NEWS
Morocco, France launches campaign against bullying
Moroccan Princess Lalla Meryem and French First Lady Brigitte Macron unveiled a new campaign aimed at combating bullying and cyberbullying at the Abi Dar Al Ghifari Secondary School in Rabat.
This initiative, unveiled on Tuesday, is part of the activities surrounding French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Morocco.
Under the banner “Let’s Act Together,” the campaign is spearheaded by the National Observatory for Children’s Rights (ONDE), an organization presided over by Princess Lalla Meryem. The initiative seeks to address the critical issue of school bullying, a global concern affecting millions of children and adolescents.
Reports indicate that bullying peaks between the ages of 10-13, impacting approximately 27.5% of students, while cyberbullying affects about 15.6% of those aged 14-17. Globally, studies suggest that one in three students experience bullying, with cyberbullying affecting one in five teenagers.
As part of the campaign, several initiatives will be implemented, including distributing a school bullying awareness program to 3,770 middle and high schools and developing the “iTyhad” app, designed to prevent bullying in educational settings.
A three-year training program aimed at combating bullying and cyberbullying will also be launched in collaboration with Morocco’s Ministry of National Education, Preschoo,l and Sports.
During the event, four engineering students, alongside a child and a child psychiatrist, presented the “iTyhad” app, which was developed during a Hackathon initiated by Princess Lalla Meryem earlier this year, involving participants from 15 universities across Morocco.
Additionally, the two leaders viewed an awareness-raising video on bullying that was broadcast in 3,300 multimedia rooms of the French Ministry of Education.
They also participated in a workshop with middle-school students led by a child psychiatrist and a psychologist involved in the ONDE program.
The event also included a presentation on the achievements of the Children’s Parliament, established by King Mohammed VI in 1999.