Year 2008

Project Type Development of Innovation

Status granted

Country EU-Centralised Projects

Marketing Text Cyberbullying is a new form of school bullying that involves the use of electronic devices such as e-mail, instant messaging, chat rooms, mobiles, or other forms of information technology. In contrast to other forms of bullying, it reaches a far wider audience at rapid speed, transcending boundaries of time, and physical and personal space. The findings to date suggest that a significant number of pupils, around 25%, are directly involved in cyberbullying.

Although some research exists in the partner countries in many countries the number of studies that focus on cyberbullying is small; many are still exploratory. Though first country-wide initiatives have been launched in some countries, in the majority of European countries initiatives are still few. Apart from sporadic smaller projects or single web sites, there are hardly any coordinated activities targeting the cyberbullying problem. Currently there is a lack of well-grounded information on the problem, resulting in overstrain for professionals trying to provide adequate support.

The CyberTraining project aims at providing a well-grounded, research-based training manual on cyberbullying for trainers. The training manual will include background information on cyberbullying, its nature and extent in Europe, current projects, initiatives and approaches tackling the cyberbullying problem, best practice Europe-wide as well as practical guidance and resources for trainers working with the target groups of pupils, parents, teachers and schools. The manual will be practice- oriented and aims to prepare trainers for work with different target groups. It will be available online as a user-friendly eBook in English, German, Spanish, French and Portuguese versions.

Summary Cyberbullying is a new form of school bullying that involves the use of electronic devices such as e-mail, instant messaging, chat rooms, mobiles, or other forms of information technology. In contrast to other forms of bullying, it reaches a far wider audience at rapid speed, transcending boundaries of time, and physical and personal space. The findings to date suggest that a significant number of pupils, around 25%, are directly involved in cyberbullying.

Although some research exists in the partner countries in many countries the number of studies that focus on cyberbullying is small; many are still exploratory. Though first country-wide initiatives have been launched in some countries, in the majority of European countries initiatives are still few. Apart from sporadic smaller projects or single web sites, there are hardly any coordinated activities targeting the cyberbullying problem. Currently there is a lack of well-grounded information on the problem, resulting in overstrain for professionals trying to provide adequate support.

The CyberTraining project aims at providing a well-grounded, research-based training manual on cyberbullying for trainers. The training manual will include background information on cyberbullying, its nature and extent in Europe, current projects, initiatives and approaches tackling the cyberbullying problem, best practice Europe-wide as well as practical guidance and resources for trainers working with the target groups of pupils, parents, teachers and schools. The manual will be practice- oriented and aims to prepare trainers for work with different target groups. It will be available online as a user-friendly eBook in English, German, Spanish and Portuguese versions.

The development of the training manual will build on a multi-level research process that starts with an initial analysis of trainers’ needs and preferences in terms of a training manual as well as a multi-level qualitative questioning process that aims at structuring experts` views on the cyberbullying problem. In national research processes the partners will deepen these insights and findings through target oriented research activities. Outcomes will be summarised in national and transnational reports that form the basis for the development of the training manual.

Description 1. Project Objectives

Overall objective: Creation of a training manual focusing on cyberbullying

The CyberTraining project aims to develop a training manual focusing on cyberbullying that aims at providing trainers with clear guidance, support and resources. The training manual primarily addresses trainers from across Europe working with schools, parents and young people affected by or dealing with cyberbullying on various levels. The manual aims at being both practical-oriented and well-grounded on the latest research outcomes on cyberbullying. It will be made available online in the user-friendly format of an eBook in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Bulgarian.

Involvement of trainers and experts in an initial needs assessment phase

The project puts a specific emphasis on involving its target group – trainers from across Europe – in the process of developing the manual by means of assessing their needs, interests and preferences in terms of the training manual. Furthermore experts in the field of school bullying and violence on the one side and information and communication technologies (ICT) and Internet safety on the other side will get involved in the project’s initial stage.

