Pink Shirt Day, the International Day of Bullying Prevention, was marked in 34 schools across Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the online space. World Vision BiH commemorated Pink Shirt Day under the slogan “Don’t Be Mean Behind the Screen 2.0 / Ne budi sila iza profila 2.0”, drawing attention to the growing issue of peer violence and online pressure, which has serious and lasting impacts on children’s mental health.
Creative and educational workshops were held in 34 schools across the country, engaging over 5,000 students, while online “Talk Spaces” were organized to include children from across BiH.
The online Talk Space was held in cooperation with Plavi telefon (Blue Phone), the Youth Movement “Worth Attention”, and the Children and Youth Committee of the Connecting the Dots project, which is funded by the European Union in BiH. Through numerous surveys, focus groups, and child-led research conducted by participants in the project, World Vision has observed a rise in the number of children exposed to online violence.
Pink Shirt Day was marked in 34 schools
“In 2021, the number of conversations on the topic of cyberbullying was seven times higher compared to the period before the pandemic. Last year alone, Blue Phone received 32 reports of suspected child abuse, of which 28% were related to cyberbullying—while before the pandemic, we hadn’t received a single report,” said Maja Kovačević, Coordinator at Plavi telefon, a child advisory and support hotline.
Children who have experienced violence report a wide range of consequences, including increased anxiety and fear, which often lead to depressive disorders and long-term mental health issues. That’s why the online Talk Spaces served as a safe environment where children could speak openly, seek advice, and receive psychological support.
Online Talk Space
“Our goal is to encourage children to freely express their opinions, especially on issues related to violations of their rights, including negative societal phenomena like peer violence and its impact on their mental health. Through the Connecting the Dots project, we are working to connect children with decision-makers in order to jointly find the best solutions for improving children’s rights,” said Nela Hukić, Project Manager.
The conclusions and recommendations from the online Talk Space will be communicated by members of the Children and Youth Committee of the Connecting the Dots – Advancing Children’s Rights project to the Council for Children of BiH and other decision-makers. These efforts aim to shape and implement joint advocacy initiatives focused on advancing children’s rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
