Prevention of Violence and Child Abuse

In an everyday changing environment it is vital for schools to be able to identify violent behavior among students early and to implement prevention strategies that affect the entire community. Teachers are often in a sticky position when it comes to school violence a fact that puts them at risk for much of the same abuse as children in their schools, but it also assigns them the role of protector for a good part of each day. While school violence is everyone’s problem, teachers are in a valuable position when it comes to spotting signs of a problem long before it escalates. They are also relied on by parents to help them get through to the children when they’re at a loss and feel as if they’ve tried everything else. As an adult with the potential to gain a child’s trust, a teacher can be there for a child who may not feel like he or she can turn to anyone else. With the tools provided on this seminar educators will be ready to deal with them and do their part in combating school violence from the unique and powerful position that they are in.

Objectives
There are some things that a teacher can do to help prevent school violence. While no one can control how things are going to go, they can help make some changes that might even stop one violent attack in a school. The focus of the course will be the primary prevention with concrete information on how to recognize the warning signs that could indicate a problem so educators can possibly do something to help before the problem escalates. Participants will get familiar with different types of violence and child abuse and will learn how to respond to these situations to children in an appropriate way.
The program will help teachers strengthen young people's abilities to effectively solve difficulties that arise and their opportunities to participate in pre-social activities that can significantly reduce the risk for violence. School-based violence prevention programs have been proven to reduce rates of aggression and violent behavior among students.

Target Groups
Teachers working in kindergartens, primary schools, lower secondary schools.

Methods & Tools
Lectures, exercises, discussions, teamwork, role-playing, study visits.

Agenda

Day 1
✓ Introductory meeting, explanation of practical arrangements, presentation of timetable, information about course venue.
✓ Icebreakers, Introduction to the Course.
✓ Discussion about the problem of violence and child abuse.
✓ Recognize the 4 types of violence (bullying, sexual abuse, domestic violence and child neglect).

Day 2
✓ Work in pairs and small groups for further understanding.
✓ Learn how to offer help to victims and how to respond as professionals.

Day 3
✓ Improve students' social skills and problem-solving abilities.
✓ Learn how to help students know how to appropriately and safely intervene to stop an escalating violent episode between peers.
✓ Helping teachers build healthy relationships, model nonviolent attitudes and behaviors, and contribute to a broader positive school climate, which in turn lowers the risk for school violence.
✓ Encourage educators to use effective ways to manage a classroom, resolve conflicts non-violently, promote positive relationships between students with diverse backgrounds, and create positive student-teacher relationships so that students feel comfortable talking with teachers about violence-related issues.

Day 4
✓ Practicing communication skills among teachers and towards students
✓ Role- play workshops in communication
✓ Strengthen teachers’ Supports: Any seasoned teacher can always offer a hand of support to the children in time of need.
✓ Teacher are known to be temporal parents and so expected to as well give them
✓ parental support and affections.

Day 5
✓ Create a safe, supportive school climate.
✓ Professionals practice how to encourage students to take responsibility for their part in maintaining safe school environments.
✓ Focus on taking care of themselves first- protective factors.
✓ Feedback to the trainer about the effectiveness of the Course.

Day 6
✓ Study Visits

Day 7
✓ Erasmus+ program: objectives, priorities, actions, forms, budget, tips for applicants.
✓ Planning follow up activities, dissemination and exploitation of learning outcomes.
✓ Course Evaluation.
✓ Certifications.