ENABLE, the European Network Against Bullying in Learning and Leisure Environments, combines social and emotional learning (SEL) with Peer Support in a unique approach that is now being rolled out in 5 EU countries – the United Kingdom, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark and Greece
The resource is split into key sections covering the areas of:
- A SEL resource to help young people develop their social and emotional skills.
- A parent/carer pack.
- Peer support resources empowering and giving young people the skills to tackle bullying.
Janice Richardson, ENABLE Coordinator and Senior Advisor, European Schoolnet said: “Given the ever-increasing social… and indeed, existential… challenges young people face in today’s technology-intense society, the development of social and emotional competences plays a central role in the well-being of children and teens.”
ENABLE recognises the power young people have in influencing each other’s actions and behaviour. With the compilation of anti-bullying resources the ENABLE team has created, the project aims to help educate tweens and teens between the ages of 11 and 14 on the issue of bullying and to empower them to make a difference in their communities.
The project works with all young people, including those who have been bullied, those who have bullied others, those who have witnessed bullying, and even those who have not been involved in bullying, but are struggling with inter-personal communication as most young people do in their early teen years.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Resources
SEL resources, such as those ENABLE includes, aim at improving young people’s social and emotional skills. Written by the award-winning UK-based education charity SWGfL, the lesson plans leverage successful strategies from around the world which were identified in the research phase of the ENABLE project carried out by the Greek partner, For Adolescent Health.
The lesson plans which are designed to be both engaging and investigative, lead students along four distinct pathways:
- Self-Awareness: understanding how and why we feel like we do; building an emotional vocabulary to express feelings and become familiar with our own behavioural indicators
- Self-Management: responding to our own emotions and shaping positive outcomes through a range of personal strategies
- Social Awareness: recognising emotions in others including peers; interpreting social indicators and situations, and developing positive responses
- Social Management: building a range of personal strategies that influence potential bullying situations to shape positive outcomes; setting group goals to shape a positive school climate
A Parent/Carer Pack informs parents/carers about ways to keep their children safe, both online and offline, and includes activities that can be used to extend students’ learning into the home.
Peer Support Resources
Peer Support schemes involve students working together to prevent bullying. Peer Supporters run campaigns and activities to educate their peers about the problem as well as to help them feel safe and supported at school.
The ENABLE Peer Support resources have been written by the leading UK-based youth charity, The Diana Award, which has established many Peer Support schemes in schools. The resources provide school staff with all they need to set up an effective Peer Support scheme. The compilation includes an outline for a one-day training designed to prepare students to be Peer Supporters and ten one-hour sessions which can be used to develop the skills they will need in this role. The resources feature ideas and activities around different topics such as online safety and racism.
The complete pack of SEL and Peer Support anti-bullying resources is available here. These resources were developed by the two UK partners in the project – and piloted by schools in the UK. A group of UK Ambassadors have been trained to implement and roll out the resources in this initial phase in schools all over the UK.
You can also check the booklet “The ENABLE resource pack for students, teachers, parents and campaigners”, created to promote peer advocacy which aims to tackle bullying in a whole-school approach.