Dialogic Model of Prevention and Resolution of Conflicts: A Programme with Positive Results in Preventing Cyberbullying
Up4diversity takes as a reference effective violence protection programmes that, at the same time, face the challenges of the digital era, such as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is considered a concern to be addressed because it is a form of violence present in the use of digital media, and because it is a violence that LGTBI+ young people suffer to a greater extent.
The Dialogic Model of Conflict Prevention and Resolution is an effective programme that provides positive results in the prevention of cyberbullying, developed from the perspective of preventive socialisation of gender-based violence. The analysis of its application, published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, has made it possible to identify the keys to its success based on three achievements:
- It manages to break the silence in situations where cyberbullying takes place, based on developing the confidence of boys and girls to report all kinds of violent interactions. This is achieved through the constant interactions that are promoted in the school environment about violent interactions and how to act with courage, making an active stance attractive. These constant interactions empower the educational community to act, supporting those who suffer violence and making silence unwanted when cyberbullying occurs.
- Improving the effectiveness of adult intervention in creating safe environments in which learners become more confident in raising issues that arise outside the school environment. The key to this success is to approach conflicts with scientific evidence as a reference point. At the same time, it achieves the involvement of the whole educational community through dialogue to agree on common criteria for action, reaching harmony in the way of acting, both in the family and in the school.
- It fosters active solidarity with victims and their supporters, thus preventing re-victimisation. This is made possible by learning to reject violent behaviour and practising solidarity. It shows that bullies change more quickly when they do not find social recognition from their peer group, family or teachers. This means that no one supports the violent behaviour.
The same investigation shows how a situation of cyber-bullying that was occurring in the school was stopped through a chat application for managing class homework. In this digital medium, a group of girls insulted another girl by telling her that nobody could stand her, that she was ugly and stupid, and they kept making fun of her. This situation was initially denounced in the same media by a classmate, claiming that it was cyberbullying. When they were unable to stop it, with the support of another classmate, they decided to seek the help of an adult, her teacher. Without the successes achieved at the school in preventing cyberbullying, this pupil would probably still be suffering cyberbullying today.
All in all, these are significant results for promoting responsible use of digital media that stops cyberbullying, and are relevant for combating violence against LGBT+ young people.
Read the open-access scientific article here:
Villarejo-Carballido, B., Pulido, C.M., de Botton, L., Serradell, O. (2019). Dialogic Model of Prevention and Resolution of Conflicts: Evidence of the Success of Cyberbullying Prevention in a Primary School in Catalonia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16, 918. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16060918
