About the Project
Cyberbullying is recognised as a major social problem, ranking as the top concern for schools. Among others, cyberbullying affects students’ mental and physical health, leading to lasting impacts on their confidence, self-esteem, and even self-harm. Research indicates that 65% of cyberbullying in Europe occurs on online platforms. The COVID-19 pandemic forced schools and students into digital learning, exacerbating the problem with a 70% increase in cyberbullying during lockdown. Children with fewer opportunities, such as migrant students, tend to be targeted and bullied online the most, highlighting the need to raise awareness of this escalating threat and bring together all school actors to fight against it. The European Commission prioritises digital inclusion and a high-performing digital education ecosystem, to ensure that everybody can contribute to and benefit from the digital world.
The SafeOnline project
The Erasmus+ SafeOnline project (project number: 2023-1-PL01-KA220-SCH-000151070) aims to enhance students’ skills to effectively respond to cyberbullying, empower educators to combat it, and improve students’ digital resilience through innovative resources. Through an interactive, inclusive process that uses evidence-based practices, the project aspires to develop and evaluate high-quality material for school communities to deal with the phenomenon of cyberbullying via their daily practices within and beyond the school walls. This will help support educators and students, building their self-esteem, problem solving and digital skills, as these will make students capable of reacting to different instances appropriately and with more confidence.
SafeOnline aims to:
Encourage and empower all students (incl. those with fewer opportunities) to react properly to cyberbullying incidents by providing them with the necessary skills, knowledge and competences;
Build the capacity of educators, school leaders and school staff to organise and implement activities to combat cyberbullying;
Improve digital skills, resilience, and
self-esteem to students;
Develop innovative pedagogical material and digital resources to promote students’ digital resilience and wellbeing.
The project is funded with support from the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Programme and has a duration of 24 months (1/12/2023-30/11/2025).