Once again, the ue-Theater Regensburg made clear to the more than 100 fifth-grade students at the Ignaz-Kögler-Gymnasium in Landsberg what can happen when the topic of bullying is ignored, as part of the school's prevention program.
Tine, the ringleader of a bullying group, shows Marko what role he plays in the class: now called only “Stinky” by everyone, he is harassed, excluded, verbally degraded, and threatened in everyday school life. When Marko’s mother turns to the principal for help, he completely downplays the situation. Bullying at his school—impossible. On the contrary, scuffles on the schoolyard are normal... This has disastrous consequences for Marko.
Impressively and with a strong performance, the two actors showed the fifth-graders what bullying can do to people. They also clearly highlighted the motivations on the perpetrators' side. In an engaged conversation between the actors and the students that followed the play, ways out of bullying were discussed and the role of bystanders was also addressed.
To prevent violence among children and adolescents from becoming a taboo subject, the Ignaz-Kögler-Gymnasium in Landsberg relies on a prevention concept aimed at creating a social climate where everyone feels safe and comfortable. Following the motto “Prevention is better than cure,” the focus is placed on prevention rather than just on intervention.
As part of this concept, a violence prevention workshop was held, conducted by the organization “Self-confident and Strong.” One trainer from the organization worked with each of the four sixth-grade classes for one morning.
In general, the students explored the problem areas of bullying and cyberbullying: What types of—often subtle—violence exist? What are the causes of violence? How can I defend myself and seek help? And also: What role do I play as a “bystander”?
In addition, the workshop focused on practicing empathy. After all, only those who can put themselves in someone else’s shoes can effectively solve problems. In various exercises, the students learned to perceive others’ emotions and predict how others feel—especially in bullying situations.
A very interesting, informative, and enjoyable morning! was the feedback from many sixth-graders. The positive response shows that both the topic and the diverse methodology were well received. Feedback from the trainers also confirmed that the students worked well and were not afraid to address and analyze existing conflicts.
The project was funded by the Frank Hirschvogel Foundation.
