Combining real and virtual violence prevention Georgi Apostolov coordinator Awareness node Bulgaria 2nd International Conference “Keeping Children and Young People Safe Online” Warsaw, Poland, Kyriad Prestige Hotel, September 2008

The problem: Virtuality turned reality  Internet – part of the real world  Everyday use from 3 to 6 hours  Communication and socialization at 1 st place  Online and offline continuum  “Computerized” slang - “computerized” behaviour  Growing e-violence and e-bullying  New “virtual-real” patterns of violence

New “virtual-real” patterns of violence  Victimizing teachers  Home/school produced illegal sexual content  Staged beatings  Extortion  Personal data theft>>e-bullying>>physical assault>>video-clipping>>Internet posting Inadequate response – focus either on “real” or on e-violence

The project: Children in Virtual and Real Violence – Prevention by Discourse and Education  Correlating virtual and real violence  Lessons based on interactive games and discussion  Recognition of various forms of violence  Provoking empathy and compassion  Teaching reaction and prevention Parents Association

Activities  24 lessons developed for two age groups – 11-15, and years – by pedagogues, psychologists and IT experts  Piloting in 3 schools to test the lessons – April-July 2008: all lessons tested in 39 classes – 19 of the first age group and 20 in the second age group with between 750 and 800 pupils.  From October 2008 – full course in 10 schools  Online platform for school principals and educators hosted on the innovative teachers’ portal website –

The topics 1, Violence 2, Violence – virtuality and reality 3. Violence – victim and perpetrator 4. Coping with tension, anxiety, stress 5. Bullying – virtual and real 6. Coping with anger 7. Building self-confidence 8. Coping with problems 9. The victim – coping with reality (forum-theater) 10. Harmful and illegal content in Internet 11. Sexual violence 12. web112.net – the Hotline fighting virtual violence 13. Helpline for children victims of violence 14. Visual violence in Internet 15. Safe communication in Internet 16. Victim of violence – strategies for coping 17. Verbal violence 18. Passive violence 19. Indifference as a form of violence 20. Unconscious violence 21. Terrorism – the global violence 22. Gossips as a form of violence 23. Non-violent communication

The online platform - request

The online platform – request acceptance

The online platform – resources online

Main conclusions from the testing period  High interest and toward topics concerning Internet and e-violence  The topics of sexual violence, victim of violence provoke passive resistance – “It can’t happen to me”  Boys are more active and provocative than girls  Very low sensitivity towards forms of e-violence – as a rule not recognized as violence (unlike “real” violence forms); girls more sensitive  Pupils like most the free discussion form of the lessons; the age group like more the interactive games  In written feedback pupils say they like most the possibility to understand what their classmates think of the problem – violence is rarely discussed among them

Expected results  Entry and exit surveys  Support from the Ministry of education  More schools and teachers around the country using the course  Developing other topical courses for use through the online platform

Thank you for your kind attention!