Aesja apkova, Ludmila Uinska, Tatjana Revina Daugavpils Saskanas School, Latvia

How to prevent mobbing: examples of good practice from Latvian schools

Abstract Currently, the Ombudsman's Office has completed a study on the prevalence of violence or mobbing in Latvian schools. The aim was to identify possible gaps in the child protection system and provide support to practitioners working with children, and also to find out how the teachers are prepared for mobbing recognition, prevention and for providing support to children who have become victims of mobbing. The study reveals that special regulation that prevents or responds to mobbing doesnt exit in Latvia. Thus, the following factors should be considered: whether to develop a unified plan for the prevention of mobbing, or any educational institution should have a mobbing prevention plan to help educators, students and parents to know exactly where to seek help and who is responsible for providing assistance. Therefore, it is essential to summarize and promote examples of good practice in the preventing of mobbing, which has successfully been or will be implemented in schools. The aim of this paper is to share the experience of Daugavpils Saskanas School in mobbing prevention, and to provide methodological support for school teachers, who face the problems of mobbing in their practice.

Key words: mobbing, verbal mobbing, the Latvian school, examples of good practice.

Introduction
The term "mobbing" is borrowed from English and in Latvian it is often referred to as school violence which lasts a long time. Mobbing occurs when one or more people are subject to systematic, negative actions and attitudes of fellow party over a longer period of time (Olweus, 1997). Mobbing is divided into three types: 1) Physical mobbing - related to the use of force: slapping, pushing, destruction of personal property; 2) Verbal victim verbal humiliation, cheating, bad joke, slander, intimidation, various degrading comments; 3) Exclusion or silent mobbing - the student is expelled from the group, the collective, ignored, no one talk to him/her, etc. In Latvia mobbing prevention is based on: 1) Protection of the Rights of the Child Law. For example, the second paragraph of Section 9 states that a child must not be treated cruelly, tortured and physically punished, violating their dignity and honor is prohibited (Brnu tiesbu aizsardzbas likums, 1998); 2) Education Law. For example, Section 55, paragraph 9 provides the student the right to the safety of personal belongings at school, and Section 55, paragraph 10 assuers the learner's right to safe life and health conditions in educational institution and during the events organized by them. (Izgltbas likums, 1998). From the above-mentioned law is clear that when a teacher or other education worker finds that the child's safety is under threat or if there is reason to believe that this could happen, action is to be taken immediately to address these threats. Otherwise, subjects of the Protection of the Rights of the Child will be liable to disciplinary action in accordance with the Protection of the Rights of the Child Law, Section 72, the second paragraph.

Despite the problems mentioned above the last studies in Latvian schools show that almost all (68%) schools, which participated in a survey, recognized that in their schools cases of mobbing occur quite often; sometimes even on a daily basis, but a common action plan to fight it is not developed. The most common cases of mobbing among students are in name-calling, backbiting, exclusion, bad jokes (verbal mobbing). In rarer cases, coercion, deprivation of property (physical mobbing). As the main reasons for such conduct teachers mention: the child's family social status, "otherness", good results at school). Often the victims of harassment are newcomers. (Rsia, 2009). Hence, the article will focus on examples of good practice of prevention of verbal mobbing, which could reveal the reasons for the child's social situation and the child's "otherness" as well as the forms and methods that can help newcomers adapt to school. Examples of Good Practice Phototherapy The goal: to find out students attitude towards the class as a whole and to determine their place in class. Method: every child is given A4 sheet and some paints; offer the children to paint a photo frame, in which a class photography will be put, and note or draw yourself in the place they'd stand. Recommendations: If a child draws a picture in dark shades, then the child has a communication problem with the class, and vice versa, by putting themselves in a definite place in the photo they will show their place in the class. If the pupil is on the side, or behind a photo frame, this is a sign of a possible verbal abuse. Game "Say a compliment" The goal: to learn to respect classmates. Learn to see good qualities in a person. Method: All children sit in a circle. They should find the good qualities of each other and express it as a compliment. Start like this: What I like about you is .... Then discuss whether it is easy or difficult to find good traits of character. What is more pleasant - to take a compliment or get an insult? How would you feel now if everybody had said not a compliment but something unpleasant? Recommendations: However, if you notice verbal humiliation, cheating or backbiting while observing the students, additional activities should be held later. Like The Day of Polite Words Practical lesson "My portrait in the sunlight" The goal: to increase the child's self-esteem. Method: Children draw a circle with crayons on A4 sheet. Write your name inside. On the rays of the sun write their good features, advantages, mood (e.g.: joy, happiness, good-natured, can dance, etc.). Try to have more rays! Recommendations: The drawing can show how a person feels, whether they understand themselves or not. Having examined the drawings you will come to the appropriate conclusions and help a child to raise or lower self-esteem, so as to avoid violence in class.

Game "Agree - Disagree" The goal: to help the group to learn to listen to each other and to respect others views Method: Write three records on the board "Agree", "Disagree" and "Not sure." The teacher reads the statements about mobbing at schools. Each student decides: what he thinks about it and comes up to the appropriate record. Some children can express their opinion. If students want, they can change their location, if what they had heard affected their opinion. Then the teacher reads the second, the third comment and so on. Then discussion follows according to the similar scheme. At the end the group is asked a few questions: How do you perceive this lesson? What did you learn from this lesson? If you've changed your opinion, if yes what affected your opinion? Recommendations: If, however, remains a child who is still for mobbing, then you have to try to act out some situations. Discussion The goal: to help a child who is "different" to stop bullying and to find more friends. Method: Talk to a "different" child about what makes them "different": What do you think, why schoolmates offend or humiliate you? Are there people in the world with the same weaknesses? Whether all of them being offended? Do you hate the offenders? How to stop it? Give some tips: 1) Try at least during the week, do not pay attention to resentment. Yes, it will not be easy! But the first results will appear within a week: for example, there will be less people who offended you; 2) perceive everything with a joke; 3) Depending on the situation, try to show your will and power of spirit. Recommendations: Finally, this method will not be offended and more friends can appear!

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