Stories, paintings and songs to say no to bullying, even from home. This is the heart of Xbullying, the new initiative promoted by the Il Magnete association, which has for years been committed to countering bullying in all its forms and which is supported by IBSA as part of its Social Responsibility activities.
Xbullying is an art competition for 1st and 2nd grade secondary school children in the province of Lodi, created with the intention of engaging young people, giving space to their creativity and enhancing their artistic expression as a form of communication at this delicate time. Unfortunately, bullying does not stop, even during social distancing. There may be a slight respite from physical bullying, but cyberbullying is always with us. This project aims to help teenagers to become aware of how important it is to use technological tools in a conscious way, respecting their peers who, despite the distance, remain people worthy of respect. Respect that they unfortunately do not always get.
Young people will have the opportunity to talk about issues such as abuse or intimidation, vandalism, bullying and cyberbullying. The events discussed do not necessarily need to have been experienced first-hand, they can also describe a made-up scenario, talk about their hopes and expectations and reflect on the subject. To aid this reflection, there are three competition categories: storytelling, drawing/painting and writing a rap or trap song, the most popular music genres among young people today.
Pupils will be offered a chance to take part in the competition through distance learning. Teachers will encourage their pupils to enter, inviting them to believe in themselves, put themselves to the test and free their creativity. The intention is then to make the competition a continuous project, offering it again in the new school year and extending it out to other schools.
