“The story began two years ago when we were in quarantine. The guys from the class, I studied at the 2nd school, we created a group in instant messengers to chat. I remember very well how my classmate’s attack began. For the hundredth time, she asked us to send her the solved exercises. We disagreed, and since I didn’t support her, the girl set her sights on me. He started arguing with me, calling me a bull, garbage, sending photos of fat people and saying that I look like them. He told me to cry, he thought how my family would bear me. They laughed at me with her friends. I was upset, I cried, I was blocked, I did not know what would happen when we met at school. But when I talked to my mom and teacher, I was redeemed because they helped me and made me understand that none of this was my fault. The school principal informed the girl about my report, and when we returned from quarantine, she pulled herself together. The saying helped me gain strength and confidence.” Her adventure HelenWhere talk to “K”is one of many cases of school bullying in our schools.

Signs

“We received a call from a concerned mother of an 11-year-old boy who was bullied at school. Despite her attempts to get her son to talk to her, he still didn’t want to share his feelings. However, his mother noticed clear signs of bullying in his behavior as he became distant from his classmates and usually showed various signs of worry and anxiety. Two weeks later, she began to notice traces on her son’s body that could not be explained. Finally, the boy found the courage to open up to his mother. He told her that a group of his classmates had begun to ostracize him and he was ashamed to talk about it because he felt different from them. Soon this group of children started demanding rewards and threatening to beat him if he didn’t comply with their demands. The Smile psychologist talked to the mother and the child, helping the latter to realize that he is not responsible for what is happening to him and that he has nothing to be ashamed of. This is another story of bullying reported on the National Children’s Hotline SOS 1056. told “K” the leaders of the organization “Child’s Smile”.

Based “Baby Smile”, in 2022, one child called the organization’s helpline every three days for support due to bullying or school violence. Also, according to available data, 1/3 of students become victims of bullying at school and 1/2 are subjected to verbal bullying. 56% of primary school students were insulted and ridiculed, and 30.5% were hit and pushed. 13% of middle and high school students have experienced bullying.

Clue

The Greek Day Against School Violence, set for March 6, coincides this year with the debate and vote in Parliament on the anti-bullying bill. “Speak up, the school community is here to help!” This call to students who are victims of school bullying permeates the philosophy of action developed by the Department of Education to prevent and combat violence within the school. In addition, in the context of Panhellenic Day, the Ministry of Education, in a circular from the responsible Deputy Minister Zeta Makris, called on schools to devote at least two hours next week to activities (for example, book launches, film screenings, art workshops, etc.) in order to raise awareness of the problems of school bullying. .

“The ‘Speak Now’ message used by the ministry is clearly a positive encouragement for children. However, it is not certain that children will disclose and report their bullying just because we encourage them to do so. If we accept that it is already difficult and painful for anyone who has been abused to report it, it will be even more difficult for a child in adolescence, a period of life when public externalization is a particularly difficult process. Therefore, in order for children to be able to speak, it is necessary that an appropriate, supportive and protective context be cultivated in the school so that they dare to do so,” Ms. Dora Kuntura, philologist of the 1st Amarousiu Experimental High School, notes to “K”.

In this direction, the constant presence of mental health professionals is of paramount importance, a condition that is currently not met, at least not uniformly for all schools. As Ms. Kuntura says, “Another condition that is useful in terms of visibility and treatment of bullying in schools are activities and groups, the purpose of which is for children to acquire team skills and learn to act in a community context. on the principles of trust, solidarity and inclusiveness”.

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