SHIELD Project: United Against Bullying

Polish and Romanian students United Against Bullying

Konstancin-Jeziorna, 24-28 February 2025

Bullying 

Bullying is a situation where one person or a group of people intentionally harms someone their age. It can take various forms, such as mocking, insulting, hitting, humiliating, spreading rumors or excluding someone from a group. Each of these actions can make the person being hurt feel lonely, helpless, sad and depressed. 

Why is it important to react?

When you witness violence and do nothing about it, the perpetrator might think their behavior is acceptable. Your inaction can encourage them to continue harming others. Remember, silence can be seen as approval. On the other hand, if you react – by telling the perpetrator that their actions are wrong, supporting the victim, or informing adults – you show that violence is not tolerated.

By reacting, you signal to the perpetrator that their actions are inappropriate and can have serious consequences. You also show the person being harmed that they are not alone and that someone supports them. This kind of response builds solidarity and encourages others to stand against violence as well.

Reacting also shows the person experiencing violence that they are not alone. For someone who feels helpless, support from even one person can be incredibly empowering. It helps them believe in themselves and face the difficult situation more effectively.

How can you react?

1. Tell the perpetrator to stop. If you feel safe, firmly point out that their behavior is unacceptable.
2. Report the situation to an adult. This is not tattling – it’s helping to protect someone. You can talk to a teacher, school counselor, parent, or another trusted adult.
3. Support the victim. Talk to them, show them they are not alone, and let them know they can count on you.

Why is this so important?

Failing to react can allow the violence to continue and its consequences to worsen. The victim of violence may suffer from low self-esteem, difficulties in learning, or even health problems. On the other hand, if the perpetrator is not stopped, they may continue harming others, failing to learn responsibility for their actions.

Remember, each of us has an impact on the environment around us. By standing up to bullying, you help create a better, safer atmosphere for yourself and your classmates. Together, you can make your school a place of respect, understanding, and friendship. Don’t stay indifferent – every reaction matters!

The Circle of Violence

Swedish scientist Dan Olweus developed the circle of peer bullying by pointing out and describing the roles taken by children. Students who are victims of violence and aggressors who initiate and take an active part in persecuting activities take part in bullying. They have their assistants who actively participate in the aggressor’s activities. However, they never plan or initiate them. Another group are active fans who actively show their approval of the aggressor by laughing, making jokes or calling names to the victim. They count on social gains in the form of recognition from a popular persecutor. Passive fans, on the other hand, watch and show support just by being there. The group least involved in peer bullying are uninvolved bystanders who actively avoid violent situations by turning away or leaving. Potential defenders feel like defending the victim, but for various reasons they do not do so. However, defenders – the least common group – intervene to oppose the aggressor and actively defend the victim.

• Initiate and take an active part in persecuting activities

• Actively participate in the aggressor’s activities. However, they never plan or initiate them. 

• Actively show their approval of the aggressor by laughing, making jokes or calling names to the victim. They count on social gains in the form of recognition from a popular persecutor.

• In a “one-to-one” situation they behave like a normal friend supporting the victim. Although in a peer group they show a passive or active approval to the aggressor’s actions, don’t admit that they are friends with the victim: don’t defend the victim, and sometimes join the aggressor.

• Watch and show support just by being there. 

• Actively avoid violent situations by turning away or leaving.

• They feel like defending the victim, but for various reasons they do not do so.

• They intervene to oppose the aggressor and actively defend the victim.

• Victims of violence

Aggressors need an audience. They choose a time and place so that they can publicly persecute and ridicule the victim because this can give them a high position in class, popularity and a sense of power. According to the dominance theory, stalking the victim is a tool for the aggressor to obtain a reward in the form of attention from others. Therefore, he must choose the victim, the situation and the method of persecution so as not to expose himself to possible condemnation. Therefore, the aggressor chooses a student who does not have many friends in the class, is lonely and excluded from the peer group, chooses a person with features that cause him to be perceived as someone who deserves to be persecuted and is only to blame.

Introductory Workshops: “The Circle of Violence – How It Works?”

• Description: Students learn about the circle of violence model, the roles within it, and the mechanisms of bullying. The workshops aim to help students understand how their reactions influence bullying situations.
• Methods: Discussions, group exercises, and short role-playing scenarios, arts.

Creating a Defender’s Code

• Description: In groups, students develop a “Defender’s Code” – a set of rules and specific actions that can help in responding to bullying. Each group presents their version, and together, a unified document for the entire school is created.
• Outcome: The code is published on posters and shared on the school’s social media.