Speak Out

During distance learning experts in the field of violence prevention began warning there would be an increase in violence. The closure of society made help less accessible for victims and it also became clear how important the role of schools is when it comes to the issue of violence. Difficult access to help has exacerbated the problem different types of violence have in common – they are difficult to talk about for both the victims and the observers who notice the violence or who the victims turn to.

The project addresses these issues with lectures and workshops for students, teachers and children. We will train each of the three target groups to make it easier for them to notice different types of violence and to respond to it within their capabilities.

The first set of workshops will be aimed at secondary school teachers and guidance services. At the workshops, teachers will develop a protocol for dealing with peer violence at their school with the help of experts. They will pay particular attention to the human and time resources, so that the protocol will be truly enforceable.

The second set of workshops will raise awareness among young people so that they will be able to notice violence and harassment and actively respond to it. At the workshops, students will prepare a manual for recognizing and dealing with various types of violence, which will be available to other young people online.

The third set will allow young people to face violence through music in rap workshops. In this way we will support victims, observers and perpetrators of violence to make it easier for them to express their grief in a healthy, productive way.

In the fourth set of workshops we will focus on elementary school students. We will educate them on the types of violence and how to act in different situations. We will emphasize the role and importance of safe points.

The project will help young people and children to gain skills to detect and respond to violence, as well as strengthen the capacity of local secondary schools to recognize violence, prepare a protocol and take appropriate action.