MAINSTREAMING NON-VIOLENCE
IN CYPRIOT PRIMARY SCHOOLS:
A comprehensive set of policy recommendations
by the Center for Gender Equality and History
to reform the educational system
based on field research findings
and pedagogic observation
Every incident of violence that occurs within a school classroom
usually raises the same question:
why did it happen?
Far less frequently is a second, deeper question asked:
what conditions within school life allowed it to happen?
The present study was born precisely from this second question.
Rather than focusing exclusively on recording incidents of violence
or on finding ways to manage them more effectively,
it sought to investigate the conditions within which violence is produced,
reproduced, or, on the contrary, prevented within the school environment.
Within this framework,
the Center for Gender Equality and History carried out
a multi-method research project under the PREVENT program
(co-funded by the EU through the programme
‘Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV)’,
the Bodossaki Foundation, and the NGO Support Center).
The research included a review of the scientific literature,
mapping of the institutional framework governing primary education in Cyprus,
quantitative and qualitative research involving teachers, experts, and relevant stakeholders,
as well as pedagogical observation
through experiential workshops conducted in primary schools.
The findings demonstrate that preventing violence depends not only on what is taught in schools
but also on how school life itself is organised,
highlighting the importance of participatory pedagogy,
equality, and evidence-informed educational policy.
The results are presented in the publication
“Mainstreaming Non-Violence:
An Examination of the Educational System’s Approach to Violence
and its intersection with Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in Cyprus,”
which is freely available through this webpage.
WATCH THE PRESENTATION OF OUR RESEARCH
Followed by a vivid discussion of the research results and policy suggestions on how to cultivate a culture of non-violence in Cypriot Primary Schools, especially with regard to gender, race and nationality.
EXPERIENTIAL WORKSHOPS IN SCHOOLS
Under the project, the Center for Gender Equality and History
has implemented a series of experiential workshops
in Cypriot Primary Schools on cultivating social skills
against violence such as diversity, equality, empathy
and non-violent communication.
THE PROJECT ‘MAINSTREAMING NON-VIOLENCE: AN EXAMINATION OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM’S APPROACH TO VIOLENCE AND ITS INTERSECTION WITH GENDER, RACE, AND ETHNICITY IN CYPRUS’ IS IMPLEMENTED BY THE CENTER FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND HISTORY UNDER THE PREVENT PROGRAM. PREVENT IS CO-FUNDED BY THE EU THROUGH THE PROGRAMME ‘CITIZENS, EQUALITY, RIGHTS AND VALUES (CERV)’, THE BODOSSAKI FOUNDATION, AND THE NGO SUPPORT CENTER WITH THE TOTAL GRANT AMOUNT OF 2,3 MILLION EUROS.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.