Children First: Addressing Gender -based Violence from the bottom-up.
Toolkit for Educators
Project Number: 856844 — Children First — REC-AG-2018/REC-RDAP-GBV-AG-2018.
The toolkit is developed by the Center for Social Innovation -CSI Cyprus, as
the leading partner of WP2.
WORK PACKAGE 2:
Challenging Attitudes and Norms Towards Dating Violence – Children First Youth-led E-game.
Capturing the views of children and young people on gender-based violence occurring in teen
relationships.
Contents
Consortium 4
Introduction 7
About the project 7
About this toolkit 9
Chapter 1: 10
How to access the Children First e-game and use the Toolkit for Educators 10
Chapter 2: 21
Children First e-game as an educational tool 21
Chapter 3: 45
Game-based learning and serious games 45
Annex 1 49
Annex 2 50
Bibliography 54
Consortium
COORDINATOR
THE IARS INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE / UK
The IARS International Institute is a user-led and user-focused charity with a mission to give everyone a chance to forge a safer, fairer and more inclusive society. Over the last 10 years, IARS has been providing world-class and cutting-edge educational, research, policy and networking services of local, national and international significance. They are focused on empowering the most marginalised communities through direct service delivery, while enabling organisations to achieve, measure and improve their social impact. They are acknowledged internationally for our expertise in justice, equality and youth, and have delivered projects in areas such as restorative justice, rehabilitation, human rights and inclusion, citizenship, public services and user-led research/evaluation.
SYMPLEXIS / GREECE
Symplexis is a Greek non-for-profit organization that strives to ensure equal opportunities for all through actions and measures that build skills, empower and promote active engagement and participation focusing on the most vulnerable categories of the population, particularly those with fewer opportunities. Symplexis’ mission is to elevate social cohesion through integrated actions and project-based activities that aim at promoting the inclusion of disadvantaged groups at risk of marginalization and exclusion, while promoting and protecting the rights of various types of population groups that face discrimination focusing on the empowerment and support of victims, awareness raising and information sharing at all level.
CENTER FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION – CSI / CYPRUS Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) is a Research and Development organization, which focuses on fostering social innovation that can bring about a positive change to local, national, regional and global contexts. CSI identifies and addresses systemic challenges through evidence-based research, state of the art investigation of global, national, regional and local solutions; developing solutions by taking into consideration the local ecosystem, cultural dynamics, meet the stakeholders needs and implementing those solutions as they keep constant vigilance to ensure continual feedback loop and adjustments. The areas of expertise are in the fields of social justice, labour markets, education and e-learning, social entrepreneurship, project management, project evaluation services, product validation, and training.
DIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT GROUP / LITHUANIA NGO ‘Diversity Development Group’ (DDG), founded in 2012, is a non-profit organisation with an objective to carry out scientific, applied and infrastructural projects in the fields of human rights, education, equal opportunities, diversity, migration and integration. The main aim of the organisation is to improve and manage diversity towards a sustainable, tolerant and socially responsible society.
They inform and educate the society about the various minority groups; disseminate research results, seminars, conferences, trainings, social actions and actively participate in the development and implementation of social policies to ensure the protection of vulnerable groups in society (including prevention of discrimination, promoting tolerance, improving equality and human rights).
CESIE / ITALY
CESIE is a European Centre of Studies and Initiatives based in Palermo, Sicily. It was established in 2001, inspired by the work and theories of the sociologist, activist and educator Danilo Dolci (1924-1997). Their mission is to promote educational innovation, participation and growth. CESIE’s slogan, the world is only one creature, express the philosophy
for which the organisation works: inclusion and equity for all.
CESIE is structured in 6 main units:
● Higher Education and Research
● Rights and Justice
● Adult Educational Learning
● Migration
● Reformation of school education
● Youth and active citizenship, training, education, and mobility of young people.
HAROKOPIO UNIVERSITY / GREECE
Established in 1991, the Harokopio University of Athens is a non-profit, public HEI located in Athens. HUA offers undergraduate certificates/diplomas, bachelor degrees in the areas of Nutrition and Dietetics, Geography, Home Economics and Ecology and Informatics and Telematics.
The Department of Informatics and Telematics (DIT) is the fourth and most recently (2006) established department of the University. The mission of the department is to promote Computer science, primarily in the areas of network-centric systems and e-services, so as to provide students with the theoretical and practical skills and competences, which are necessary for the design, development, and delivery of technical solutions, in all fields of ICT.
