TABBY TRIP IN EU. THREAT ASSESSMENT OF BULLYING BEHAVIOUR IN YOUNGSTERS, TRANSFERRING RISK OF INTERNET PROTECTION PROCEDURES IN EUROPE
EUROPEAN PROJECT N° JUST/2011-2012/DAP/AG/3259
SUMMARY
Violence that young people can suffer due to the use of new technology and social networking tools has also been identified as cyberbullying, cybethreats and sexting. Digital natives communicate, make new friendships, make themselves known and learn about music, sport, culture, via the use of Internet and cyber tools. Though this is having very positive impact and use, there is a dark side of the web which can be devastating.
The Tabby approach has proved to be efficient, in the first project (JLS/2009-2010/DAP/AG/1340 AMG), we want to expand it to new 3 EU partners and increase its efficacy, and develop new approaches in a total of 8 different EU countries.
The Tabby Trip in EU is a program designed to increase youngsters’ understanding of the potentially negative impacts of new technologies and to educate them on risks and solutions with the aim to ensure their wellbeing and safety. The Tabby Trip approach is composed of an online self-assessment of risk tool, videos, booklet for teacher, but also of a so called “serious educational videogames” aiming at increasing awareness and eventually, hopefully change any risky behavior.
ACTIVITIES
The project has different aims:
1) Develop the actuarial Tabby self-assessment risk on line tool based on significant predictive risk and protective factors derived from the first Tabby action research study.
2) Increase adults (teachers, parents) and youngsters’ understanding of the negative impacts of new technologies with regard to cyberbullying and cybervictimisation and assess the impact of the educational and psychological activities undertaken with the Tabby Trip toolkit, to reduce risky behaviors and make right choices on line. This will be done by extending the outcomes (tools and data), the rationale and the expertise developed during Tabby in Internet to additional EU countries, regarding:
4) Establish efficacy of action research awareness program by gathering long term follow-up data and sensitivity of assessment of threat on future behavior.
5) Publish and disseminate results via press conference, news release, the dissemination via the Ministries’ in each country that will inform schools and share knowledge on the topic of cyberbullying, cyberthreats and sexting, via participation to national and international conferences with broad target.
FROM TABBY IN INTERNET TO TABBY TRIP IN EU
The experience of the European project Tabby in Internet has enabled us to develop an effective and efficient approach for risk assessment and management of cyber bullying accidents.
This approach identify the risk factors and the appropriate strategies to be adopted in order to protect adolescents from the web’s traps through the use of the following tools:
-Tabby Checklist: the answers given provide an assessment of the risk that teenagers run to act or be bullied online. The checklist completion allow teenagers to get a risk profile and useful tips to avoid falling into the Web’s traps
-Tabby videos: 4 short video clips that illustrate and make youngsters think about the "risk" they frequently can run when they underestimate the potential risks associated to a distorted use of the new technologies.
-Booklet and teachers’ training: teachers’ training aim is to at identifying risk factors for involvement in cyber bullying and to learn about preventive measures to be taken
Given the proved effectiveness of the Tabby method developed, we considered necessary to continue to increase cyber bullying awareness and prevention, through the European project Tabby Trip in EU.
The Tabby Trip in EU project will allow:
PARTNERSHIP
The partners involved in the project were selected to improve and share the Tabby in Internet Experience (DAPHNE project N° JLS/2009-2010/DAP/AG/1340 AMG).The University of Cyprus (CY), the Aristoteles University of Thessaloniki (GR), the Eszter Foundation (HU), The Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD), Chiamamilano (IT) already participated to the past project, the new goals are to improve the efficacy and the results in terms of decreased victimization among schools population of these 5 countries. The new partners could help to disseminate this method in in three more European countries. In particular, the Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology of the Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain) is partner of the applicant because of its previous wide experiences in European Project and in action research on bullying. The European Observatory of Violence in Schools (France) and the The Centre for psychoeducational services, Kazimierz Wielki University have a multi-year well documented experience in violence and violence prevention in schools. TiconBlu partnership is necessary to develop a new tool of the Tabby approach an interactive serious videogame “Tabby Plays Videogame” to disseminate in schools and on Internet the rationale and the method.
