The fight against cyberbullying steps up in Finestrat on the Costa Blanca with school workshops

THE fight against bullying – in particular via social media – continues in Finestrat with special workshops aimed at primary children.

The workshops are led by municipal psychologist, Myriam Lloret, who encourages students between nine and 12 years-old to analyse the consequences of bullying and provides them with various tools so they know how to act in these situations.

Avoiding the “law of silence” is key, and the workshops promote communication so that young people can speak out if they are the victims of harassment or cyberbullying.

María Llorca, Councillor for Social Welfare, said “We have gone from harassment face to face to harassment in a virtual space, more anonymous, with a greater sense of impunity. In that space young people lose empathy, the ability to put themselves in the place of the other. And on top of that, it goes viral. Therefore, the damage is even greater.”

The sessions seek to make students aware of the impact of each malicious action, verbally or on social networks or whatsapp.

“It is essential that they reflect and become aware of the damage they can cause when commenting on a photo or sharing images of colleagues in compromised situations, for example.”

Llorca added: “It is important to involve the entire educational community, and especially students themselves because they are the main source of information. They know firsthand where harassment is taking place, who suffers it and who causes it. Therefore, it is essential to make them co-responsible to help their colleagues to manage, among all, this scourge that we have to solve together that is especially difficult to prevent on the Internet.”

The workshops, organised by Finestrat Council through the Department of Municipal Psychology, Bullying Prevention and Cyberbullying, are being taught at CEIP Balcó de Finestrat, as well as educational centres in Sella, Orxeta and Relleu.