Peer School Against Peer Violence: Testimonies from Participants
Mihaela During the training on peer violence, I had the opportunity to give a presentation in front of 40 students and two psychologists at my school. It was a huge experience for me, but at the same time a big challenge. What scared me the most was whether I would be able to keep everyone’s attention, especially when I knew that not only first and second year students would be listening to me, but also professionals in some way. The nervousness and fear of making mistakes were constantly present, because it was important to me that my message was clear and well understood and, above all, that those who sent me here were satisfied with my work. When the presentation was over, I felt relieved and very happy and relaxed. Although I was afraid, I managed to overcome it and convey the topic with dedication. It was wonderful to see how my words affected the students, and to hear positive feedback from all of them. It gave me additional motivation and confidence. I would definitely present again. Every new experience of this type helps me improve and feel more confident in myself, both now and in the future. I see it as a chance to grow and pass on my knowledge to others. When it comes to working with elementary school students, I would gladly accept. I believe that working with younger students is extremely important, because they are in a period when they learn the most and form themselves as individuals. I would like to help them learn how to deal with violence and create positive relationships with the people around them. Through this experience, I realized even more that I find myself in psychology and that this is the field in which I want to develop in the future. I want to continue working with young people, to inspire them and help them deal with the challenges that life brings. Predrag I am Predrag Kirov, I am 15 years old and I study at a technical secondary school. I was giving a presentation in front of about twenty children and we were learning about fighting peer violence. From the presentation I learned a lot about myself, but also about others. I learned that people who commit violence also have problems, not just those who receive it. Ognen I am Ognen, a student at the technical school in Bitola and I was a peer educator from the School against Peer Bullying. Before the presentation started, I was afraid of the fact that I could very easily get confused and not be understood or interested by the audience, but that immediately changed as soon as I started presenting. Since the presentation ended, I felt nice, relieved and fulfilled that I was able to spread awareness about the peer violence that occurs in today’s society. I would definitely like to present again, both in front of my peers and in front of elementary school students on this topic, because the topic is of great importance to everyone. Nektaria I am Nektaria Ilievska, a second-year student at SABA Bitola. Before coming to this workshop, when I started, I was afraid of presenting in front of many people, in front of children, as well as meeting new children, but as time went on, with each new workshop we got to know the children better. When we had to present as peer educators in our schools, things changed, and we were very relaxed. I am glad that many students relaxed and started sharing their experiences, whether they were bullies or victims of violence. And I hope that in the future more will join such workshops, so that we can reduce violence. Teodora P I am Teodora, I study in medical school and I am 16 years old. I think this presentation was useful and that I learned a lot of new things. I know that this presentation will benefit me in the future and I know that those who listened to me will learn something more about what peer violence actually is. I had no stage fright at all about the presentation and no one should have stage fright, because it’s not scary and if you’re educated about what you’re talking about, then it’s easy to express it to all those who want to listen to you.
Peer School Against Peer Violence
In September, the selection of peer educators for the new “Peer School against Peer Violence” at YMCA Bitola began! After informing and consulting with the high schools in the municipality of Bitola, cooperation began with 6 high schools, which selected interested students, and in the following period they underwent a series of lectures, and at the end of the semester they became peer educators. In the following period of two months, a new group of students became more familiar with the occurrence of peer violence and its consequences, shared experiences and learned how to address it to professional services and adults and, of course, to understand it better. Topics that we specifically focused on were: 1. Communication styles (followed by exercises from which we saw how our behavior and communication play a role in the messages we send to our environment), 2. The concept of power and influence, 3. Types of violence (physical, psychological, social and cyber-violence) and 4. The concept of non-violent communication, as an approach that everyone can be prepared for and learn to apply in their everyday lives. The next 2 workshops took place in a different atmosphere, where the participants first thought about peer violence through guided meditation, regardless of whether it happened to them or they witnessed it, and then through art all of this was expressed individually. Through colors and creativity, by drawing and creating works of art, they shared what it means to feel supported by peers and how we can all play a role in ending bullying. Each picture is its own story of resilience, empathy and hope. The peer school was led by a psychologist and a youth worker from YMCA Bitola. After completing the 4 modules and 2 art workshops, which dealt with peer violence and topics related to it in our local environment, the trained students – peer educators conducted a presentation in front of their students and their class by the end of December this year. These peer educations were very well received by schools, professional services, but above all by the students themselves to whom the educations were dedicated. At the end of the school year, we had a ceremonial awarding of certificates to the peer educators, who successfully completed the education against peer violence and held workshops and educations in their schools. The goal of these workshops was to raise awareness about this phenomenon in order to reduce it. We continue with activities in the second semester, with students from primary schools in the Municipality of Bitola. The project “Peer School against Peer Violence” of the Youth Association YMCA Bitola is a continuation of the peer school initiative within the Youth Center in Bitola, on topics related to mental health, which are relevant for young people, as well as for the Municipality itself. The project is supported by CVJM #SignsOfHope and the Municipality of Bitola and is implemented in cooperation with 6 high schools in the city.
Call for peer educators against Peer Violence [CLOSED]
This call is for locals only. Please refer to the Macedonian language page for details.
