How this course came to be

Tackling the problem of technology and gender-based crime is of increasing relevance to the University community and this digital badge course will empower our staff and student body to recognise and response to Technology-Facilitated Abuse (TFA) and is aligned with UCC’s aims in Ending Sexual Violence in Higher Education.  TFA is the use of technology to harness, stalk, control, impersonate or threaten someone.  The course covers a wide number of topics, all of which help build a person’s understanding of the ways in which our day-to-day technological tools can be used against us.  The content of this course will empower the learner with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to help to recognise and respond to situations of TFA.  The UCC Recognising and Responding to Technology-Facilitated Abuse Digital Badge project grew from a collaboration with the National Cyber Security Awareness Task Force, who came together to tackle the growing problem of technology in gender-based crime.  The Digital Badge was a sub project of the Task Force Programme and brought together resources from Industry, Government and Academia.  The project in UCC was led by Rosie Coffey from IT Services, and included a cross functional team with involvement from the IT Inclusivity Committee, the School of Applied Social Studies, in conjunction with Safe Ireland and Cyber Awareness Ireland and with contributions from An Garda Siochana, and expert Frontline and Legal expertise, and with advisory from Prof Louise Crowley UCC’s ByStander Intervention director.   

The programme has been adapted for the Irish context with Irish contributions and cultural adaptation from the Australian E-Safety Commissioner Course  “Technology-facilitated abuse in domestic and family violence situations”. The course has been adapted with explicit permission from Australian E-Safety Commissioner. 

School of Applied Social Studies

The School of Applied Social Studies in University College Cork is a dynamic centre for research, learning and teaching in the social sciences. Based in the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, it is a university hub for social science research, social activism, community engagement, and inclusion and access initiatives for mature and non-traditional learners. Research-led teaching and learning is a defining feature of the School of Applied Social Studies. With over 40 permanent staff and disciplinary specialisms in Social Policy, Social Work and Youth and Community Work, the School delivers degree programmes from undergraduate to doctoral level and is a leading provider of professionally accredited education/training in Social Work, Youth and Community Work, and Early Years and, Childhood Studies. It also has an expanding portfolio of programmes supporting Continuous Professional Development and Lifelong Learning.

The School of Applied Social Studies has research expertise in the area of intimate partner violence including the recent EU GENDER-NET funded study PositivMasc. The final research report for this project can be accessed at the following link: Addressing Masculinities to Tackle Violence Against Women in Ireland.  Recently, Mary McDermott, CEO, Safe Ireland was appointed as an Adjunct Professor, School of Applied Social Studies. 

Safe Ireland

Safe Ireland is the national development and co-ordination body working to eradicate Domestic Violence (DV). We have five distinct functions: investigating the causes and effects of violence and coercion based on sex, gender and sexuality; delivering frontline refuge, support and outreach services; supporting the development, delivery and coordination of frontline Domestic Violence member services; developing best practice guidelines for skilled community-led domestic violence response; and influencing civil society and national strategic policy.   This is achieved through our collaborations with our network of affiliated independent frontline DV services; local communities; professionals; public bodies; academic institutions; philanthropists; and corporate partners.  

There are thirty-eight DV services across Ireland affiliated as members to Safe Ireland. Each deliver various combinations of services including; national and local crisis helplines, emergency accommodation, housing and practical supports, one-to-one emotional and therapeutic support, information and advocacy, Garda / Court accompaniment, and Welfare advice. Twenty of these services operate staffed DV Refuges.  

Our core strategic focus is to change culture, transform responses to sex, gender, and sexuality-based coercion and violence in communities across Ireland, and to progress towards creating a free and Safe Ireland for women, for young people, and for children. 

Cyber Awareness Ireland

Cyber Awareness Ireland (CAI) are a national body who research, develop & curate Cyber Security Awareness messaging in Ireland. CAI have an ambitious program to cultivate original research in cybersecurity awareness with framing its survey work at national scales, leveraging Ireland's population as a living laboratory to investigate the behavioral dimensions of cybercrime victimization - and prevention. Cyber Awareness Ireland are the are the National curators for the official STOP.THINK.CONNECT™ campaign in Ireland.

The National Cyber Security Task Force is a specialist sub working group that sits under the Cyber Awareness Ireland umbrella.  Cyber Awareness Ireland is committed to bringing security professionals together to discuss driving forces which reduce human risk in a world of borderless security.

With additional contributions from:

• UCC IT Services
• UCC AVMS
• An Garda Síochána
• Trend Micro
• OSS Cork