Providing an overview about the state-of-the art on cyberbullying in Europe

Prior to developing the training manual the partners will outline their countries’ situation in form of country reports that will partly provide the basis for the development of the training manual. For each of the partner countries - Germany, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and the UK - two reports will be made available that differ in terms of their thematic focus. While the first set of reports outlines each country’s situation in terms of cyberbullying (i.e. definitions and terms used for cyberbullying in this country, studies on cyberbullying available in this country and their outcomes) the second set of reports provides an overview about approaches tackling cyberbullying in each of the partner countries (i.e. government actions, activities by NGO, activities on the level of school as well as brochures, guidelines or manuals focusing on cyberbullying).

European orientation makes professionals learn from other countries’ experiences

The project explicitly approaches the cyberbullying problem from a European perspective by analysing initiatives from throughout Europe. In this rather early stage of dealing with the cyberbullying problem this means that trainers and other professionals can profit from experiences that have been made in other parts of Europe. This contributes to promoting the realisation of a common European approach in a rather new field of research where there is less national experience than in other fields.


2. Project Approach

Methodologies: needs assessment and analysis of state of the art

The project’s first, research-oriented phase aims at providing a well-grounded basis for the development of the training manual for trainers. This research-oriented phase in the project’s first year approaches the topic of cyberbullying on various levels, by means of needs assessment and a description of the state of the art in each partner country.

Trainers’ needs assessment: online questioning and online focus group

In an early phase of the project trainers were questioned in order to get concrete information about their state of information on the cyberbullying problem and intervention strategies as well as their needs and preferences in terms of a training manual. The outcomes of an initial qualitative online questioning of 55 trainers from throughout Europe were discussed an deepened by 16 trainers in a moderated online focus group. The outcomes of the discussions’ analysis were summarized in a report that will be considered in the process of development of the training manual.

The experts’ perspectives: online questioning and online focus group

Parallel to the questioning of trainers, 46 experts on school bullying and violence on the one side and ICT and Internet safety on the other side participated in an online questioning. The outcomes were discussed in an online focus group in which 25 experts were involved. Again, the main outcomes and conclusions were made available in form of a report that will be one of several starting points for developing the training manual.

National reports on cyberbullying in the partner countries and beyond

The outcomes of the partners’ research on cyberbullying were summarized in form of two reports for each of the partner countries, one that focuses on the countries’ situation in terms of studies or research initiatives focusing on cyberbullying, terms used for cyberbullying, reactions of media, public, policy makers etc. and a second one that outlines approaches tackling bullying in the respective countries.


3. The project’s evaluation strategy

Online questioning tools and experts’ feedback

Users’ feedbacks on the project’s products such as the national reports or the training manual for trainers will be measured by means of online questionnaires that will be provided on the project web site. In order to get experts’ feedback, the project’s concept and products has and will be presented and discussed at conferences, work shops and other events that involve experts in the field of cyberbullying, school bullying and violence and Internet safety.

External evaluation

In their evaluation activities the partners get supported by an independent, external evaluator, Gareth Long Project Management (GLPM). The main areas monitored by the external evaluator are i.e. the progress made towards the contractual outcomes, the manner in which the partnership performs as a transnational collaboration, the extent of the inclusion of the target group in project planning and activities or the effectiveness and impact of dissemination activities.

4. Dissemination and exploitation

In the project’s first year there have been two small, target group oriented web-based campaigns, mainly aiming at involving trainers and experts in the working process. Furthermore, all partners have been actively involved in dissemination and networking activities such as presentations of the project at conferences, work shops and other events.

Dissemination campaigns in the project’s second year aim at attracting the target group’s attention to the project’s outputs. This will include press releases, contacts to media as well as a web campaign (e.g. postings in newsgroups, forums, blogs etc.), research articles in scientific journals, presentations at conferences as well as dissemination via networks the partners are involved in.

Themes     Social dialog
    Continuous training
    Initial training

Sectors     Human Health and Social Work Activities

Product Types website
open and distance learning
teaching material
material for open learning
modules

Product information 1. The project’s three main phases

The CyberTraining project’s main outcome will be a training manual in form of a user-friendly eBook aimed at being a resource for trainers that provides them with state-of-the-art information on cyberbullying, approaches tackling the cyberbullying problem as well as best practice from European countries.

