The project is called "DisAbuse: Disablist Bullying - Experience into Change, providing the right support services" and has launched training programs across four European countries to prevent and combat bullying directed at people with disabilities. Coordinated through the Erasmus+ program and backed by the Anti-Bullying Centre at University College Dublin (Ireland), Fondazione Mondo Digitale (Italy), Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (Ireland), Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa (Portugal), and University of Murcia (Spain), the initiative has delivered encouraging results.
After completing the training, more than 80% of professionals demonstrated they could identify cyberbullying and harassment targeting people with special educational needs or disabilities. 96.7% could distinguish between bullying and conflict. At the start, 42.7% of surveyed students considered the problem "normal"; by the end, that figure had dropped to 20.5%. Most strikingly, 85.9% of students with disabilities reported they now knew how to protect themselves from harassment.
The project assessment used tailored questionnaires for different audiences: experts, trainers, and teachers on one side; adults and students with special needs or disabilities on the other. The questions measured participants' knowledge of bullying and disability issues and tracked how awareness grew through the training. The evaluation examined personal attitudes and opinions, direct experience, prevention and conflict-resolution skills, understanding of the phenomenon, and levels of engagement with resources and organizational support.
Source: Repubblica