The YAB project aimed to achieve several key objectives by implementing innovative and continuous support for learners with disabilities and those with special needs. Specifically, the project had the following objectives: SO1: to promote the development and acquisition of proper and useful knowledge to deal with bullying and cyberbullying SO2: to enhance the empowerment of young students providing them with main tools for critical thinking against bullying and cyberbullying SO3: to foster the awareness of the risks related to bullying and cyberbullying and the unconscious use of the internet and social media. These objectives were designed to address bullying and cyberbullying issues, enhance socialization, reduce marginalization, and ease the transition into adulthood for all learners.
Bullying, whether physical or cyber, significantly impacts the educational environment. The psychological and emotional distress experienced by bullied young individuals results in negative consequences, including school avoidance, lower grades, reduced concentration, and loss of interest in academic achievement. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted an increase in kids and teens using digital platforms for educational purposes. As schools transitioned to remote learning, instances of bullying and harassment also shifted to online spaces. In this context, young people with disabilities faced heightened vulnerability. They were more likely than their peers to experience violence, sexual abuse, and bullying both within schools and at home. Additionally, they often encountered violence related to their disability, along with subtler forms of mistreatment such as exclusion and isolation (as documented by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in their report on “Violence against children with disabilities: legislation, policies, and programs in the EU”. Given these challenges, targeted actions were crucial to address bullying in schools, with a special focus on the well-being of young people with disabilities.