The Zero Violence Brave Club: A Successful Intervention to Prevent and Address Bullying in Schools

Bullying among peers in schools is a growing problem affecting children and adolescents from an early age around the world. The consequences of bullying victimization in the emotional development of children and youth and in their academic achievement are adverse for them and for the rest of the school community, while its negative impact can extend into the mid and long run. The Zero Violence Brave Club is implemented in schools in the framework of the Dialogic Model of Violence Prevention, a successful educational action according to the INCLUD-ED project [Strategies for inclusion and social cohesion in Europe from Education] (6th Framework Program of Research of the European Commission). The Zero Violence Brave Club has managed to decrease peer bullying in schools through establishing and cultivating a culture of zero tolerance to violence in educational centers located in diverse socio-economic and cultural contexts. This evidence-based intervention is grounded in the principle that only the person who denounces violence suffered by a peer and takes a stand always on the side of the victim –and those who support her or him–, and against the aggressor can be considered brave. This article reports a qualitative study of the Zero Violence Brave Club as a successful intervention in seven schools in Spain. The schools are diverse in terms of public or private ownership, religious or lay background and population served (different proportions of cultural minorities and students with special needs), challenging the misconception that the impact of educational interventions depends on the context. Interviews were conducted with teachers in the schools who had been implementing the Zero Violence Brave Club in their class, using the communicative methodology of research. The results shed light on specific mechanisms through which the Zero Violence Brave Club prevents and responds to bullying in schools, such as emptying of social attractiveness any aggressive behaviors or attitudes. Benefits on mental health and psychological wellbeing are also reported.

学童间欺凌现象已成为全球范围内日益凸显的问题，它从儿童和青少年早期阶段便开始影响他们。欺凌受害者所遭受的欺凌在儿童和青少年情感发展及其学业成就方面产生的负面影响，不仅对他们本人，也对整个校园社区产生不利影响，其负面效应甚至可能延续至中期乃至长期。在欧盟委员会第六框架计划（INCLUD-ED项目：欧洲教育中包容与社交凝聚力的策略）的框架下，基于对话式暴力预防模型，Zero Violence Brave Club被成功应用于学校教育实践中。该俱乐部通过在多元社会经济和文化背景下设立并培育零容忍暴力文化的教育中心，成功降低了学校中的同伴欺凌现象。这一基于证据的干预措施立足于原则，即唯有那些揭露同伴遭受的暴力并始终站在受害者及其支持者一方，反对施暴者的人，方可被视作勇敢。本文报道了对Zero Violence Brave Club在西班牙七所学校作为成功干预措施进行的定性研究。这些学校在公立或私立、宗教或世俗背景以及服务人群（不同比例的文化少数群体和特殊需求学生）方面均存在差异，挑战了教育干预措施的影响取决于特定背景的误解。研究采用沟通式研究方法，对实施Zero Violence Brave Club的教师进行了访谈。研究结果揭示了Zero Violence Brave Club预防和应对学校欺凌的具体机制，例如消除任何攻击性行为或态度的社会吸引力。同时，报告了心理健康和心理福祉方面的益处。