The project includes the following three phases and activities:

- Phase 1: Research phase
- Phase 2: Creation of the manual for trainers
- Phase 3: Dissemination and valorization


2. Outcomes of phase 1 (October 2008 – October 2009)

This phase aims at gathering information – on trainers` needs in terms of a training manual (WP2) and experts’ views and experiences related to cyberbullying and ways to combat it (WP3).

Online questioning and online focus group for trainers

As mentioned previously one of the first steps in the research-oriented first year of the project was a multi-level information gathering process that aimed at assessing trainers` needs and preferences in terms of a training manual. This process included the development of qualitative questionnaire for trainers and its online implementation, a qualitative analysis of the questionings outcomes and their summary in form of an interim report. Selected outcomes were deepened in a moderated online focus group of trainers that was held in Moodle, a virtual learning environment (VLE). The overall outcomes and conclusions of both the online questioning and the online focus group’s discussions were summarized in a report that currently gets reviewed and that will be published at the project web site.

Online questioning and online focus group for experts

Parallel to the information gathering process that focused on trainers, experts were invited to online questionings and online focus groups. Again, this included the development and application of online questionnaires, an analysis and summary of the main outcomes, their discussion in an online focus group in Moodle as well as the delivery of a report that summarizes the main outcomes and conclusions of this information gathering process.

National reports and book: Cyberbullying in the partner countries

As outlined above one of the outputs of the project’s first year was the delivery of country reports on cyberbullying in Germany, Spain, Ireland, Portugal and the UK. The country reports are currently in the process of internal reviewing and will be published online at the project web site together with a transnational comparative analysis. The country reports will also be part of a book that will be published by the partners in 2010 and that will also include chapter that outline the situation in Switzerland, Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, France, the Nordic countries, the Balkan countries, the Benelux countries as well as the USA, Australia and Japan.

National reports: Tackling cyberbullying - approaches in the partner countries

The partners also delivered country reports that outline approaches in their countries that aim at tackling cyberbullying. Again, the country reports are currently in the process of internal reviewing and will be published online at the project web site together with a transnational comparative analysis

Project web portal

The portal includes all relevant project-related information, a download area that provides the project’s reports and other outcomes as well as a protected internal section for the partners. A forum/weblog will give users of the eBook the opportunity to exchange experiences about the cyberbullying problem. The project portal will be available in all partners’ languages (EN, BG, ES, DE, PT). It mainly addresses trainers but nevertheless is also open for a broad audience of International users dealing with or interested in the topic of cyberbullying.


Phase 2: Creation of the manual for trainers (November 2009 – July 2010)

Basing on the outcomes of phase 1 and considering the target group’s needs the project’s second phase aims at creating the content of the training manual (WP6). The final version of the training manual will be implemented in form of a eBook (WP7) that will be made available in all partners’ languages.

Manual for training trainers: content

The training manual will include background information on cyberbullying, its nature and extent in Europe, current projects, initiatives and approaches tackling the cyberbullying problem, best practice from throughout Europe as well as practical guidance, tips and resources for trainers working with pupils, parents, teachers and whole schools. The manual will be practical oriented and aims at preparing trainers for the work with different target groups. It will be made available online in form of a user-friendly eBook (around 150-200 pages; languages: EN, DE, ES, PT, BG).

eBook: interactive manual for trainers

The eBook is an adaptation of the training manual to a more user-friendly format. The eBook combines an attractive layout with a clear and usable navigation structure. The manual’s content is split up in smaller, more readable text blocks each of which is also available in a printable version. The eBook will be implemented in each of the partners’ languages. Apart from the project’s main target group of trainers dealing with the topic of cyberbullying it will certainly be of high interest for other users groups dealing with, affected by or interested in the topic of cyberbullying.


Phase 3: Dissemination and valorization

The project’s final phase aims at disseminating the project’s outcomes (WP8) for instance by means of press releases, media contacts, web campaigns as well as the publication of articles in scientific journals or presentations at conferences.

Projecthomepage http://www.cybertraining-project.org