Understanding Cyberbullying in Today’s Digital Environment

• Introduction to different forms of bullying and exploration of how bullying can extend from offline environments into digital spaces.
• Understanding cyberbullying, its key characteristics and impacts, and distinguishing it from traditional bullying, online conflict, teasing and other harmful online behaviours through examples and group discussion.
• Exploring how cyberbullying occurs in today’s digital environment, including social media, messaging and group chats, gaming platforms, anonymous accounts and online communities.
• Examining the evolution of cyberbullying and emerging forms of online harm, including AI-generated or manipulated images and videos, deepfakes, impersonation and the non-consensual sharing of altered content.

Recognizing Cyberbullying: Warning Signs, Risks and Group Dynamics

• Recognising behavioural and emotional changes that may indicate a learner is affected by or participating in cyberbullying, while avoiding fixed “victim” or “perpetrator” profiles.
• Exploring risk factors and group dynamics that can contribute to cyberbullying, including social exclusion, peer pressure and power imbalances.
• Understanding the different roles learners may take in cyberbullying situations, with particular attention to bystanders and the transition from passive bystander to active upstander.
• Analysing realistic case scenarios to identify warning signs, group dynamics and the roles of those involved, and to distinguish cyberbullying from conflict, isolated incidents and other harmful online behaviour.

Preventing Cyberbullying through SEL, Inclusion and Peer Action

• Exploring cyberbullying prevention strategies based on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), including empathy, respectful communication, emotional regulation, resilience, conflict resolution and positive relationships.
• Promoting responsible digital behaviour as a prevention strategy, including respectful online communication, considering the impact of online actions and avoiding contribution to harmful content.
• Providing learners with practical guidance on how to respond safely to cyberbullying, including supporting affected peers, avoiding the amplification of harmful content, reporting incidents and seeking help from a trusted adult, while encouraging bystanders to become active upstanders.
• Designing inclusive prevention activities that consider learners who may be particularly vulnerable due to disability, cultural or linguistic background, social exclusion or other circumstances.
• Practical group activity: adapting a cyberbullying prevention or peer-support activity to participants’ own educational contexts.

Responding to Cyberbullying and Supporting Learners

• Exploring immediate steps educators should take when a cyberbullying incident is identified, including ensuring learner safety, listening without judgement and avoiding actions that may escalate the situation.
• Understanding appropriate procedures for documenting and preserving digital evidence, reporting incidents and determining who needs to be informed or involved.
• Applying inclusive and learner-centred approaches to support those affected, while considering individual needs, circumstances and potential vulnerabilities.
• Exploring appropriate follow-up actions for learners involved and strategies for restoring safety, relationships and trust after an incident.
• Working through realistic cyberbullying scenarios to decide: What has happened? What should be done immediately? Who should be informed? How should evidence be handled? What support and follow-up are needed?

Building a Whole-School Response to Cyberbullying

• Exploring whole-school approaches to cyberbullying prevention and response, including shared responsibilities among teachers, school leaders, counsellors and other support professionals.
• Developing clear procedures for reporting, responding to, documenting and following up on cyberbullying incidents.
• Strengthening cooperation with parents and families through case studies and role-playing activities, practising how to communicate about cyberbullying incidents, prevention, online behaviour and shared responsibilities.
• Reviewing school policies and procedures to support consistent, inclusive and coordinated responses to cyberbullying and encourage help-seeking.
• Practical group activity: analysing a school-based cyberbullying case and mapping the roles, communication steps and coordinated actions required from identification through follow-up.

From Prevention to Action: Creating a Safer School

• Developing a Cyberbullying Prevention & Response Action Plan or practical school initiative adapted to participants’ own educational contexts, including prevention measures, reporting and response procedures, learner support and stakeholder responsibilities.
• Presentation and peer exchange of participants’ Action Plans, with opportunities to share ideas, receive feedback and identify practices that can be transferred to different educational settings.
• Reflection and exchange on key learning points, experiences and good practices developed throughout the course.
• Course evaluation, participant feedback and final discussion.

*Study visits will be selected according to availability

• Visit to Cyprus Police – Cybercrime Sub-Directorate – exploring cybercrime reporting, digital evidence, prevention and the role of law enforcement in responding to serious online incidents involving young people.
• Visit to Hope for Children CRC Policy Center – exploring child-centered approaches to cyberbullying prevention, learner support, family cooperation and multidisciplinary response.