Introduction
About the project
“Children First- Addressing Gender – based Violence from the bottom - up” is a children-led, transnational project funded by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship programme of the European Commission. It aims to address dating violence as a form of school-related gender-based violence. This study draws upon similarities and differences in regard to the views and attitudes of children and youth on gender-based violence (GBV) occurring in teen relationships in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Lithuania and the UK. The information presented in this toolkit for educators is the result of Work Package 2: Challenging attitudes and norms towards dating violence – Children First youth-led e-game.
The overall objective of the project is to tackle gender-based violence in teen relationships by combating stereotypes and norms fuelling dating violence. Correspondingly, the results of the project include:
o A children-led e-game for children to challenge gender norms and stereotypes focusing on dating violence.
o Information sharing network among target groups of professionals.
o Children-led communication campaign to challenge gender stereotypes with an emphasis on dating violence.
o A CPD accredited course for professionals working in formal and informal educational settings that will be piloted and tested in all participating countries.
o A children-led evidence base that will generate policy papers and recommendations of national and EU wider interest.
The intended outcomes include:
o Increasing children’s awareness about gender-based violence and promoting healthy relationships.
o Increasing professionals’ awareness and skills about best practices to prevent and safeguard children in schools and other educational settings.
o Enhancing cross-sector collaboration among stakeholders in the public, private and civil society.
The Objectives of Work Package 2: Challenging attitudes and norms towards dating violence are:
o Establish the vehicle (Youth Advisory Board – YAB) that will ensure the active participation of the target group in the implementation of the project.
o Capture the views of the end users of the online game on gender-based violence occurring in teen relationships.
o Develop the project’s youth-led prevention online game addressed to children, which will support them in challenging rigid norms and gender stereotypes while promoting gender socialization and healthy relationships.
You can find more information about the project in our website.
About this toolkit:
Chapter 1:
How to access the Children First e-game and use the Toolkit for Educators
This chapter aims to:
● Offer clear instructions on how to access and download the Children First e-game both from an Android and IOS device.
● Introduce the objective of the game as well as the structure of its characters and settings.
● Present any technical information the user will need to know to effectively play the game.
The objective of the game
The objective of the Children First game is to educate school children (aged 12-18) on how to properly prevent and address dating violence from an early age. In order to achieve this it uses a set of scenarios and a progressive flow, which motivates children to play all the scenarios and address all the challenges they set.
The game scenarios involve school children who are engaged in a fictional scenario and have to make decisions that challenge their personal beliefs, gender stereotypes, and norms that lead to violence. Through the scenarios, stereotypes and gender roles are undermined and rejected and principles of equality and inclusion for all are be embedded; thus supporting the principle of non-discrimination, equality between women and men, and the rights of the child.
Technical Information
The Children First game has been developed using NativeScript cross-platform framework and is available for Android and iOS (iPhone or iPad). It requires Android 4.2 or higher. It is a PEGI 3 game (https://pegi.info/page/pegi-age-ratings). A PEGI 3 game does not contain any inappropriate content but can sometimes be too difficult to master for younger children.
Step 1: Download – Install
Download/Setup on Android
Users with a tablet or smartphone that runs Android OS can download the game from Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps).
You can search the game by the name “Children First” or go directly in the following URL (https://bit.ly/2IJ3iZ1)
Figure 1. Find the game in Google Play store
By clicking the game logo, the main game info screen opens, which also allows the user to download and install the game in their device.
Figure 2. Game description in Google Play
Figure 3. Main requirements and details of the Children First game
Download/Setup on iOS
In order to install the Children First game on iOS devices (iPhone, iPad) you must follow these steps:
- Launch the App Store
- Tap the magnifying glass on the bottom right of your screen - Type in ‘Children First’ and tap the search button
Figure 5. Search for the game in App Store
- Τap the game icon in order to download for free - Tap Get
- Place your finger on the Home button to activate Touch ID or double-click the side button for Face ID.
Figure 6. Get the game from App Store.
For more information on how to install or update a game in the App Store, you can consult the following generic guide:
https://www.imore.com/how-download-apps-and-games-your-iphone-and-ipad
Step 2: How to play
The game must be played in landscape mode. You open the game by double-clicking the game icon on your mobile or tablet. It only needs a touch and scroll screen.
Figure 7. Open the Children First game by clicking the game icon
As shown below, the game begins by showing the splash screen of the Children First game.
The user can press start and move to the scroll screen of the scenarios. Make sure that you select the language you want to play the game with.
