How would you choose a school for your children if you could consult the list of Italian schools certified on the prevention of bullying and cyberbullying? Today it is possible. To counter these phenomena, since 2018 there is also the Uni/PdR Practice 42:2018 “Prevention and fight against bullying – Guidelines for the management system for schools and organizations aimed at minors”, aimed at schools and organizations that host minors. An absolute novelty in the panorama of certifications in Italy and in the world, it is a tool to obtain the “anti-bullying certification” issued by an accredited body. To accredit the bodies is Accreditthe single accreditation body designated by the government, which operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy and carries out activities of public interest.
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According to the data collected by Elisa, the platform of the Ministry of Education and Merit, in the 22-23 school year the 26.9% of the students interviewed had been victims of bullying While 17.5% actively took part in bullying episodes. In the digital world, the attacks involved 8% of the students interviewed as victims and 7.2% as perpetrators of cyberbullying episodes.
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“The UNI 42 Practice is a precious tool, born from the collaboration between Accredia, the Italian standardization body UNI and FIDAE, the federation of educational activities representing numerous educational institutions of all levels” he comments Emanuele Montemarano, president of the supervisory body of Accredia and UNI -. Law 71 on cyberbullying, introduced in 2017, established for the first time theobligation to monitor bullying e di to name a specific teacher as a reference for anti-bullying, but it does not provide any specific indication on what they should do in practice other than appointing a person responsible for the topic.
The UNI/PdR 42 Practice has instead achieved a real leap in quality in the fight against bullying and is the first standard codified worldwide against bullying both in schools and in other structures aimed at young people, so much so that it has already been translated into several languages. Currently, over 100 scholastic and non-scholastic organizations, both public and private, are already certified. FIDAE itself, which promoted the adoption of the Practice, collaborates with the network of state schools and with the Ministry of Education and Merit, which has also taken up many of the ideas of the Practice in the National Guidelines on Bullying.
In force for 5 years, the practice will be transformed into a real norm in the coming months. An important step that underlines the effectiveness and importance of the tool, also given by the numbers: they are not only currently counted a hundred certified school complexes, but many structures in the non-school sector aimed at young people are approaching this certification, starting from the sports sector (in which episodes of abuse and bullying have often been at the center of recent news) up to the world of speakers and hospitality.
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So why an “anti-bullying” management system certified under accreditation? Because this allows you to identify the criteria to prevent and combat the phenomenon of bullying, and can be adopted by schools and training institutions of all levels, and more generally by all organisations, including non-scholastic ones, aimed at minors.
“The anti-bullying system, adopted following the best international practices, is regulated by Uni legislation and under Accredia accreditation – guaranteeing that schools and other certified structures follow rigorous and controlled anti-bullying standards – explains Montemarano -. This system is based on Practice 42, which ensures that participating schools are effectively certified and controlled for the prevention and management of bullying. The rules for pupils, but also for teachers and other school staff, are clear: they must follow established practices to prevent bullying and promote a safe and respectful school environment.”
Practices also include procedures to deal with cases of cyberbullying, even outside of school, with targeted educational and disciplinary interventions. A fundamental aspect is the implementation of educational and training actions aimed at the entire school population, through a structured program and a targeted action plan.
Monitoring is entrusted to an anti-bullying contact person, which, in addition to the provisions of law 71, is an anti-bullying safeguard significantly strengthened by Practice 42, which guarantees effective control over the bullying situation within the school. The system also includes a restorative justice modelstrongly inspired by the Encyclical Brothers all, aimed not only at punishing, but above all at managing conflicts and promoting reconciliation between the students involved. “To ensure a holistic and participatory approach, a committee composed of parents and students is established, who actively contribute to the promotion of a healthy and inclusive school environment”, concludes the expert and adds: “For parents concerned about cyberbullying and the rights to protect their children, the situation outside from school can be problematic, as there is no specific protection. However, by choosing a school certified according to Practice 42, you get 360 degree protection. Certification according to Practice 42 is voluntary, but offers a series of guarantees to parents and students. Annual checks and periodic verification ensure that the body maintains the competence and impartiality requirements necessary to effectively carry out its role. Accredia has accredited four bodies for certification against cyberbullying, guaranteeing high standards and reliability in the sector”.
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Italy stands out as the only country in the world to have so far provided for an anti-bullying certification, demonstrating a unique commitment to combating this phenomenon. “Although obtaining certification, as in all other sectors, requires an economic commitment, anti-bullying certification has very low costs – he concludes -. For example, for schools with more than 200 teachers, the cost of certification is 5000 euros over three years, guaranteeing an affordable investment for the protection of students and the promotion of a safe school environment. Accredia, as a body designated by the Italian government for accreditation, plays a crucial role in verifying the competence of certification bodies, ensuring high standards and reliability in the certification process. Although both Accredia and UNI are formally private entities, both operate in the context of European and national legislation as holders of a function recognized by the State in the context of the definition of technical rules and the control of compliance with them by organizations, constituting that precious national infrastructure of quality which, now also in a delicate sector such as bullying and the protection of minors, guarantees the citizen with respect to his fundamental rights.