The Cabildo of Lanzarote, in collaboration with Actúa7, the La Caixa Foundation, and the MAPFRE Canarias Foundation, has successfully carried out the project 123 Bullying... Action, as part of the activities of the 2023-2024 school year. This initiative, aimed at preventing situations of school bullying and managing conflicts among primary school students, reached 1,066 students in 53 classrooms, distributed in 23 educational centers in the seven municipalities of the Island.
The Councilor for Education, Ascensión Toledo, pointed out that “through this plan, we have sought not only to raise awareness among students, but also to equip them with tools to manage their emotions, promote social skills such as empathy and assertiveness, and generate a critical and active attitude towards school violence.”
The main objective of this initiative has been to strengthen the values of belonging, protection, and coexistence among students, promoting a safe and respectful environment. The project has included awareness activities, group dynamics, and the use of theater-forum as a pedagogical tool, in order to facilitate emotional understanding and conflict resolution.
The head of the La Caixa Foundation in the Canary Islands, Yasmina Hormiga, detailed that “the collaboration in the project 123, Bullying... Action is part of the Social Projects calls, to which 2 million euros are allocated annually, so that non-profit entities in the Canary Islands can present their projects.”
For her part, the head of activity of the MAPFRE Canarias Foundation, Marian Caubín, highlighted “the importance of public-private collaboration in favor of initiatives such as this project with a high impact on social welfare, especially for those most vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents. A commitment to the Canary Islands to which we are allocating 3.6 million euros this year.”
Results
According to the data collected during the first questionnaire, the project 123 Bullying... Action has allowed to make visible problems that they face in their daily lives. 4.3% of the students indicated feeling afraid to go to the educational center for various reasons, while 7% indicated feeling fear towards one or more classmates.
However, after the activities, more than 88% of the participating students stated that they had developed a greater capacity for empathy, putting themselves in the place of the victims of school bullying. Likewise, 78% highlighted the importance of group support and self-esteem as key factors to improve school coexistence.
The project has had the active participation of the teaching staff, who have recognized the relevance of this type of initiative. 90% of the teachers surveyed after the implementation of the program indicated that interventions were carried out in the centers to improve coexistence, and 75% stated that the expectations prior to the project were met.
Given the success of the project in the 2023/2024 academic year, the Cabildo of Lanzarote is considering expanding the initiative in subsequent years, in order to continue promoting educational spaces free of violence and bullying.
