Prevention of cyberbullying and peer violence among youth

Topics: Prevention of bullying; Digital safety; Inclusion, promoting equality and non-discrimination
Action Type:Erasmus+ Programme KA220-YOU Cooperation partnerships in youth
Funded by*: JUGEND für Europa, the German National Agency for the Erasmus+ Youth programme
Countries Covered: 🇩🇪 Germany 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇭🇷 Croatia
Project duration: 01/12/2021 – 31/08/2023
Project card: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/2021-1-DE04-KA220-YOU-000029233

Project partners:

  • Outreach Hannover, e.V., Germany
  • Active youth in happy Europe (AMUSE), Serbia
  • Association for improvement of modern living skills “Realization”, Croatia
  • Learning Wizard d.o.o., Croatia

Summary:

Peer bullying / violence and Cyberbullying are happening daily in our communities, unfortunately. Exposure to severe (cyber)bullying can affect not just how young people feel but also how they behave. The behavioural consequences of bullying others and being bullied include aggression, misbehaviour, irresponsible risk-taking, and the use of illegal substances. Bullied students are also more likely to develop negative expectations about the future.

ICT-aided solutions are playing an ever-greater role in the forms of establishing and maintaining communication, replacing interpersonal communication. However, although the medium is different, there is always a person behind the digital tools, and this is why the tasks of youth work extend into virtual space. Even if youngsters show a big confidence in using online tools they are still not educated in using these tools with full awareness.

Besides dealing with bullying face-to-face, there is clearly also a role for online youth work practice, in terms of supporting digital literacy and enabling young people to deal with some of the associated risks in an online setting, like cyberbullying. The practice implications for youth workers lie in new competencies required and new forms of boundary maintenance in relationships with young people.

Youth workers are in a unique position to promote healthy relationships among teenagers, intervene in instances of bullying and, with parents, help bullies and their victims learn how to re-build healthy relationships with their peers. Protecting children from abuse is the responsibility of all the adults in their lives, primarily parents and teachers. However, with youngsters visiting youth centres and youth clubs regularly, youth workers become also ones of those who have that responsibility for prevention of peer violence and (cyber)bullying among youngsters. Youth workers can reduce aggression and victimisation by creating a climate of support and empathy in and outside of the youth centres.

With this project, we have been answering to the needs defined by institutions, as well as the needs of our own youth workers and youngsters. We are promoting prevention of peer violence and (cyber)bullying among youth, empowerment of youth peer leaders to deal with the topic and the quality empowerment of our youth workers to be able to organise quality education of youth peer leaders, as well as active youth work for prevention of (cyber)bullying among youth.

This project aimed to support youth workers in developing and sharing effective methods in reaching out to marginalised young people in preventing racism & intolerance among youth, and in addressing the risks and implications of digitalisation.

Therefore, the objectives of the project were:

  • Empower youth workers and peer educators/leaders among marginalised youngsters for prevention of cyberbullying and peer violence among youth, through development of inspiring and innovative Curriculum, LTTA and the Online course for youth workers’ training.
  • Empower marginalised, discriminated and bullied youngsters in coping mechanisms and dealing with cyberbullying and peer violence, through innovative Toolkit with workshops for vulnerable youngsters.
  • Exchange good practices and further develop quality strategic partnership among partners from 3 European countries with different realities in regard to cyberbullying and youth peer violence prevention.

Project activities were:

  • A1 – Project Management activities
  • M1 – Kick-off transnational project meeting of the partners
  • O1 – Toolkit for youngsters, peer educators/leaders on prevention of cyberbullying and peer violence among youth
  • M2 – Second transnational project meeting
  • O2 – Curriculum “Empowering youth workers and youth peer leaders for prevention of face-to-face peer violence among youth”
  • M3 – Third transnational project meeting
  • O3 – Online course for youth workers and peer educators “Empowering youth workers and youth peer leaders for prevention of cyberbullying among youth”
  • C1 – LTTA Training of trainers
  • E1, E2, E3 – Open conferences in Serbia, Croatia and Germany
  • M4 – Evaluation transnational project meeting

Project results

 

Link to the CpVprevY O3 Online course in all 4 languages (EN, DE, HR, RS): https://lab.learning-library.net/course-category/wizcyberbullying/

*Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.