Develop and implement an innovative method for preventing school violence and bullying based on the enhancement of the acquisition of social and civic competences and on the knowledge, promotion and ownership of common positive values and fundamental rights
Bullying is more than an interaction between individuals, it is a socio-ecological phenomenon that occurs because of what happens in peer groups, families, schools, communities and the wider social environment. SAFER approaches bullying through the Whole School & Community Approach (WSCA).
The piloting phase involves 20 schools, approximately 200 teachers and 1000 students and 500-600 members and organizations of the communities where the schools are, plus parents
The purpose of SociAl competences and FundamEntal Rights for preventing bullying – SAFER project is to develop and implement an innovative method for preventing school violence and bullying, aimed at fostering inclusive education and based on the enhancement of the acquisition of social and civic competences and on the knowledge, promotion and ownership of common positive values and fundamental rights, not only at the level of students and schools but also at the level of community.
SAFER is addressed primarily to students aged 8-14 years old in the six European Countries impacted by the piloting phase. Reasons behind the selection of this target group are related to recent relevant researches, demonstrating that the age between 8 and 14 is the most “at risk” in relation to bullying – and the trends are the same all over Europe (UNESCO).
More, with respect to psychological bullying specifically, a global meta-analysis showed that, globally, between 70% and 80% of all girls and boys aged 8-11 years had experience psychological violence from a classmate in the past year. Second target group are the teachers of primary and lower secondary school, that do not have an adequate training offer available on the issues of bullying in terms of preventing it from a perspective of whole school and community approach. In this perspective, within SAFER project, teachers will be prepared for giving skills and support to students, “scaffolding them”.
Parents as well are involved by SAFER project, due to the pivotal role they play in assisting the school in prevent bullying. More, the proposals traditionally addressed to them have a low participation, because quite often are organized without an active methodology: on the contrary, SAFER project fully involve them in the programme. Due to the holistic approach of SAFER, the whole Educating Community is also a direct target group of the project. Bullying is not just a school problem, it also happens in the community and requires community support and solutions. Every school exists within a wider community and developing community partnership to prevent and reduce bullying is important because this community embeds the key educative actors that play a role in the psycho-physical development of youngsters.