Hello everyone! The Bavarian government in Germany has implemented the strategy “Mit Mut gegen Mobbing” (with courage against bullying), which I want to explore with you today. I discovered this strategy while researching whether there is a specific protocol for handling bullying cases in Germany, similar to the one in Catalonia.
The
strategy “Mit Mut gegen Mobbing” follows the aim of raising awareness about
bullying and violence, while also developing professional intervention methods.
This includes the promotion of anti-bullying measures as a permanent part of
the school concept. To reach these goals, the government has developed a
brochure, which includes information about bullying and possible interventions.
It starts by giving definitions and explaining the different roles in bullying,
such as reinforcer or bystander. Additionally, the importance of the school and
teachers is emphasized, with the teacher also serving as a role model for the
pupils. However, the strategy also involves social workers and psychologists,
who can support prevention and intervention. In contrast to the Catalan
protocol for bullying, the Bavarian strategy suggests every school to develop
an individual concept. While this carries the advantage that the concept can be
tailored to the specific circumstances of each school, it is in my opinion
questionable whether each school has the time and resources to develop an
individual protocol. This made me curious and led me to research the website of
my former school in Germany. Unfortunately, I was not able to find anything
about bullying on their website, which led me to the assumption that their anti-bullying
concept is either non-existent or invisible for the broader public. Nevertheless,
the Bavarian strategy does include recommendations on how to proceed in
bullying situations. When the teacher notices the occurrence of bullying, the
first step should be informing the school principal about the situation. This
may also include consulting other school staff, for instance social workers. Subsequently
the incident should be documented in written form. For following conversations
with victims, perpetrators or parents, the brochure advises that at least two
individuals from the school staff are present. Furthermore, the brochure
introduces a scale outlining different levels of escalations, which serves as a
guide for finding the right intervention. Additionally, there are case examples
presented, demonstrating possible interventions, including an acknowledgement
of their advantages and limitations. Finally, the brochure provides practical
materials intended to use in actual bullying situations, which I believe could
be of valuable support. For instance, it includes questions that can be asked
or guidance for documenting conversations or bullying situations.
In
conclusion I can say that the Bavarian strategy follows important aims against
bullying. Its brochure provides the schools with helpful guidelines and information.
Nevertheless, I remain critical of the expectation that each school should
develop its own anti-bullying concept without a binding structure. This could
lead to inconsistencies in how bullying is addressed across schools.
Sources: “Mit Mut gegen Mobbing” (2020). https://www.isb.bayern.de/grundsatzthemen/paedagogische-grundsatzthemen/praevention/handreichung-mit-mut-gegen-mobbing/ , https://www.km.bayern.de/lernen/inhalte/gesundheit/praevention/gewaltpraevention/mit-mut-gegen-mobbing
Lara Düngfelder
Thanks for sharing this! I found it really interesting to learn about the Bavarian strategy “Mit Mut gegen Mobbing.” I hadn’t heard of it before, and I think it’s a good step that the government provides schools with materials, definitions, and practical tools to deal with bullying.
ReplyDeleteWhat stood out to me is the idea that each school should create its own anti-bullying concept. I see how this can be useful to adapt to each school’s reality, but like you mentioned, it raises questions about whether all schools have the resources and time to actually do it well. The fact that your former school doesn’t seem to have anything visible on their website kind of confirms that risk.
I also liked how the strategy includes other professionals like social workers and psychologists, not just teachers. From what we’ve studied in psychology, we know that bullying has complex emotional and social effects, and it really needs a multidisciplinary approach.
Overall, I think the strategy has several strengths, particularly in raising awareness and encouraging the involvement of different professionals. However, I agree with you that having a clear and unified framework would likely help ensure consistent implementation across all schools.
Salma Garrijou
Interesting! I found it interesting that the Bavarian strategy encourages each school to create its own anti-bullying concept. This allows for flexibility, but like you mentioned, it raises concerns about whether all schools have the capacity to develop something effective. In the Netherlands, the approach is a bit more centralized, with programs like KiVa being widely used, which helps ensure more consistency across schools. Both approaches have their strengths, but clear guidance and support seem essential either way!
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