Module 1
Factual Background
Chapter 2: Good Practices
2.2 Good Practice in Greece: National Policy and School Actions against School Bullying
Another important issue that schools and all educational agents are currently facing is bullying.
Violence and bullying in the school environment are not a recent phenomenon. They have been observed and recorded on an international level for many years and their impact on the learning process and the psycho-emotional development of students is dramatic.
The complex phenomenon of violence and bullying in Greek schools, the forms of manifestation and its consequences, has been the subject of research in Greece. The economic crisis, the crisis of the family institution, globalization, the intolerance of otherness and a lack of the appropriate educational approach and tools have among other factors contributed to the spread of the phenomenon, although the percentages are relatively low in Greek schools compared with those in other European countries. Sadly, according to a recent research in Greek high schools bullying focuses on the country of origin of the bullied, on belonging to another group or minority and on gender.
In our country, based on the current institutional framework, there are a number of bodies responsible for school violence and bullying, such as the offices of Health Education and Youth Counseling Centers and on a broader institutional level there is the independent authority of the Greek Ombudsman, University institutions as well as Non-Governmental Organizations, such as “The Smile of the Child”, the Care Center for the Family and the Child, etc.
The Greek Ministry of Education has formulated a national central policy for the prevention and treatment of school violence and bullying with the scientific guidance of the Central Scientific Committee (KEE) defined in the framework of the implementation of the Act “Development and Operation of Prevention Network and School of Violence and Bullying ” and successfully implemented several actions, such as the creation of a network at school level with Prevention
Action Groups (PACs) led by the Principal of each school unit, the production of educational a training material for training staff and teachers and a number of informative actions on a central and regional level (press releases, circulars, TV spots, publications, and printed material for each school unit).
In our school unit the phenomena of school violence are quite limited. Nevertheless, our educational community is informed about school bullying and has implemented several measures, such as cultivating a positive, favorable climate, which prevents the development of school bullying and the development by the principal of the cooperation of all members of the school community (Teachers’ Association, student communities, Parents' Association, Pedagogical Responsibility Counselors) so as to eliminate such phenomena.
The Principal motivates teachers, but also parents, to organize group activities within the school unit, such as sports and theater groups. Participating in such activities helps students to express themselves, to relax, to participate creatively, to be informed, to have fun and to collaborate, while improving the relationships between them and minimizing the emergence of school violence incidents. Our school also organizes training seminars to render teachers able to manage situations of school bullying.
Violence and bullying in the school environment are not a recent phenomenon. They have been observed and recorded on an international level for many years and their impact on the learning process and the psycho-emotional development of students is dramatic.
The complex phenomenon of violence and bullying in Greek schools, the forms of manifestation and its consequences, has been the subject of research in Greece. The economic crisis, the crisis of the family institution, globalization, the intolerance of otherness and a lack of the appropriate educational approach and tools have among other factors contributed to the spread of the phenomenon, although the percentages are relatively low in Greek schools compared with those in other European countries. Sadly, according to a recent research in Greek high schools bullying focuses on the country of origin of the bullied, on belonging to another group or minority and on gender.
In our country, based on the current institutional framework, there are a number of bodies responsible for school violence and bullying, such as the offices of Health Education and Youth Counseling Centers and on a broader institutional level there is the independent authority of the Greek Ombudsman, University institutions as well as Non-Governmental Organizations, such as “The Smile of the Child”, the Care Center for the Family and the Child, etc.
The Greek Ministry of Education has formulated a national central policy for the prevention and treatment of school violence and bullying with the scientific guidance of the Central Scientific Committee (KEE) defined in the framework of the implementation of the Act “Development and Operation of Prevention Network and School of Violence and Bullying ” and successfully implemented several actions, such as the creation of a network at school level with Prevention
Action Groups (PACs) led by the Principal of each school unit, the production of educational a training material for training staff and teachers and a number of informative actions on a central and regional level (press releases, circulars, TV spots, publications, and printed material for each school unit).
In our school unit the phenomena of school violence are quite limited. Nevertheless, our educational community is informed about school bullying and has implemented several measures, such as cultivating a positive, favorable climate, which prevents the development of school bullying and the development by the principal of the cooperation of all members of the school community (Teachers’ Association, student communities, Parents' Association, Pedagogical Responsibility Counselors) so as to eliminate such phenomena.
The Principal motivates teachers, but also parents, to organize group activities within the school unit, such as sports and theater groups. Participating in such activities helps students to express themselves, to relax, to participate creatively, to be informed, to have fun and to collaborate, while improving the relationships between them and minimizing the emergence of school violence incidents. Our school also organizes training seminars to render teachers able to manage situations of school bullying.
Back to the Guidelines section