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Bullying Alert - violence between pairs

In the last School Year (2008/2009), the Portuguese Public Security Police of Oporto made a challenge for a partnership to the Sciences of Communication Course of the Fernando Pessoa University, which has been automatically accepted by the tutors and the students of the course. The challenge consisted in several marketing projects that the students have developed to the PIPP, and one group have exclusively dedicated to the bullying problem.

They made the first campaign in Padrão da Légua School, and began to call attention to the campaign by placing a teaser, a canvas with 1.20m with the image campaign created by them, leading to a prior discussion among students about what would happen. Then, they showing a presentation on PowerPoint, and delivered a sticker with the image of the campaign, a soft pencil that does not hurt as campaign message, a school schedule with some encouraging phrases, and a CD with information. The students were taken to be creative by making a cover for the CD delivered to them in the campaign. The campaign had the support of the police officers from the project Safe School, who have continued with it on others schools.

It is true that this type of problem develops more in the school, hence the first action has been directed to young people and teachers, this is where prevention should focus. However, it is necessary that parents are aware of same children are being victims or abusers. It should be noted also that there is a great feeling of impunity, especially when the offense is made through new media such as mobile phones or the Internet, because the young tend to depersonalize it and unaware of the extent of the damage that such an act can be.

As we felt the need to reach the parents with the problem, we started making campaigns dedicated to them involving the Matosinhos Council, Parents Associations and School Directors.

The campaign beside to awareness, was made to inform of the psychological and criminal effects, so, whenever possible was accompanied with a psychologist from de Psychology Department of Matosinhos Council, and with the Security and Civil Protection Office productivity of the same council. At the end of the shares were delivered to the public a certificate of appearance of the campaign.

Our perception was that most people didn't realize the real dimension of the bullying, and the criminal and psychological consequences. There is a lot of permissibility on the bullying offenses, and it's difficult to know when the problem starts and passes a reasonable limit of the child’s growing up.

The requirement of a psychological permanent monitoring of the program took us to developing our partnership with the Fernando Pessoa University, and on the current school year (2009-2010) we are going to have two psychological intern students who are going to work on the police station, and support our PIPP officers and citizens whenever they need and forward them.

 

The project started in 2008 and is still running.
Last review: October 2017.

 

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