Before It’s Too Late - İstanbul

Background

While peer bullying and violence ratios are high in schools, there is no standard operation procedure for preventing these cases. There is a need to increase the awareness of middle and high school students on these issues, and to prepare a school-based standard operation procedure in collaboration with different public institutions to prevent adolescent neglect and abuse.

Project Goals

• “Stop Abuse Before It’s Too Late” training kit will be developed and will be applied to 1,400 teachers and administrators in 30 schools.
• Training of Trainers kit will be prepared and applied on 35 teachers.
• School-based Standard Operation Procedure will be developed against abuse and adolescent neglect in schools and the procedure will be presented to Ministry of Education.

Project Results

• A training program was developed for developing school-based intervention mechanisms, and preventing adolescents from abuse, bullying and flirt violence.
• Meetings were held with the participation of all relevant stakeholders such as lawyers, prosecutors, Ministry of Health Children Monitoring Centers, Police Department and Provincial Health Directorates.
• School-based Standard Operation Procedure was prepared with the recommendations of all institutions in order to define, evaluate and guide abuse, peer bullying and flirt violence.
• 60 trainings were applied in 53 schools at Bayrampaşa, Esenler, Eyüp, Fatih, Gaziosmanpaşa and Zeytinburnu. Total of 1.432 teachers were reached including all branches and ranging from 5th to 12th grade.
• Beside teachers, parents and school personnel were also trained. 333 parent and 306 school personnel participated in trainings in 6 provinces.
• An informative video on adolescent abuse was prepared. Communication activities were conducted through social media and press news.
• With the beginning of the trainings, 13 cases, which were reflected from school principals and teachers participating in trainings, were consulted and processes were monitored.

“I wish I had participated in this training when I first started my career. Who knows how many students have been victims of abuse, peer bullying or dating violence before my eyes! Yet, I am very happy that I can now observe my students in a completely different way and help them without losing any time from now on. I believe the Standard Operation Procedure enables teachers to intervene in a systematic way.” A Teacher and Participant of Positive Youth Development Training

“In our school, we now definitely notice an abused kid immediately and follow the relevant standard operation procedure.” A School Principal and Participant of Positive Youth Development Training

“Participating in the training, I thought it was another one that would be a waste of time. Once I heard the first sentence of our trainer, however, I knew I had been so wrong to think that. It was a much more different and well-prepared training course compared to the others we had to date. Having completed the training, I am now confident that I can respond to a student who is a victim of abuse or violence.” A Teacher and Participant of Positive Youth Development Training