Αctions to combat bullying

ATHENS/PATRAS January 29 2025- The UNICEF Greece Country Office, the University of Patras and the Regional Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education of Western Greece have jointly launched an innovative action to prevent and combat bullying. This is the first time that three organizations with different profiles and missions are joining forces and expertise in order to address a social problem with serious repercussions on children and families. UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund that designs policies and implements actions for the protection of children, the University of Patras, an institution of higher education, and the Regional Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education of Western Greece, which supervises the entire network of school units in the Region, are going to implement a wide range of actions to address and prevent bullying in schools. In the first phase, these initiatives will act as pilot actions and will last for about a quarter of a school year, while from the beginning of the next school year, the plan is to expand them. These pilot actions, which will be implemented for the first time in the fifth grade of elementary school and the second grade of junior high school, focus on increasing empathy, developing resilience skills and taking on non-confrontational roles and are based on modern models of interventions for developing empathy and communication skills, as well as on internationally recognised models of bullying prevention. The first pilot phase will be followed by an evaluation, the creation of a register of multipliers in the field of education, as well as trainings and the development of networks and collaborative communities of teachers.

On the part of the University of Patras and the UNICEF Greece Country Office, the importance of the Child Rights Centre, which was established inside the University following a proposal by the UNICEF Greece Country Office, was stressed. This was the first Child Rights Centre in a Greek university, while today seven Greek universities have created similar structures. At the same time, the University of Patras is the first Greek higher education institution to be recently accepted as a member of CREAN, the network of European universities that develop research and development activities for the protection of children.

The Rector of the University of Patras, Professor Christos Bouras, stressed that these actions are part of the University's connection with society and the development of interventions aimed at contributing in society and addressing problems for which the University has the relevant expertise. He also stressed that this is the beginning of a series of interventions in collaboration with the UNICEF Greece Country Office, while other important actions will be announced very soon, in which the Department of Medicine, the Centre for Children's Rights and government agencies will participate.

UNICEF Representative in Greece Dr. Ghassan Khalil said: "Our collaboration with the University of Patras and the Regional Directorate of Education of Western Greece is a milestone in our efforts to create a safe and supportive school environment for every child in Greece. Combating bullying is not only a matter of prevention, but also of empowering students with skills of resilience, empathy and cooperation. Through these initiatives, we aim to ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow and thrive in an environment that respects and protects their rights."

The Deputy Regional Director of Primary and Secondary Education of Western Greece, Mr. Nikolaos Delengos, said that "the collaboration between the University of Patras, the UNICEF Greece Country Office and the Regional Directorate of Education marks an important strategic partnership in preventing and combating bullying, which is a serious challenge for our children and young people.  Through this initiative, we are joining forces to create a safe and supportive environment for the development of students. Education is not only about imparting knowledge, but also about fostering values, respect and social sensitivity. We are proud to be part of this action, which is an example of how partnerships can bring about meaningful change in society".

The Regional Supervisor of Quality Education of Western Greece, Ms. Athanasia Balomenou, stressed that the prevention and fight against bullying is a priority for the Regional Directorate of Education of Western Greece. In this context, the cooperation with international organizations such as UNICEF and the synergy with leading academic institutions such as the University of Patras confirm the commitment of the Regional Directorate of Education of Western Greece for the creation of a safe and secure education environment.

The Coordinator of the Centre for Children's Rights, Professor Thanasis Karalis, noted that the Centre is a University structure that will soon include all academic units and structures of the University of Patras, strengthening horizontal cooperation within the institution in order to achieve multiplier and interdisciplinary interventions.