following topics were addressed: introduction to the concepts of the Internet, cybersecurity and privacy; sexual cybercrime: grooming, sextortion, sexting; cyberbullying, misinformation, misinformation and gender-based cyberviolence.

In addition, prevention materials were provided for educators, recreational activities were developed to address these issues with children, adolescents and adults, and tools were provided for early detection and reporting of these crimes.

MEDUCA staff, in partnership with the Attorney General's Office, is replicating this training process throughout the country and in a few weeks more than 2,500 teachers, educators and administrative staff of the Republic of Panama have been trained.

This alliance between MEDUCA, MP and UNODC strengthens the mechanisms for victim identification and reporting, facilitates access to justice and allows the prevention and combat of cybercrime in Panama.

"The transition from being a beneficiary to a replicator is of utmost importance, since I have the opportunity to transmit the knowledge acquired, reach different people who do not know about cybercrime and prevent risk situations", expressed teacher Bélgica Bermúdez, from the province of Los Santos.

"This training has helped me to put a focus on the importance of cybercrime prevention, to know that these crimes are so common and that they affect our young people and that we must prevent, through education, about the dangers that inhabit the Internet," said Professor César Quijano, from the province of Colón.

Rosa Atencio, from the province of Veraguas, "it is important to go from being a beneficiary to a replicator because I was able to observe how the teachers were very interested in the topic of cybercrime prevention; in addition, I have applied this knowledge with my family and in my work environment".

"The tools provided to us during the training have allowed us to go deeper into cybercrime and to be able to solve the doubts that the teachers we have trained have," said Orissa Wald, psychologist and Population Liaison for the province of Chiriqui.

These actions are being carried out thanks to the financial support of the United States Government's International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Section (INL).