Figure 8. The Children First game splash screen
After the splash screen, the scenario selection screen opens, which allows the user to scroll among the various scenarios. Scrolling can be performed to the left or right from the first to the last scenario.
First scenario ← scroll →
Last scenario Figure 9. The Children First scenario selection screen
Step 3: The structure of the scenarios
All game scenarios begin with an introductory screen that describes the main case and provides information about the main role of the scenario.
Figure 10. The screen of the main hero of the scenario
The user can scroll through the text to read the description of the main role and then click on the face to move to the scenario description screen.
Figure 11. The screen of the story description of the selected hero The user can tap the continue button and start playing.
Figure 12. The introductory screen(s) of a scenario
During the scenario, the user can either press Next/Continue on the bottom right of the screen to move to the next screen or choose one of the optional answers (by clicking on the respective bubble). It should be mentioned that the answers selection screen is scrollable.
Figure 13. A screen with more than one options to select
Each answer awards the user some points which are aggregated and shown as the user moves on the scenario. Based on the total score the final screen shows a summary message, which motivates the users to change stereotypes, rewards them for the effort, and encourages them to replay the scenario. From the final screen, the user can go back to the scenario selection screen and continue with another scenario.
Figure 14. The ending screen of a scenario
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is it necessary to play in ‘landscape mode’?
A: No, but it is advisable. However, the game resizes to best fit the screen available.
Q: How can I force my tablet or phone to display landscape?
A: To force landscape orientation on the iPad, you must open the app in full screen.
Q: Does the game store any sensitive user content or information
A: No. For more information, you can read the Privacy Policy of the game in the store.
Chapter 2:
Children First e-game as an educational tool
This chapter aims to:
● Share information regarding the methodology of the game, its development phase and its educational goal.
● Highlight the learning outcomes of the game for children and teenagers aged 12-18 as well as for educators who aim to use this game as an educational tool during their teaching lessons.
● Enhance the knowledge, skills and attitudes of educators in preparing and implementing a Children First workshop.
● Offer practical tips and exercises to educators on how to engage young people to play the game and use it within a classroom educational setting.
Children First Methodology
The recent UNESCO Guidance on “School–related gender-based violence” suggests that effective prevention is dependent upon three key pillars; the development of educational content and curriculum approaches that prevent violence and promote gender equality;
appropriate capacity building of educators to give them tools to prevent and respond to such phenomena utilising appropriate referral pathways; and the effective exchange of information and multi-stakeholder collaboration for the implementation of a whole-school based approach. The “whole-school” based approach is defined as the approach involving “all members of the school community, including school governors, senior management, staff, students and parents”.
Children First has been created to respond to these needs while also creating a bottom-up evidence base that will allow a better buy-in of its outputs. Having conducted a scoping research for this project, we concluded that educational tools in the field of GBV in schools follow traditional methods of teaching, but they lack the user-led element. Therefore, there is a need for the development and mainstreaming of programmes that are aimed at:
1. Encouraging and activating the creativity and imagination of children through the use of modern ICT technologies, offering them the opportunity to be part of the development process of such tools rather that the recipient of a message produced by an external source;
2. Building the knowledge, skills and capacity of educators to identify risks, prevent and safeguard their young people that may be at risk of youth-on-youth violence.
The Children First methodology is thus composed by four innovation elements: a) it is based upon a bottom-up approach as well as a user-led approach, b) it is based upon an ICT methodology, c) it uses entertainment-education and positive psychology methodology and d) it follows the principle of non-discrimination.
Having said that, the scenarios of our game have been inspired by the views of children and young people themselves, which were collected through our desk and field-based research. By understanding how children and teenagers understand and perceive violence in their relationships, we ensured the development of effective deliverables and tools that could directly address the needs and challenges faced by our target group, hence having
longer-lasting effects. In this project children come first. Specifically, children and young people are consultants of the deliverables of this project as members of the youth-led Advisory Boards steered in each partner context. These Advisory Boards proactively collaborate on the approach of our tools and contents and on the delivery of our project’s awareness raising campaigns from children towards children. More specifically, the youth empowerment approach will be utilised. This enables the development of socio-political awareness in young people, enhances their skills to be community change agents, and facilitates young people in constructing meaningful community change, with the goal of enhancing the wellbeing of all individuals. The youth empowerment approach utilises young people as resources rather than a "collection of problems" in establishing community change.
