The University of Padua's
Department of Developmental Psychology has created an online
anti-bullying course designed specifically for the general
public, teachers and families, to raise awareness and educate
about bullying and cyber-bullying.
"We start with the definition of bullying and
cyber-bullying, talking about how to recognize it and the
underlying psychological processes," said Professor Gianluca
Gini, one of the course's creators, together with colleague
Professor Tiziana Pozzoli.
Gini said the course analyzes class and family dynamics and
teaches individual and group bullying prevention and
intervention strategies based on national and international
scientific studies.
He said the class was created as an online platform in
order to be more available and wide-reaching throughout the
country.
Sign-ups are already open and the class will begin in
January on a weekly basis for two months.
Although he said bullying solutions have to be treated on a
case-by-base basis, he advises victims of bullying to "not be
scared or ashamed but to always talk and ask for help".
He suggests parents and those in the environment where
bullying is taking place "listen well, meaning understanding the
difficulty beyond just the facts, without trivializing,
minimizing or placing blame".
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