GUARD 2

Today more than ever, especially following the pandemic that has hit us globally, the contrast between the phenomena of traditional and online bullying represents a real challenge from which we cannot escape. The most recent statistics from the United Nations report that 1 out of 3 students in the world, between the ages of 13 and 15, has experienced bullying: it is estimated that globally 246 million children and adolescents experience some form of violence every year school or episodes of bullying.

The growing availability of new technologies has also led to an exponential increase in cases of cyberbullying in Europe, especially following the health emergency and the lockdown that has affected all the countries of Europe and beyond. Most of the available data concerns surveys conducted in industrialized countries, where it is highlighted that between 5% and 20% of minors have been victims of some form of cyberbullying. With the alarming confirmation of the identity of the perpetrator, who 3 times out of 10 turns out to be a contemporary. These behaviors appear to have very broad social implications, both for the victims and for the perpetrators of the abusive behavior: among these, there is the personal social development, education and psycho-physical well-being of minors, with negative effects that can last until adulthood.

The GUARD project is aimed in particular at the training of sports and socio-cultural operators, among the main interlocutors of children and adolescents, on cyberbullying issues. Indeed, the goal is to build a support network, a sort of "antenna system" in sports, cultural and social venues, so that the victims or those who, on the contrary, perpetuate episodes of cyberbullying can be promptly identified, allowing thus a specific intervention - also including any psychological support - is rapid. GUARD also refers to another important fact, according to which in all of Europe, only 7% of young victims of cyberbullying have informed teachers or parents.

One of the most serious problems is precisely the absence of reference adults; 60% of the victims don't turn to anyone, because they don't really know who to turn to. All the considerations we have collected clearly show how fundamental it is to invest in prevention, education and awareness programs in the sectors where the minor's personality is formed, in this case with particular attention to the contexts and places in which children and adolescents employ your free time.