Proposal to create awareness and stand against Cyberbullying!

• spreading lies about or posting embarrassing photos of someone on social media
• sending hurtful messages or threats via messaging platforms
• impersonating someone and sending mean messages to others on their behalf.

Face-to-face bullying and Cyberbullying can often happen alongside each other. But Cyberbullying leaves a digital footprint – a record that can prove useful and provide evidence to help stop the abuse.

The issue of Cyberbullying has become the subject of extensive media coverage in recent years. In the broadest sense Cyberbullying refers to bullying that occurs through electronic communication devices, therefore the definition of Cyberbullying must incorporate bullying’s essential elements. It follows that in order to be considered Cyberbullying, an act must be (1) willful; (2) repeated; (3) such that it causes harm perceived by its target; and (4) perpetrated via computers, cell phones, or other electronic devices.

When Cyberbullying occurs, the nasty posts, messages, or texts can be shared with multitudes of people. The sheer volume of people that know about the bullying can lead to intense feelings of humiliation. Cyberbullying sometimes causes kids to be excluded and ostracized at school. Consequently, they often feel alone and isolated. This experience can be particularly painful because friends are crucial at this age. When kids don’t have friends, this can lead to more bullying. Many victims of Cyberbullying will get angry about what is happening to them. In fact, research indicates that anger is the most common response to Cyberbullying (followed by being upset and worried). Victims of Cyberbullying often find it difficult to feel safe. They may feel vulnerable and powerless. Typically, these feelings surface because the online bullying can invade their home through a computer or cell phone at any time of day. They no longer have a place where they can escape. When Cyberbullying is ongoing, victims may relate to the world around them differently than others. For many, life can feel hopeless and meaningless. Victims of Cyberbullying may succumb to anxiety, depression, and other stress-related conditions. The added stress of coping with Cyberbullying on a regular basis can steal their feelings of happiness and contentment. It also can increase feelings of worry and isolation. Research has consistently supported the notion that increasing levels of Cyberbullying lead to higher levels of depression. In fact, one study found that 93% of those victimized by Cyberbullying reported feelings of sadness, powerlessness, and hopelessness. According to research conducted by  the  Cantonal  Public  Foundation  “Family Counseling”, 2011., on subject “Experience of the internet elementary school students in Sarajevo Canton” on a sample of 1,941 students from fifth to eighth grade in the Canton  of Sarajevo, the Internet largely use and  students  from  urban  (97.6%),  but  also  from  suburban areas (89.5%). Also, 77.9% of them use the  internet  to  socialize  with  friends  and  33.9%  of them have experienced one or more forms of  violence  that  were  offered  in  the  questionnaire, solicit violence, hate speech, drugs, etc., posted pictures or films with unpleasant  comments  , phishing and writing in someone else’s name.

It is necessary to inform the community about the consequences of this  problem,  to  train  children  and  young people how to protect themselves from possible abuse, with restorative methods cause the perpetrators to understand the impact of abusive behavior, involve parents in monitoring the activities  of  children  and  young  people on  the  Internet,  with  the institutions in the legal system to develop additional mechanisms consequences for abusive behavior, so  that  the community can sent a clear message that abusive and intolerable violence is punishable.

Aim of the Project

The aim of the project is to raise awareness among youths about the online threats and bullying. Whilst equipping them with the knowledge and power to protect. It aims to reach young people, youth workers and parents to become responsible digital users.

Assessment of the Need for the Project

The problem of abuse on the Internet is growing day by day and its consequences in the children and young people are seen in the form of aggressive or depressive behavior.  The biggest problem is that abuse by peers which is recorded; the community does not recognize as a potential risk who developed the seriously undermining the mental health and develops pathological forms of behavior in the victim. By developing awareness among adults, children and young people that any abusive behavior is unacceptable, introducing the principles of restorative practices to solve problems, it will raise the level  of  awareness  and  taking  responsibility  for  abusive  behavior  by  the  offender.  Based on the research mentioned in the description of the project, it is clear that  children  and  young people socialize over the  Internet  and  suffer  violence  in  such  communication.  Also, the data show that children and young people are exposed to various forms of abuse by their peers on social networks. Organizations / institutions are mainly aimed attacking the consequences of sexualized violence of children on the Internet, but not to all forms of abuse.  This  project  is unique because it focuses only on the appointment and other forms of abuse of children and young people on the Internet as well as the  reduced  number  of  offenders in  the  future  by  sending a clear message that every violence is unacceptable.

