Students take action against bullying by participating to a week of awareness and mobilization organized by “The Smile of the Child”

PRESS RELEASE

Athens, 6 March 2017

Students take action against bullying by participating to a week of awareness and mobilization organized by “The Smile of the Child”

On the occasion of the 6th of March, National School Anti-bullying Day, “The Smile of the Child" is implementing an awareness raising campaign under the coordination of the European Student Volunteer Network YouSmile.gr with the goal to mobilize students, parents and teachers. More specifically, students mobilize their peers, teachers and parents in an effort to make them take action against the phenomenon. All the actions are uploaded on milatora.gr and highlighted via the social media of YouSmile (Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter).

On Monday, the 6th of March, “The Smile of the Child” organized an interactive meeting with students of the 5th Elementary school of Marousi under the coordination of YouSmile.gr and in cooperation with the official in charge of Public Health Education of the 2nd District of Athens. The aim of the meeting was to encourage students to talk about bullying as well as share their own experiences. During the meeting and through a fruitful dialogue guidance was provided to bullied children, bullies as well as bystanders of the phenomenon.

Students were welcomed by the President of “The Smile of the Child”, Costas Yannopoulos, who said:

“The Smile the Child”, which holds the Presidency of the European Anti-bullying Network (EAN), puts all its services at the disposal of children in Greece, develops actions and tools on the level of prevention, as well as on the level of intervention and therapy for every child victim of bullying. In 2016, 7.637 students, 1.259 parents and 709 teachers participated in interactive preventive interventions carried out in the framework of school visits across Greece. At the same time, the European Helpline for Children and Adolescents 116111 provided counseling support to 509 children who called the line in regards to issues related to bullying. Bullying is a serious public health issue and it requires constant mobilization, proper information and effective cooperation. It concerns us all in an effort to avoid having children and young people mentally destroyed”!

At the end of the meeting students visited the premises of the National Helpline for Children SOS 1056, met with the psychologists and social workers who staff the line, and were informed on the operation of the Helpline which provides services to all children in Greece, for any problem they face, on a daily basis, nationwide, 24 hours a day, free-of-charge from landlines and mobiles.

The week of mobilization and awareness-raising among students, parents and teachers includes the following material available in Greek:
● Communication material of the campaign:
YouTube video available here
Facebook material available here
Digital materials available here
Escalating GIFs in cooperation with Olgivy & Mather Berlin available here
Download the video or share it via your social media using the hashtag #ΜίλαΤώρα #StopBullying milatora.gr

● Messages of students from schools in Greece and abroad
Under the main slogan “Speak Now” schools from across Greece and abroad participate and create in their own unique way messages against bullying. The actions are highlighted on the digital channels of the Organization. Check here: https://milatora.gr/schools/

● Web online shows from students at YouSmile.gr. Watch the videos here: https://www.youtube.com/yousmiletv

● Olympic gold medalist Katerina Stefanidi will visit on Tuesday, the 9th of March, “The Smile of the Child” and the premises of the National Helpline for Children SOS 1056 and the European Helpline for Children and Adolescents 116111. During the visit, volunteers of the European Student Volunteer Network of YouSmile will have the opportunity to talk with her about her athletic career as well as the phenomenon of bullying.

● Visit of the 1st Mobile Lab of Information, Education and Technology “ODYSSEAS” to the municipal Park of Serres, from the 6th to the 10th of March, where psychologists and social workers of the Organization are carrying out informational sessions on the phenomenon of Bullying and School Violence to students, parents, teachers and the general public. The action of “ODYSSEAS” is carried out nationwide under the aegis and in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs.

● Interactive interventions to students, parents and teachers
Psychologists of the Organization are carrying out interactive preventive interventions to students nationwide (an action implemented on a steady basis throughout the year) based on a social story of a child who receives bullying. It is worthwhile to mention that “The Smile of the Child” recognizing the crucial role of the school community in Prevention carries out organized interactive and experiential actions targeting students, teachers, parents and guardians. The interventions are carried out from a specialized team of Psychologists of the Organization in Kindergartens, Elementary, Middle and High Schools across the country. The actions are implemented from “The Smile of the Child” in the framework of a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs in 2009 (and most recently updated) and in cooperation with School Counselors, Public Health Education, Prefectures and Municipalities.

● MAD is communication sponsor of the campaign. Thanks to the extremely important participation of MAD, their primary audience, mostly teenagers, will have the opportunity to receive information on the phenomenon through a TV spot, special shows as well as the social media of the channel.

All the actions are carried out under the aegis of the

For more information, please contact our press team to press@hamogelo.gr or +30 210 3306140.