Silent Victims of Hidden Pandemic

"<< Background >>Over the past decade, digital technology has become deeply embedded in the daily lives of youth, providing them with new ways to communicate, learn, and socialize. However, this rapid digital integration has also led to increased risks, including exposure to harmful behaviors such as cyberbullying. The pandemic intensified these issues, as young people were forced to spend more time online due to lockdowns, school closures, and social distancing measures. This shift to virtual spaces meant that many young people experienced heightened vulnerability to online harassment and bullying, often with limited support or supervision. The project was launched to address the increasing use of excessive technological tools and the resulting cyberbullying problem among young people, which has been exacerbated during the pandemic. The identified needs included a lack of awareness and tools among us youth workers who work with young people to effectively recognize, prevent and intervene in cases of cyberbullying. There was also an urgent need to support disadvantaged young people, especially those who lack safe digital environments. The project seeks to foster a safer digital environment by strengthening the capacity of youth workers. << Objectives >>Our project aimed to enhance the knowledge, skills, and awareness of youth workers voluntarily engaged in our institutions, particularly in the areas of cyberbullying awareness and intervention strategies. We also focused on equipping them with creative drama and psychodrama methods, encouraging the practical application of these techniques. By utilizing these methods, we sought to foster empathy, equality, and social participation among young people. Additionally, we targeted raising cyberbullying awareness among 200–300 youths, aiming for at least a 30% increase in their understanding of the issue. To ensure broader impact and sustainability, we compiled all our work and methodologies into a comprehensive Youth Workers Handbook titled ""My Safe Digital World"", enabling more youth workers to benefit from the project's outcomes. Through this multifaceted approach, the project not only addressed immediate challenges related to cyberbullying but also contributed to building long-term capacity within youth work institutions to support safer digital engagement. By actively involving youth workers in the activities, the project empowered them to take ownership of prevention efforts and become leaders of change within their communities.<< Implementation >>During our project, we organized three transnational youth worker training mobilities: Super Awareness in Belgium, Drawing Borders in Turkey, and A Promising Future in Romania. Alongside these mobilities, we carried out various local activities with our partners. Our Romanian partner, Anda Manea, led a webinar for young people focused on cyberbullying, while the handbook My Safe Digital World was prepared by our Turkish partner and published on the project website by the Romanian partner, with each organization distributing it to their stakeholders. Our project’s social media accounts were actively used to share updates and activities, including the project announcement, goals, posters, and highlights from the Belgian mobility, where youth workers explored the impact of adult behavior on young people through five sessions organized by the Romanian partner. Other shared content included a TV interview with the Romanian partner, press news from the Turkish partner, World Clean-up Day poster designs from all partners, and drama and coding activities conducted by all the teams. The Belgian team notably organized and participated in Science and Technology Week, leading hands-on experiments, robotics and coding workshop. << Results >>A total of 63 youth workers participated in the mobility training activities, gaining valuable skills to support young people more effectively. Over 350 young people engaged in various local activities organized throughout the project, including workshops, webinars, and awareness campaigns focused on cyberbullying prevention and intervention. These activities helped increase awareness and understanding significantly, with participants reporting improvements of over 70-80% in recognizing, addressing, and preventing cyberbullying. To ensure the sustainability and wider impact of the project, a comprehensive handbook was developed, featuring newly created drama-based tools and exercises designed to engage young people creatively while promoting empathy and social inclusion. This handbook was published and made publicly accessible online, serving as a practical resource for youth workers and educators to continue their efforts in creating safer, more inclusive digital environments. By sharing these tools, the project supports ongoing education and youth work beyond its immediate scope, helping empower more young people to navigate the digital world safely. Overall, the project sets the stage for improvements in digital safety."