The round table “Legal ABC for Youth: Results, Needs, Solutions Against Bullying” was held at the Ivano-Frankivsk Professional College of the Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University, which became the final event within the framework of the implementation of the “Youth Legal Literacy Project”.
The roundtable was attended by more than 50 participants, including heads and deputies for educational work of secondary education institutions in the community, as well as invited experts.
The purpose of the event was to present the results of the project, identify the needs of educational institutions in the field of combating bullying, formulate practical recommendations, and ensure interagency interaction and exchange of experience between participants in the educational process, representatives of human rights institutions, and law enforcement agencies.
Tetyana Polyakova, Deputy Director of Ivano-Frankivsk Vocational College for Educational Work, welcomed the participants of the round table and emphasized the importance of increasing legal awareness among young people and creating a safe educational environment.
The participants were also greeted by Vitaliy Verbovyi, representative of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, and Volodymyr Kovalchuk, Chairman of the College Supervisory Board.
Iryna Malinovska, director of the NGO “Agency for the Development of Private Initiative”, a college lecturer, presented the key results of the project on the topic: “Increasing legal awareness of students in grades 8–9 through a system of interactive trainings: coverage, dynamics of knowledge, feedback from participants in the educational process.”
The positive dynamics of the level of legal knowledge among schoolchildren, the high level of involvement and the relevance of interactive work formats were noted. Three key topics were considered within the framework of the panel discussion. The first topic concerned the real needs of educational institutions in the field of combating bullying.
Halyna Lyalchuk, head of the psychological service center of the Department of Education of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council, spoke on the topic: “Systemic challenges of implementing anti-bullying policy in community educational institutions: resource provision, psychological support, and interdepartmental coordination.”
The speaker focused on the need to strengthen psychological support for participants in the educational process and improve coordination between schools, psychological services, and social institutions.
The second topic is bullying prevention: legal mechanisms and juvenile prevention.
Maryna Balan, head of the juvenile prevention sector of the State Police Headquarters, revealed the topic: “Practice of responding to bullying cases: effectiveness of administrative measures, interagency interaction”, giving specific examples from practice and outlining ways to increase the effectiveness of the response.
The third topic concerned the protection of children’s rights in the context of violence prevention.
Vitaliy Verbovyi spoke on the topic: “Respect for children’s rights in conflict situations: monitoring, appeals, restorative practices.”
Tetyana Fursa, an expert on children’s rights protection at the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine, highlighted the topic: “Legal educational work with parents and teachers as a component of the bullying prevention system,” emphasizing the importance of involving all parties in the educational process in the formation of zero tolerance for violence.
The results of the event demonstrated the importance of continuing legal education work among children, parents, and teachers, as well as the need for a systematic approach to creating a safe educational environment.
The roundtable became a powerful platform for networking, sharing experiences, and consolidating the efforts of all stakeholders in combating bullying and protecting children’s rights.
The round table was held as part of the Youth Legal Literacy Project within the Youth Connect for Ukraine program, which is implemented by the British Council in Ukraine in partnership with the Charity Organization “Charity Fund “Welfare of Ukraine” and is aimed at developing youth leadership, civic activism and the ability of young people to respond to social challenges in their communities.