Project on prevention of digital violence presented
The project titled “Cybersecurity - Prevention and Education” has been presented today at the AP Vojvodina Assembly building. In cooperation with the Pedagogical Institute of Vojvodina, the Provincial Secretariat for Education, Regulations, Administration and National Minorities - National Communities started this project in early 2022, with the aim of educating the teaching staff and pupils/students how to recognise cyberbullying, how to timely respond to it and prevent its occurrence.
“We launched this project to allow all participants in the education process to learn about the threats and aspects of cyberbullying in the sphere of social networks and electronic media. This should be equally presented to children, pupils, parents and guardians, employees of educational institutions, as well as those working at the competent public institutions. The project is, therefore, quite broadband, as it should rise and mobilise the awareness of as many people as possible, of the need to prevent cyberbullying in primary and secondary schools”, the Vice-President of the Provincial Government, Provincial Secretary Zsolt Szakállas, stated.
In the mid-2022, a questionnaire, created in cooperation with pedagogues, was distributed and filled out by fifth to eight-graders, as well as their parents, separately from each other, with the aim of establishing the facts in the field of digital violence in the territory of AP Vojvodina.
“The questionnaire has been filled out by 5455 children and 7074 parents. According to the experience of these children and parents, the most common forms of violence young people are facing on the Internet include: deleting someone from a group, disturbing or insulting texts on mobile phones and social network bullying. The research indicate that digital violence most frequently occurs in the fifth grade, according to the experience of pupils, and/or the eighth grade, according to the experience of parents,” Daliborka Purić, an expert in statistical data processing, explained.
This round table, among other participants, included representatives of the Serbian Government and Ministry of Education.
“It is of great importance to commit together to developing the competencies of teachers. Cooperating with families could also be helpful, as they are the units of our society that are crucial in the child’s development and upbringing. We also intend to intensify our cooperation with families in the future. I would like to draw your attention to the platform called I guard you, which contains not only information and various educational materials on preventing and overcoming violence, but also provides access to online trainings intended for pupils, as well as teachers and parents,” Anamarija Viček stated.
In the upcoming period, in cooperation with school administrations, it is planned to organise expert conferences for teachers from the territory of AP Vojvodina, for the purpose of providing education and prevention in the field of digital violence.
