Education
This year, too, the “week against bullying” is being held in the Netherlands at the beginning of the school term. The theme for the 2017 edition is “Cyber-bullying. Let’s fight it!”. The initiative is sponsored by the “School & Veiligheid” Foundation and provides primary and secondary schools with material and information to counter the phenomenon. All schools are invited to draw up their own paths and mechanisms of prevention and surveillance. The campaign is meant to enhance parental involvement: “Preventing and addressing bullying requires attention throughout the year and has a better chance of success if students, parents and teachers are all involved”, the organizers explain. The analysis is the result of work carried out by the University of Groningen, which developed materials and guidance in this regard. “In the digital age, bullying is no longer limited to the school but happens 24/7″ and “many young people are faced with it”. Data from the Statistical Bureau published yesterday show that 3% of Dutch boys aged 15 to 18 have been bullied online in 2016. The percentage rises to over 12% for girls. The Christian broadcaster KRO-NCRV has launched an online game this week called ‘we are Lit’ which offers a “real life experience” in which children play their part and are “encouraged to understand their own attitudes toward bullying”.