Therefore, our Goal for this DAPHNE project is to disseminate, share and improve the Tabby Approach, to develop a large-scale project built on a wide partnership involving organizations from a significant number of Member States and develop and disseminate the first cyberbullying “serious videogame”, establishing in this way the Tabby approach and method which makes the beneficiaries of the programme in charge of their own change.
METHODOLOGY
The Tabby Threat assessment of Bullying Behaviors is proving to be effective, efficient, of interest for young people, enabling students to become responsible for their own choice and behavior on line in terms of harming other on line or being harmed.
The method used of threat assessment (i.e. use the online tool to come up with a level of risk score, based on static and dynamic risk factors, and protective one) is an innovative approach, which is now expanding also in Europe, and we want now to expand it in two significant countries (Spain and France) where traditional bullying in school has been extensively searched and addressed. The ultimate way to increase awareness in kids on the safe behavior in the cyber world in general and reduce the risk of becoming target of cyber menace or doing these things, is to use an immersive tool that can be created with videogames. All ages children and adolescents are passionate of videogames. The so called “educational game” have a specific purpose, that of learning skills, methods, increase competence.
By developing this ad hoc serious game where kids at school with the supervision of teachers they will play, and by playing they will reach goals and immerse themselves in ‘real’ plausible situations where performing the action in the game, they face with risky situation and have to try to find the ‘right’ way, or will pay the consequence.
This is a constructive approach with virtual experience which will enable beneficiaries of the tool to change risky on line behavior. The target of this intervention are also teachers which will use the “Tabby Plays Videogame” as part of their classes.
The videogame methodology is added to the Tabby Toolkit (threat assessment on line, videos and booklet) and it will be available for students in the project in all 8 EU countries/languages. The impact of the videogame will be assessed by measuring self reported risk assessed online prior and after the use of the videogame.
Violence that young people can suffer due to the use of new technology and social networking tools has also been identified as cyberbullying, cybethreats and sexting. Digital natives communicate, make new friendships, make themselves known and learn about music, sport, culture, via the use of Internet and cyber tools. Though this is having very positive impact and use, there is a dark side of the web which can be devastating.
The Tabby approach has proved to be efficient, in the first project (JLS/2009-2010/DAP/AG/1340 AMG), we want to expand it to new 3 EU partners and increase its efficacy, and develop new approaches in a total of 8 different EU countries.
The Tabby Trip in EU is a program designed to increase youngsters’ understanding of the potentially negative impacts of new technologies and to educate them on risks and solutions with the aim to ensure their wellbeing and safety. The Tabby Trip approach is composed of an online self-assessment of risk tool, videos, booklet for teacher, but also of a so called “serious educational videogames” aiming at increasing awareness and eventually, hopefully change any risky behavior.
ACTIVITIES
The project has different aims:
1) Develop the actuarial Tabby self-assessment risk on line tool based on significant predictive risk and protective factors derived from the first Tabby action research study.
2) Increase adults (teachers, parents) and youngsters’ understanding of the negative impacts of new technologies with regard to cyberbullying and cybervictimisation and assess the impact of the educational and psychological activities undertaken with the Tabby Trip toolkit, to reduce risky behaviors and make right choices on line. This will be done by extending the outcomes (tools and data), the rationale and the expertise developed during Tabby in Internet to additional EU countries, regarding:
- training of new EU partners on cyberbullying, cyberthreats and sexting;
- translation and adaption of the Tabby toolkit materials in the additional EU countries languages;
- train teachers of each new partner on the Tabby Toolkit;
- conduct an action research with data collection and intervention on self risk assessment via the new actuarial Tabby on line, use of booklet for teachers and videos with students;
- follow-up to measure changes of level of risk, and increased awareness and reduction of violent online behavior.
4) Establish efficacy of action research awareness program by gathering long term follow-up data and sensitivity of assessment of threat on future behavior.
5) Publish and disseminate results via press conference, news release, the dissemination via the Ministries’ in each country that will inform schools and share knowledge on the topic of cyberbullying, cyberthreats and sexting, via participation to national and international conferences with broad target.
FROM TABBY IN INTERNET TO TABBY TRIP IN EU
The experience of the European project Tabby in Internet has enabled us to develop an effective and efficient approach for risk assessment and management of cyber bullying accidents.
