WHAT IS BULLYING?
Bullying is defined as repeatedly and intently trying to hurt someone physically, mentally or emotionally. Bullying incidents occur very often in schools throughout the world. Across European countries, almost one out of every five students report being bullied.
HOW CAN WE REDUCE BULLYING?
School-based bullying prevention programs can decrease bullying by up to 25%. Important part of these programs is educating youth about the effects of bullying and the ways they can prevent bullying in their own environment.
WHAT TOOLS CAN WE USE TO COUNTER BULLYING?
Modern technologies are the media canals of the new generation and can serve as a powerful tool for presenting them new perspectives and ideas. They are intrinsically interesting and attractive to young people and can provide users with an immersive experience that is hard to provoke with traditional methods.
Virtual reality (VR) almost places the users inside an experience, instead of simply observing it or talking about it by using traditional films or conversations. Such experiences induce empathy and can be used to obtain new skills and psychosocial abilities. Young people can experiment with ways of stopping a bullying incident and feel empowered through this experience.