General and Specific Objectives

The main objective of this project is to inform and educate target groups (elementary and secondary schools, teachers and parents) about  Cyberbullying among young people, about the consequences of Cyberbullying, the recognition of violence among peers, as well as  methods  of  prevention  action  and  protection from domestic violence.

Specific objectives:

• Informed the community about the consequences of child abuse and young people on the Internet;
• Educate children and young people how to protect from possible abuse on the Internet;
• Educate parents to monitor the activities of children and young people on the Internet and whom to contact if a problem occurs;
• Strengthening awareness of the perpetrators using restorative practices and methods;
• Develop additional mechanisms for perpetrators who abuse children and young people on the Internet.
• Develop recommendations at the Conference and further joint action plan for possible legislative changes.

It is extremely important not to neglect the problem of abuse of children and young people on the Internet.  Aside from the psychological level of children and young people suffer as victims of abuse on the Internet.

Project Activities

Activities

Activities in the project would be the following:

• Education of  children  and   young   people about electronic media, and  social  networking  (the  possibilities  and  dangers  of  the  virtual world),
• Education of parents (about the proper and  moderate  use  of  the  Internet  for  children, and empower  parents  to  their  role  to  encourage  children  to  use  the  internet  for  the  purposes of learning, rather than just socializing and  playing games),
• Establish a school safety committee that will control and discuss the problems of online bullying. Just as there are now laws in some states against Cyberbullying, teachers and administrators can create policies and rules, including a Cyberbullying reporting system.

The plan is to include the media about the project activities.  Through the project activities and the goal we want to raise awareness of children and young people, parents,  teachers, responsible in the legal system and the community that the problem  of  abuse  of  children  and young people on the Internet and is a serious problem  and  that  solving  problem  is  one  of the ways to reduce the number of violators of criminal law.

The use of interactive and participatory methods proved to be an effective approach and should be encouraged for further work on the subject with the pupils and students.

Practically, the experience highlighted the importance of the following:

• Awareness raising and pedagogical activities should be specifically tailored to fit the different age groups: 8 – 11 / 12-13 / 14-15/ 16-18. Such age division is based upon different:
• online behavior experienced by each age group;
• interests and references of individuals in those age groups;
• level of maturity;
• need to tailor pedagogical strategies adapted to their academic and maturity
• Steps level so that the engagement with the activity is efficient.
• Indeed, the pedagogical strategies chosen should take into account as much as possible the specific dynamic of each class. Some groups would benefit in staying together for such an activity, others would benefit from the new dynamics at play when new working groups are formed.
• Having moderators that master the language of the group at mother tong level facilitates the dynamic of the work.

The Proposed activities of the project are divided into stages:

Stage I: Preparation of project activities

• • The license for the organization of activities in schools approved by respective Ministries of Education;
  • Meetings with representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office, Center for social work, Mental health Centers and representatives of educational institutions;
  • Project presentation to the media in order to inform the public about the problem of the project;
  • Preparing workshop program materials for work with children, young people and parents;
  • Writing program workshop;
  • Creating and developing additional interactive content on the portal, where project participants can anonymously express their own experience. The portal will serve as a place where participants can leave comments about their workshop impressions, anonymously post stories and personal experiences of violence on the Internet;
  • Creating an online questionnaire and questions.