This approach identify the risk factors and the appropriate strategies to be adopted in order to protect adolescents from the web’s traps through the use of the following tools:
-Tabby Checklist: the answers given provide an assessment of the risk that teenagers run to act or be bullied online. The checklist completion allow teenagers to get a risk profile and useful tips to avoid falling into the Web’s traps
-Tabby videos: 4 short video clips that illustrate and make youngsters think about the "risk" they frequently can run when they underestimate the potential risks associated to a distorted use of the new technologies.
-Booklet and teachers’ training: teachers’ training aim is to at identifying risk factors for involvement in cyber bullying and to learn about preventive measures to be taken
Given the proved effectiveness of the Tabby method developed, we considered necessary to continue to increase cyber bullying awareness and prevention, through the European project Tabby Trip in EU.
The Tabby Trip in EU project will allow:
- to disseminate, improve and implement at EU level the risk assessment method developed (tabby toolkit), it is currently used in 8 EU countries and is available in English, Italian, Greek, French, Spanish, Polish, Bulgarian and Hungarian;
- to develop and share good practice for the cyber bullying phenomenon stud, and a methodology for risk assessment and intervention whose scientific validity has been proved in the previous project Tabby in Internet;
- to develop, implement and build healthy relationships among students and between students and teachers, and to educate to the correct use of the network;
- To upgrade the TABBY toolkit with a new instrument, namely the educational videogame “Tabby Plays Videogame” an interactive game designed to promote changes in adolescents’ attitudes towards cyber bullying and allow the acquisition of appropriate strategies for the proper use of the new communication technologies.
PARTNERSHIP
The partners involved in the project were selected to improve and share the Tabby in Internet Experience (DAPHNE project N° JLS/2009-2010/DAP/AG/1340 AMG).The University of Cyprus (CY), the Aristoteles University of Thessaloniki (GR), the Eszter Foundation (HU), The Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD), Chiamamilano (IT) already participated to the past project, the new goals are to improve the efficacy and the results in terms of decreased victimization among schools population of these 5 countries. The new partners could help to disseminate this method in in three more European countries. In particular, the Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology of the Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain) is partner of the applicant because of its previous wide experiences in European Project and in action research on bullying. The European Observatory of Violence in Schools (France) and the The Centre for psychoeducational services, Kazimierz Wielki University have a multi-year well documented experience in violence and violence prevention in schools. TiconBlu partnership is necessary to develop a new tool of the Tabby approach an interactive serious videogame “Tabby Plays Videogame” to disseminate in schools and on Internet the rationale and the method.
Therefore, our Goal for this DAPHNE project is to disseminate, share and improve the Tabby Approach, to develop a large-scale project built on a wide partnership involving organizations from a significant number of Member States and develop and disseminate the first cyberbullying “serious videogame”, establishing in this way the Tabby approach and method which makes the beneficiaries of the programme in charge of their own change.
METHODOLOGY
The Tabby Threat assessment of Bullying Behaviors is proving to be effective, efficient, of interest for young people, enabling students to become responsible for their own choice and behavior on line in terms of harming other on line or being harmed.
The method used of threat assessment (i.e. use the online tool to come up with a level of risk score, based on static and dynamic risk factors, and protective one) is an innovative approach, which is now expanding also in Europe, and we want now to expand it in two significant countries (Spain and France) where traditional bullying in school has been extensively searched and addressed. The ultimate way to increase awareness in kids on the safe behavior in the cyber world in general and reduce the risk of becoming target of cyber menace or doing these things, is to use an immersive tool that can be created with videogames. All ages children and adolescents are passionate of videogames. The so called “educational game” have a specific purpose, that of learning skills, methods, increase competence.
By developing this ad hoc serious game where kids at school with the supervision of teachers they will play, and by playing they will reach goals and immerse themselves in ‘real’ plausible situations where performing the action in the game, they face with risky situation and have to try to find the ‘right’ way, or will pay the consequence.
This is a constructive approach with virtual experience which will enable beneficiaries of the tool to change risky on line behavior. The target of this intervention are also teachers which will use the “Tabby Plays Videogame” as part of their classes.
The videogame methodology is added to the Tabby Toolkit (threat assessment on line, videos and booklet) and it will be available for students in the project in all 8 EU countries/languages. The impact of the videogame will be assessed by measuring self reported risk assessed online prior and after the use of the videogame.
