he Buenos Aires City Ministry of Education presented this morning Comprehensive protocol To prevent, detect, intervene, and monitor bullying and harassment among peers.a guide with specific tools aimed at educators and parents, whose main purpose is to prevent, detect and comprehensively deal with these attacks, accompanying victims, attackers and their families both during the detected situation and in the aftermath.
Buenos Aires Education Ministry officials said the city government had previously worked with schools based on a document with general guidelines for handling bullying incidents, but without a written protocol with detailed prevention and post-intervention plans.
This protocol includes a total of 20 veneers. School coexistence councilDetails of ; Coexistence agreement in each school and classroomand organization Reflection day and awareness campaign in the educational setting.
It also emphasizes the importance of the family’s “active participation.” “Families are actors with shared responsibility in creating a safe environment. They must participate in prevention, accompany school interventions and cooperate in repairing relationships when conflicts arise,” the document emphasizes.
In this protocol, the city government sets out the importance of both families and schools taking action when suspicions or incidents are discovered. “Schools play an important role in educating citizens and building healthy bonds. This protocol accompanies that commitment and provides tools to prevent and counter all forms of peer violence,” the school said. Buenos Aires Minister of Education, Mercedes Miguel.
This protocol, first of all, defines what bullying is and distinguishes it from sporadic conflicts between peers. The document explains that to talk about bullying, you must face cases such as: Violence that is used intentionally and continues over a long period of timewithin Asymmetrical power relations between students. This violence can manifest in many ways: physical, verbal, psychological, social, or digital aggression (cyberbullying). The effects caused to people suffering from this disease can be physical, mental, or social damage.
The protocol states that bullying usually occurs in the presence of witnesses, whose silence or recognition reinforces violent power relations.
The document created by Miguel’s team sets out a set of conditions that all schools must meet. He elaborates that each educational institution must have: Safe personal listening space A place where students can voice their concerns. These spaces should be occupied by a tutor, preceptor, professor, or career companion.
Each school must then design one. Individualized support plans for students with a history of being victims or perpetrators of bullying“From careful consideration to ensure care and prevention in the face of possible future situations.”
If a relationship pattern that may pose a risk factor is detected, school authorities must proactively refer to an external team or advocacy group.
The document also points out the importance of educational institutions. involve family “Share observations that may require support from families in a discreet and timely manner, provide guidance, and facilitate collaboration with schools.”
Each school must set a schedule Meet with families at least once a quarter It aims to strengthen school coexistence, reflect on limitations, promote responsible use of technology, and develop strategies to contain emotions.
Families must also participate in days of reflection, organized campaigns, and the preparation of coexistence agreements. “A consent form must be signed by the family It is a valuable tool for strengthening a sense of belonging, commitment and collective responsibility in promoting school coexistence,” the protocol emphasizes.
School authorities must also share information with students’ parents Information material with guidelines for identifying warning signs Act in the face of potential bullying situations. “It is important for families to be involved in early detection. Pay attention to signs such as isolation, behavioral changes, and reports of violent situationswithout minimizing conflict,” he points out.
Given these signs, the document states that families must address issues of bullying and harassment “with empathy, avoiding blame and seeking appropriate responses in dialogue with schools.”
The protocol includes List of boarding actions When a case of possible bullying is discovered. First, highlight Need to generate space for individual or group interaction Listen carefully to what happened.
In addition to this,Content and educational activities It is tied to empathy, respect, peaceful coexistence and the responsible use of language. and the development of recreational proposals, dramatizations, or participatory dynamics that promote dialogue, cooperation, and peaceful resolution of conflicts.
What is further added is group review and Strengthening agreed coexistence rules Collaborate with groups, promote active compliance, and accompany student witnesses to help students establish themselves as “agents of care, prevention, and support within the classroom.”
Schools must engage and notify families, share what happened, notify them to make observations that require support from the family, and “provide guidance and facilitate collaboration with the school to reverse the behavior, remediate the situation that has arisen, and undertake a commitment to conduct joint monitoring.”
The institution also Record detected conditions The records of the corresponding institutions will record relevant data, such as a statement of the facts or suspicions, the preliminary analysis carried out, and the initial measures taken.
If the bullying situation persists, schools will need to implement “comprehensive systemic interventions.” “The seriousness of the situation requires a formal, planned, and sustained response that involves the administrative team, technical team, faculty, staff, and families in a clear manner, and may also include communication and clear coordination with other competent organizations,” the protocols assert.
Schools must seek the participation of a technical team with the capacity to provide socio-educational support. For state agencies, this intervention may be implemented by the Department of School Leadership (DOE), Social Educational Support Team (ASE), and/or School Leadership Team (EOE) as appropriate. In the case of private educational institutions, the authorities of the educational institution may request the intervention of the supervisory team of the Directorate General of Private Education for the purpose of receiving advice.
The protocol says at this point: different levels of intervention, This includes conversations and actions with those directly involved, their families, and other students in the classroom.
Interventions for victims of bullying include: Establishing spaces for safe and reliable dialogue, in particular care measures within schools, such as the presence of an adult reference person and adaptation to school dynamics.
Regarding the individual or group that attacked the victim, interventions include the creation of a listening space that focuses on reflection on the harm caused. Assumption of responsibility and compensation. School authorities also recognize that: a written warning of possible consequences if the behavior is repeated; and Notification to Responsible Adults.
This intervention includes: Compensation measures or sanctions In accordance with the provisions of Articles 58 and 59 of the School Regulations; Examples include “verbal or written warnings that must be communicated to parents or responsible adults, compensatory measures for the benefit of the school community, suspension of participation in extra-curricular activities sponsored by the child or the educational institution, change of educational institution, etc.”
Regarding parental involvement, facilities must: Convene separate family members of all involved (victim, perpetrator and, if applicable, witnesses), provide information regarding the intervention carried out; establish concrete commitments Verifiable accompaniment and participation in reflective spaces. Schools must formalize these commitments in writing and incorporate them into their institutional records.
“Unreasonable non-compliance with commitments by family members or responsible adults may result in the adoption of additional institutional measures and, if necessary, the intervention of competent rights protection authorities,” the protocol details.
If you notice, Existence of risk or suspected infringement of rightseducational institutions must apply the “Joint action procedure between the Council for the Rights of Girls, Boys and Youth and the Ministry of Education in situations of presumed or violation of the rights of girls, boys and youth” approved by jointly signed resolution No. 1-GCABA-CDNNYA/24.
“The school supervisory authority may intervene with the Ministry of Public Guardianship and, if necessary, make a jurisdictional intervention within the framework of a program of respectful coexistence among peers,” the document states.
One of the main novelties of this document is the inclusion of a depiction of cyberbullying and digital violence, as well as action guides for educators and families when they discover this type of situation.
The document stipulates that in such cases, in addition to the measures already mentioned, the school must advise the victim’s family, informing them of how to contact the school. Accounting department specializing in computer crimes and violations of the City of Buenos Aires.
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