UN International Day Against Violence and Bullying in Schools including Cyberbullying will be marked for the first time on the 5th November 2020 and on the first Thursday in November every year after that.
Conference
There will be a conference to mark the day, which will be held virtually on 5 November 2020 (from 13:00 p.m. to 15:00 p.m. – Paris time). The conference is being organised by the French Government and UNESCO to mark UN International Day Against Violence and Bullying in Schools including Cyberbullying.
According to the latest UNESCO report, almost 30% of school children globally have experienced violence or bullying at school.
This can result in significant negative effects including poorer academic achievement, mental health issues, and lower quality of life in general. Children who are frequently bullied are nearly three times more likely to feel like an outsider at school and more than twice as likely to miss school as those who are not frequently bullied. They have worse educational outcomes than their peers and are also more likely to leave formal education after finishing secondary school.
The International Day provides an opportunity for those of us who work with schools to increase our awareness and take further steps to tackle violence, bullying and cyberbullying at schools.
Ireland's efforts to support International Day Against Violence and Bullying in Schools are being co-ordinated by the team at the National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre in DCU.
You can find out more at our website
www.tacklebullying.ie
Other Useful Links
FUSE Anti-Bullying and Online Safety Programme for Schools
Webwise - national resource for online safety
UNESCO Website for Day Against Violence and Bullying in Schools including Cyberbullying
Government of Ireland Action Plan on Bullying
The Government of Ireland has taken very significant steps to support schools in tackling bullying and cyberbullying, and all schools are now obliged to implement the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools and the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools.
Conference
There will be a conference to mark the day, which will be held virtually on 5 November 2020 (from 13:00 p.m. to 15:00 p.m. – Paris time). The conference is being organised by the French Government and UNESCO to mark UN International Day Against Violence and Bullying in Schools including Cyberbullying.
The Conference will consist of a series of live sessions, including interactive round tables with ministers, experts, and representatives of the education community, as well as messages from high-level speakers, celebrities, and personal testimonials. You will find the programme attached.
Representatives of the Scientific Committee will present a summary of evidence-based recommendations to prevent and address bullying and cyberbullying. A document presenting a set of key recommendations will also be made available for the conference.
You can watch the Conference by following us via YouTube or Facebook Live, in English or French. Please find the corresponding links below.
· YouTube EN:https://youtu.be/RLvoevnDNNo
· YouTube FR:https://youtu.be/5xDwSihHNQo
· Facebook Live EN:www.facebook.com/unesco/live
· Facebook Live FR:www.facebook.com/unescofr/live
Should you have any questions on how to connect, please do not hesitate to contact Sylvan Séguy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Once again, thank you for all the work you are doing to tackle violence, bullying and cyberbullying in schools, and I look forward to seeing you all virtually on 5 November.
Professor James O'Higgins Norman
UNESCO Chair on Tackling Bullying in Schools and Cyberspace
