Preventing bullying and school violence in Jabal al-Natheef, Jordan
The local citizen action implemented by Jordanian youth leaders focused on preventing bullying and violence in the UNRWA school in Jabal al-Natheef. The school’s director reported that some 70 students of the 220 that make up the school had faced intimidation or bullying. The action’s goal is to work with a group of 20 mothers with children at school each semester and ultimately reach the mothers of all students.
As part of their community action, participating youth leaders implemented a number of activities to help address bullying and violence in school: 6 training sessions on alternative education to counter violence; discussion groups with mothers and fathers on the consequences of violence at home on bullying at school; and the production and dissemination of a video to promote inclusion, collaboration, and non-violence. These activities were new and useful for parents who learned more about parental education and gained new skills in preventing violence against their children at home and at school.
The results of this local action are the following: 10 young leaders were directly involved in the development and implementation of the action; 33 mothers and 1 father participated in the discussion groups. These activities enabled parents to learn more about alternative forms of parenting and how to avoid using violence as a mean to discipline or punish their children. These activities resulted in parents’ willingness to share their learning with other parents at school or in other schools in Jordan. The youth leaders found openness in participating in this action on the part of the UNRWA school’s director, teachers, students, and parents of this school.
For the success of this action, Facebook was used to share information, pictures, and set up a private discussion group for the teachers and parents; a private conversation group for the mothers was created on WhatsApp; and a video on preventing violence against women and children was disseminated on F