1. What Do Children Have to Say about it?
ICDI: Presentation on the Bullying Research - 28/6/2016
Bullying at School:
What Do Children Have to Say about it?
Presentation of the Report on a Study on Children’s Perspectives of Bullying in Seven EU Member States
Compiled by Iordan Iossifov (ICDI)
Presented by Rutger van Oudenhoven (ICDI)
Sofia, 18 November 2016.
Quote picture:
“Bullying happens
everywhere”

2. The research
Bulgaria UK Sweden Netherlands Slovakia Romania Germany. Interviews and focus group discussions > 100 children 8 to 16 years their views and opinions

3. The questions addressed
How do children experience and perceive bullying?
What are their perceptions on the perpetrators and witnesses?
What do they think are anti-bullying strategies and intervention approaches?

4. How do children experience and perceive bullying?
ICDI: Presentation on the Bullying Research - 28/6/2016
How do children experience and perceive bullying?
Bullying can cause physical damage: “Bullying is when children do not want to go to school anymore (at least for a period of time)… have the feeling that no one helps them … are sad … feel excluded … feel pain in their stomach if they have to go to school.” One of bullying’s core characteristics is the victim facing a group: “Yes, I have been bullied. Bullies can make people gang up on you. … And bullying can be when your friends turn against you…”

5. How about the perpetrators and witnesses?
Looking for attention
Think it is funny, cool, brave: heighten one’s status among peers
To feel better/superior than their victims
A way to face own insecurity and challenges
Want to be part of a group
Being bullied themselves
Behavioural problems
Difficult situation or missing support at home

6. Witnesses
Feeling of helplessness
Fear that they might become a victim too
Assisting the perpetrator is seen as the safest strategy to stay out of trouble.
At the same time children realise that the witnesses have the potential to break down the process of bullying:
If you are not afraid to help
If enough children dare to confront the bully

7. Many children are not aware that what they do is bullying: they might realise it only afterwards and only if it is discussed.

8. Recommendations (I) Talk about bullying In general
Semi-structured discussions with peers
With an external person
Take children’s experiences, feedback and contributions seriously
Follow up
Peer mediation or peer involvement
To have a large group on the side of the victim
Talking with each other, playing with each other
Giving responsibility to the children

9. “a sad world”
“a happy world”

10. Recommendations (II) Anti-bullying plan or policy More than one
ICDI: Presentation on the Bullying Research - 28/6/2016
Recommendations (II)
Anti-bullying plan or policy
More than one
Individualistic
Proactive approach
In discussion with children and teachers
Create a good atmosphere and have a proper attitude
Talking to a teacher was both considered as a negative and positive solution to bullying

12. Conclusion
Bullying at school has been getting progressively more attention.
Children are the victims, the perpetrators and the witnesses.
With this in mind it is clear that their expertise cannot be ignored.
Involving children in the discussion has also another, very important, aspect: the right of children to participate in the policies and practices that directly concern them.
The two main lessons learned are to:
always include the children in designing and implementing measures tackling bullying at school
always take children inputs seriously.

13. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE DAPHNE PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND PREVENTION OF BULLYING IN A SCHOOL SETTING
JUST/2013/DAP/AG/5372
Thanks to all the partners who made the effort of talking and listening to children in order to write this report!