Effective strategies to prevent Bullying and Cyberbullying in schools

Bullying, whether online or in person, harms not just the targets but also the bullies. This course aimed to explore effective strategies for preventing all types of bullying in educational and school environments.
The new edition of the course “How to prevent bullying and cyberbullying in schools and promote social emotional learning​” took place in Palermo from 19/05/2024 to 25/05/2024. The participants came from different countries in Europe, with Denisa, Natália, Lýdia and Soňa from Základná škola Martina Rázusa in Slovakia and Katrin from BBS Boppard in Germany.

On the first day we started with a collective brainstorming about the different types and aspects of bullying: What are its characteristics and forms? Who are the participants in a bullying scenario? We also discussed the question: What are the three main elements that distinguish bullying from conflict?
In our next session, the victim was at the centre of our discussion. We focused on the risk factors that lead children to be bullied and tried to find ways to prevent this situation. We also created specific initiatives that can be carried out to prevent bullying behaviour. To structure the topic, we looked at bullying situations from four different angles: family, school, individual and community.
Cyberbullying is one of the most important types of bullying and one of the most difficult to eliminate. Nowadays, children spend more and more time online and therefore the negative consequences need to be addressed. However, this process also opens up some opportunities which we explored with some practical activities around the world of cyber bullying and prevention. We also discussed the differences and similarities between traditional and cyberbullying. To understand and put ourselves in the shoes of the victims of bullying, we implemented a very powerful activity that can be used with both students, parents and teachers to raise awareness.

Fostering a positive classroom environment is an important strategy for preventing bullying behaviour. This is why we explored the topics of emotional intelligence, membership and inclusion and collaboration. These are the pillars for a supportive classroom and should not be underestimated. Of course, we discussed this with a lot of non formal and creative activities and games, thanks to which it was impossible to get bored.

Discover more about this course here.