Educational support project for 200 children

SOS Children's Villages, as part of its prevention programs (to avoid family separation) has launched a campaign to prevent bullying in schools. To this end, we give workshops in numerous schools and institutes to both children and adolescents and teaching staff.

To highlight the existing reality in our country in the face of this serious problem, we have prepared a study that highlights the following:

1 in 3 victims of bullying in Spain say they do not tell anyone. The problem of bullying already affects 1 in 10 primary school students, 1 in 9 in the case of cyberbullying. This translates into suffering that, on many occasions, they suffer inadvertently and without the emotional resources to address it. That is why SOS Children's Villages, which considers prevention and early detection essential, launches the #StopSilencio campaign to make bullying visible, focusing not only on the victim, but also on the aggressors and those who are complicit with their silence.

#StopSilencio denounces the impact of bullying on children's mental health. Through images that show the pain experienced by the victims, the campaign underlines the psychological consequences that can accompany children and adolescents for life. These effects include anxiety when facing situations such as going back to school, low self-esteem and negative perception of themselves, insecurity and possible behavioral disorders. The most severe cases can lead to depression and even suicidal behavior.

Whatever its effects, the result of bullying is profound suffering on the part of children without the emotional resources to cope with the abuse. In fact, statistics indicate that 1 in 5 victims of bullying have thought about ending their lives.

For this reason, from SOS Children's Villages we want to raise awareness among schools about the importance of having bullying prevention plans and early detection, essential to guarantee a safe environment in the classroom.

Raising awareness to break the "law of silence".

At SOS Children's Villages, we have been working on the prevention of bullying in the classroom for more than 25 years. In this line, we have held awareness talks in schools with experts and young people. They deal with bullying and also cyberbullying, a form of abuse that goes beyond the physical environment of the school to sneak, through social networks, into spaces that were previously safe for the victim, for example, their own home.

On the other hand, we carry out values education programs in which, every year, more than 200,000 children in Early Childhood and Primary Education work on concepts such as respect, equality, trust or solidarity. In addition, it develops School Mediation Programs that teach techniques to improve coexistence at school, to prevent and deal with conflicts and to accompany children and adolescents who are alone.

These initiatives are complemented by the work that, every year, we carry out in our 30 Day Centers and 5 Early Childhood Education Centers, on the occasion of the return to the classrooms. Through them, we contribute to reducing the educational and digital divide by providing support that extends throughout the year and includes: school supplies, books, food, clothing, footwear and hygiene items, as well as educational reinforcement for children and adolescents and individual and family psychological counselling.

Within the framework of this work, #StopSilencio arises to make visible and eradicate a problem that not only concerns schools, but also concerns society as a whole. The campaign kicks off with an awareness-raising spot starring actress, director and screenwriter Leticia Dolera, who has publicly said she has suffered bullying, and directed by Lorena Pagés, winner of a Goya Award.

Why did this study come about? To highlight a painful reality.

11 people a day take their own lives in Spain, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), which is equivalent to one suicide every two and a quarter hour. That is without counting the frustrated attempts, which oscillate around 8,000 a year. Triple the number of people die from this cause than from traffic accidents, 13.6 times more than from homicides and 90 times more than from gender violence.

According to provisional data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) in June 2024, there were 3,952 cases in 2023. For the first time since 2018, there was a decrease in mortality from this cause. Specifically, the figure fell by 6.5% compared to 2022, the year in which 4,097 people took their own lives, 84 of them under 20 years of age. 2022 was the year in which the most suicides have been recorded in the history of our country, closely followed by 2021 and 2020. The numbers of children under 15 years of age tripled between 2019 and 2021. Suicide is, at the same time, the second leading cause of death for young people between 15 and 29 years of age, only preceded by cancer. Worldwide, about 800,000 people commit suicide each year, with one death every 40 seconds, making it a global public health problem. Each case is a tragedy that affects families, communities and countries, and has lasting effects on the victim's loved ones. It can occur at any age, and in 2019 it was the fourth leading cause of death in the 15 to 29 age group worldwide, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Suicides do not only occur in high-income countries, but it is a phenomenon that affects all regions of the world. In fact, according to the WHO, more than 77% of suicides in 2019 took place in low- and middle-income countries.

In schools and institutes, where children and adolescents spend a large part of their day, it is essential to create a safe and supportive environment, which favors emotional expression and conflict management. Although steps have been taken towards incorporating emotional education into the curriculum, there is still much to be done to detect and treat their suffering effectively.

For schools to be spaces where students can share their emotions and receive the right support, it is essential to provide teachers with the necessary tools to identify signs of discomfort, even when they are not obvious. Often, emotional problems remain hidden because boys and girls do not express their suffering openly.

In cases where a student at risk is detected, action protocols must be activated quickly, informing families and referring them to specialized services when necessary. It is essential that emotional education is integrated into the official curricula of Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary Education, to teach children and adolescents to manage their emotions without resorting to violence.

In addition, teacher training to prevent bullying and manage it properly should be part of the curricula of teaching careers and kept up to date throughout their professional lives. The lack of mental health professionals in many schools limits the ability to respond to serious situations. For this reason, schools must have specialized support networks to advise and guide teachers in these cases. Continuous training and access to these resources are essential to act effectively and, where necessary, provide adequate care to children and adolescents who are suffering.

Similarly, to contribute to creating safer and healthier spaces in schools, it is key to weave internal support networks, which include teachers, students and mental health professionals, and which act to guarantee the well-being of students and prevent tragedies such as suicide. It is essential to equip teachers with the necessary tools to identify signs of discomfort, even when they are not obvious.

Links:

• Study on suicide prevention in students