The TABBY project aims to prevent cyberthreats and cyberbullying among youngsters by assessing the threats of cyberbullying/stalking and sexting by developing a validated approach/toolkit for students and youngsters themselves as well as for school teachers, counselors and parents, to determine the credibility and seriousness of threats and manage the risks associated with harassing, intrusive or even explicitly violent behavior and take appropriate actions.

 

The project addresses challenges and threats faced by school leaders, teachers, parents and students themselves related to students' use of digital media, the Internet and cell phones and other interactive device, mainly cyberbullying (intended as electronic aggression), cyber threats, such as posting material which is a direct threat or provides indication of intention of harming self or more often others, and sexting, the process of creating and sending nude or semi-nude sexy images. Even though most of these behaviors take place outside schools, their negative effects have a direct impact over students’ psychological well-being and of course their educational performance and success. That is why it is necessary for school to take actions and support students in dealing with these challenges.

 

The project intends to develop an approach to help the ultimate beneficiaries, or students, to identify the risks related to the Internet and especially to certain social networks, and to reduce the risk both of potentially or actually harming others or of being a target of similar harmful behaviours. This approach is identified in the TABBY tool/method which intends to Threat Assess the Bullying Behavior of Youngster on the Internet. The immediate target of the project – those who will learn about cyberbullying, cyberthreats and sexting – are approximately 50 teachers, school counselors and instructors and chief directors who till teach and instruct students in their school, as well as 16 students per country in their the last year at school who will serve as coaches, mediators or mentors to other peers having troubles and being threatened or spied upon or stalked via the Internet. The wider target group – to benefit from the methodology/toolkit developed after the project conclusion – comprises all teachers or school counselors in Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria and Hungary, as well as students who will use the TABBY assessment tool to identify risks associated with cyberthreats once it has been made available online.