Malta’s Only Anti-Bullying NGO turns 5 today
bBrave, Malta’s only anti-bullying NGO, today completed five years of service and their achievements at this time were nothing short of excellent.
Since its inception, the volunteer-run organization has begun to raise awareness of various forms of bullying. Of which, they not only occur on a school platform, but in many other mediums.
Together they assist the victims of bullying, as well as the bullies themselves, in Malta. They do this through free counseling sessions by trainee counselors within the Department of Counseling at the University of Malta by Ronald McDonald House Charities Malta.
In its short term, the entity revealed its Bullying and Ostrism in the Workplace in Malta project, which involved the launch of a a national study on bullying and ostracism in the workplace.
The study was the first of its kind.
They are also responsible for the National Anti-Bullying Week, which takes place every November. During this time, schools and companies in Malta come together in an effort to raise awareness against bullying.
More projects, such as the Sticks And Stones pilot project, saw the introduction of drama production using puppets and workshops aimed at verbal abuse.
Perhaps the biggest incentive for the entities, however, was their mobile APP, which was developed in collaboration with the University of Malta Department of Computer Science.
According to a 2018 European survey, 32% of Maltese students reported being victims of any form of bullying, at least a few times a month. The fifth highest in Europe, after Russia, Latvia, Romania, and Bulgaria.
From disturbing videos of a girl hooked up by a classmate, to verbal abuse through social media. We saw everything. So much so, that many Maltese have recently opened up with Lovin Malta about the difficult ordeals they faced in their youth.
The act of bullying can have profound effects on one’s well-being. Both in the context of learning and health.
Interestingly, bullying seemed to have an impact on the community as a whole, with many pointing out that even the sight of their peers receiving harsh treatment was enough to upset their stomachs.
In addition, the bullys themselves may be victims of trial forcing them to commit acts.
It’s all just one unhealthy cycle. One that has yet to be given importance.
Currently, bBrave is the only organization other than the school’s Anti-Bullying Service (ABS) that assists victims of bullying. Although even if their attempts to function were thwarted by a lack of adequate manpower and funding, we cannot fail to acknowledge their service.
bBrave, take a bow!