The online workshop on cyberbullying was organized by the FutuReg Civic Association with the cooperation of the Hungarian partner organization ALTERNATIVA Egyesület.
The workshop took place twice, with two speakers and different topics. The workshop took place via the Zoom platform, 20 people participated, and it was financed by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union. FutuReg has 4 years of mediation experience, successfully completed 33 classes and trained 13 school mediators. During the workshop, participants were informed by Lívia Bott Domonkos about the following topics: contemporary and online mediation, digital emotional intelligence, and school mediation – which has an important role in preventing online bullying and in order to create a tolerant environment. The participants were able to learn that the mediation exercises held in schools usually work on a voluntary basis, all members of the class can participate, and the mediator is chosen jointly by the parties, who is usually a person with adequate negotiation skills. The solution is sought jointly by the parties, and this solution is the solution of the parties, not the decision of a third party. If an agreement is reached, it is considered class peace, an agreement between the parties. The advantages of school mediation in the treatment of cyberbullying are the following: the parties are cooperative partners, the development of mutual trust, the interests of the parties can be met at the same time, each party feels like a winner and is future-oriented. At the same time, it was also mentioned that the lack of mediation specialists can be felt, as there are few qualified teachers in this field. Due to the generational gap between teachers, parents and children, it is increasingly difficult to provide appropriate advice. Meanwhile, children’s mental health is getting worse, many children struggle with the compulsion to conform, and the lack of problem-solving skills is also a problem for many of them. Since mediators cannot be present everywhere, parents play an extremely important role in the prevention of online abuse. It is crucial to explain the potential dangers to children and teach them how to use the digital world correctly. In addition, open communication and listening to children is essential if a problem arises in the online space.
