One in five Italian adolescents
is victim of physical bullying, while one in ten experiences
bullying on internet and social networks, according to a survey
by children's helpline Telefono Azzurro and Doxakids published
Tuesday.
Some 80% of cases of physical bullying occur at school.
"Bullying is a phenomenon that can have dramatic
consequences psychologically and for relationships and that can
push some victims towards extreme gestures," said Telefono
Azzurro president Ernesto Caffo, a pediatric neuropsychiatrist.
"Suffice it to think that 10% (of victims) attempt suicide
and 30% self harm. However, just one child in five informs an
adult that they are a victim," he continued.
"For this reason it is fundamental to break the silence and
help victims of bullying to overcome their shame and realise
that it is only by talking that they can interrupt the spiral of
violence in which they are involved," said Caffo.
The best strategy is to involve students, parents, teachers
and the broader community in tackling the problem, he added.
On Saturday and Sunday volunteers with Telefono Azzurro
will be in over 2,300 squares up and down the country for the
anti-bullying awareness raising campaign Fiori d'Azzurro.
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