BECYBERSAFE (Beat Cyberbullying): Erasmus KA2 + Strategic Partnerships (Adult Education).

BECYBERSAFE project aimed to reveal different ways of motivating and engaging teenagers in safer use of internet. The project’s target group has been 12-17 aged teenagers of which the majority was been consisted of school age children. The partnership included Afyonkarahisar Provincial Directorate for National Education (coordinating partner)(TURKEY), YEGITEK (TURKEY), University of Manchester (England), Konsulent Øystein SamnØen (NORWAY), Interfusion Services Limited (CYPRUS), Artemisaworld S L (SPAIN), Kominikujeme OS (CZECH REPUBLIC), CEIPES (ITALY), Universidade de Coimbra (PORTUGAL).

As for the main activities of the project, these included: realizing a literature review in order to build a comprehensive approach on the subject matter; conducting a needs analysis that provides a diagnosis of the current situation, risks, problems and the requirements of online teenagers, parents, and educators; applying a study (questionnaires/surveys) on the target groups about the internet usage attitudes, digital literacy, online safety measures, awareness of cyberbullying, effects of cyberbullying, reactions on cyberbullying, organizing seminars for teenagers, parents, and educators; developing a project website; forming a blog or a facebook group; conducting national and transnational conferences; running a campaign against cyberbullying; preparing a guidebook for parents and educators; preparing a handbook for teens; creating an ICT tool; managing and monitoring activities, assessment and evaluation activities, and dissemination activities.

The impact of the project on the participants and partner organizations has been a considerable development of their existing knowledge and experience on the field, improving cross-cultural dialogues, improving individual and institutional administrative and communication skills.

Awareness of teenagers, parents and educators has also increased the concept of ‘cyberbullying’, digital literacy of the target groups, a perspective of precautions and safety measures against cyberbullying has been acquired and low school success, absenteeism and early school leaving related to cyberbullying have been targeted.

In overall, through BECYBERSAFE the partnership managed to create a set of approaches and strategies within the EU’s vision based on different ways of motivating and engaging teenagers in safer use of internet. Lastly, BECYBERSAFE served as a prevention tool for teenagers and an advisory guideline for the educators and the parents.