Stage II: Educational part of the project

• • The workshops with children and young people in primary and secondary schools: educating children and young  people  how  to  recognize  abuse  on  the  Internet  and  how to protect themselves from possible abuse, realizing two workshops with each group:
    • “Identifying forms of abuse”,
    • “Protection from abuse”;
  •  Online survey of young participants (primary and secondary school). Online surveys in order to collect data in what purpose youth use computers, the Internet, how many hours they spent on the computer, using social networks?  Do they have cell phone and for what purpose they use it?
  • Workshops with parents:  to  educate   parents  to  monitor  the  activities  of  children  and young people on the Internet, and how to  protect their  privacy and  who  to  contact  in  case when abuse happens, realizing one workshop with each group;
  • Survey research: a  questionnaire  for parents  to  collect  information:  do  you  know  what your child is doing on the  computer,  for  which  purpose  it  is  used,  which  sites  are  visited, are you as parents aware of the dangers on the internet…?
  • Workshops with teaching staff: educate them about the problem and how teachers can do educational and preventive actions, realizing one workshop with each group;
  • Preparation, printing and distribution of short guides to   all   the   participants   of the project on violence on the Internet.  It  will  be  distributed  in  three  parts:  what  is  the cyber violence, how to  recognize  it  and  how  to  protect?  Guides will be distributed to all participants in the project.
  • Organizing the debate – debate on the benefits and dangers of social networks (FB).
  • Creating a  promo  video  of  the  participants  in  the  workshops   called  “youth  against violence on the Internet.”  Creating video content with their personal messages, posting on social media  with the opportunity to comment.

During the workshop we will collect experiences and attitudes of children and  young  people,  parents and teachers about the abuse of children and young people on the Internet that will be presented to representatives of  official  institutions.  The  workshops  use  a  lot  of  online  content and games to recognize violence in the workshop program including a short  course  on  the protection of privacy on social networks. Speakers at the workshop will be experts in the field of pedagogy, psychology and social work. Special contribution and importance of these workshops gives    confirmed    participation   of experts   in   the   field   of pedagogy.

Xxxxxxxxx (Organization) who had work  for many years on the re-socialization of juvenile delinquents; as head of  operations  at  the  modern  psycho-social  programs  for  preventing  violence  among young people.

Stage III: Presentation of methods restorative practice and presentation  of  workshop experience to official institutions

• • Representatives   of   xxxxxxxxxx ,  a method of restorative practices and the  impact of same on reducing violence  and  strengthening  accountability,  through  workshops  and educational work;
  • Organizing a round table with representatives of the prosecutor’s offices as well as the participant of  the round table, with  the aim of   exchanging    experiences and presentations from workshops and  insight  into the  legal  framework  and  possible changes in relation to  sanctions  for  abuse  of  children  and  young  people  on  the Internet.

Stage IV: Conference organization for everyone involved in the project as well as for representatives of official institutions with other Cantons who are dealing with the problem of abuse of children and young people on the Internet

• • Send invitations, arrange conference hall, presentation of experiences from the project by the stakeholders in the project.
  • Prepared recommendations and agreed steps for future work for the necessary changes in law and practice.
  • The local media are informed  of  the  completion  and  results  of  the  project,  re-  informing the community.
  • Preparation of the final report.

Expected Project Results and Effects

Make children and  young people, parents, teachers understand the impact of child abuse and  young  people on  the Internet and the importance of the  impact  on  their  mental  health,  to  know  where  to  report  cases of abuse, teach parents to monitor the activity  of  children  and  young  people  on  the  Internet and how protect them.  The media were informed about the problem of child abuse and their information serves to reduce the problems of abuse of children and young people on the Internet. Made perpetrators of abuse through the method of restorative practices to understand the impact of  their  behavior  to  others  and  work   with  its  correction,  with  the  support of relevant institutions. Direct impact is reduction in the number of cases of abuse of children and young people on the Internet, thanks to increased awareness about the ways of abuse; as well as the protection of the same.  The  planned  effect  is  that  the  experience  based and gained from working with children and young people help in strengthens mechanisms of institutions to recognize  and  adequately  punish  the  perpetrators   of  child  abuse  and  young people on the Internet. The expected result is an insight in to the existing legislation which treats the sanctions for abuse of children and young people on the Internet and the need  for legislative changes in  the  framework  of  sanctions  for  abuse  of  children  and  young  people on the Internet.