Background

Bullying and cyberbullying are growing concerns across Europe, especially for children aged 8–12, a key stage in their social and emotional development. These issues harm mental health, well-being, and academic success, making it urgent to find effective prevention strategies.

The Respect Connect project addresses this challenge by promoting inclusion, diversity, and social-emotional learning (SEL) in schools. Its main innovation is a gamified app that helps students practice positive choices in real-life bullying and cyberbullying situations. An educational kit with lesson plans and teacher resources supports its integration into classrooms, making prevention engaging and sustainable.

Through international teacher training and collaborative activities, the project also equips educators to address sensitive topics such as diversity, mental health, and equality. By placing student well-being at the center, Respect Connect fosters safe, supportive, and inclusive school environments where every child feels valued.

The Growing Need for Action

11%

School bullying prevalence across Europe remains stable at 11%, while cyberbullying continues to rise (WHO/Europe, 2024).

32.4%

In Greece, 32.4% of children experience some form of bullying, and one in six say schools don’t provide enough prevention education (The Smile of the Child, 2023).

65% girls

55% boys

In Slovenia, 65% of girls and 55% of boys aged 8–12 have faced cyberbullying in the past three years, a significant increase since 2021 (Safer Internet Centre, 2025).

6%

In Spain, 6% of students are victims of school bullying (Díaz-Aguado, 2024).

33%

In Turkey, 33% of adolescents report in-person bullying and 17% experience cyberbullying (Eyuboglu et al., 2021).

These statistics highlight an alarming rise in bullying and cyberbullying among children, both in and outside school. Despite increased awareness and prevention measures, many students continue to face harassment that affects their mental health, emotional development, and academic success. The problem is particularly urgent for children aged 8–12, a stage when they begin forming empathy, identity, and social understanding.

A Common Challenge Across Schools

From the very beginning, the Respect Connect consortium identified bullying and cyberbullying as shared challenges across participating schools. Teachers often struggle to address these sensitive issues effectively, especially as harassment increasingly shifts into digital spaces. This has strengthened the project’s commitment to create innovative, engaging, and practical tools that help schools build safer and more inclusive environments for all students.

How Respect Connect Will Make a Difference

The consortium aims to promote empathy, inclusion, and positive behavior through two main educational resources:

allowing students to explore real-life bullying and cyberbullying scenarios, practice empathy, and make positive choices.

providing teachers with ready-to-use lesson plans, classroom activities, and discussion guides to integrate the app into everyday teaching.

By combining these tools, Respect Connect empowers teachers and students to prevent bullying, strengthen social-emotional skills, and foster a culture of respect both online and offline.