ICT based methodology: The development of ICT technologies has created a growing interest in the application of game design elements and gamification strategies beyond entertainment purposes. Young people are especially attracted to games including mobile phone games &
applications. Building on the most recent development of gamification literature and its application to relationship violence among youth (Schoech et al., 2013), we will follow an evidence-based, youth-led methodology for the development of the online game targeted to children 12-18 years old. The game uses as a base the psychological theory of planned behaviour that links individual’s behaviour with beliefs & norms. Within the context of gender-based violence in teen relationships, involving directly young people in the design and implementation of the game allows young people to reflect and re-evaluate their attitudes that lead to specific behaviour with an ultimate goal to “rewire” young people’s behaviours and challenge their gender stereotypes and attitudes that lead to such behaviours.
Entertainment-education and positive psychology methodology: Our methodology brings together elements of entertainment education and psychology to develop an innovative evidence-based youth-led e-game. Within the context of gender-based violence in teen relationships, involving directly young people in the design and the implementation of the game, we have developed a set of narratives consisting of real-life scenarios with possible actions and the subsequent/expected outcomes for each set of actions. The ultimate goal is to help young people to understand the underlying, internalized beliefs, norms, and attitudes that led them to such behaviour/choices. The design of the game is guided by the principles of the psychological concept of the Theory of Planned behaviour (TPB). According to TPB, actual behaviour is influenced by the attitude about the likelihood that this behaviour will have the expected outcome, and the subjective evaluation of the risks and benefits of that outcome.
Finally, our consortium supports the principle of non-discrimination, of equality between women and men and the rights of the child. Gender balance is sought in all project activities, no one is discriminated against, and diversity of gender identity and sexual orientation is respected. Gender stereotypes and gender roles are undermined and rejected, and principles of equality and inclusion for all will be embedded throughout the project.
Development phase
To begin with, the development phase of this deliverable started through research which was conducted from all partner countries involved. The research included both desk-based analysis and field-based analysis and it aimed to capturing the nature, frequency and dynamics of GBV in teen relationships and the contexts in which they occur and persist. It also aimed to highlight how children and young people understand and evaluate GBV, as well as the wider cultural and social processes that underpin experiences of exploitation of violence.
The research results of each partner country and the comparative report are available on the project website. We advise you to check out your country’s national report and the comparative report in order to gain an awareness on the gaps that exist in your country and on a European level in regard to gender education and gender-based violence among children and teenagers, and be introduced to your legal framework as well as to existing policies and schemes on preventing GBV in schools as seen through selected best practices examples.
After our research phase was concluded, each partner was responsible for developing three scenarios inspired from the real-life experiences of young people as collected during our WP2 research phase. The scenarios were developed based on a common structure and approach which was agreed upon by the consortium as explained in chapter 1. Each character is a victim of gender-based violence from their surroundings in either their school setting, family environment and/or within their romantic relationships. Specifically, the scenarios are based upon the vignette methodology, where dialogue occurs in between the characters and the users must choose the most appropriate answer with the goal to make their character happy.
Each scenario has three possible endings: a happy ending where the character overcomes gender-based violence, an intermediate scenario where some improvement has been made but the character failed to reach his/her maximum happiness, or a failed scenario where the character is still a victim of gender-based violence. After each game, feedback is giving to the users for their choices and the topic of gender-based violence and toxic relationships is
introduced. This aspect adds to the educational character of the game as it explains to the users the effects of their actions and choices.
Learning outcomes and expected impact:
Young people, as they grow older, will experience various forms of gender-based violence, either as victims, perpetrators, or observers. In many cases this can have serious consequences for their physical and mental health, their learning performance, and their relationships. Focusing on girls and boys aged 12 to 18 not only prevents gender-based violence during these critical years but can also reduce violence in their future life decisions and relationships. Young men and women, boys, and girls, need support systems and safe spaces to develop positive attitudes toward relationships so that they can challenge the values and beliefs that promote violent behaviour. Children First aims to reduce the frequency and impact of gender-based violence in society and in the lives of children and teenagers.
Learning Outcomes for children and teenagers
Knowledge Skills Attitudes
Enhances the knowledge of young people on the project’s main concepts and particularly gender, sex, gender identity, gender-based violence and gender stereotypes.
Enhances young people’s active listening and communication skills: ability to hear different views, to express their own and to evaluate both.
Change in their understanding of toxic and healthy relationships and elimination of gender stereotypes for preventing GBV.
Increased awareness of prejudices and gender stereotypes and norms that contribute to the tolerance of gender-based dating violence.
Enhances children and teenagers’ ICT skills.
Change in attitudes and behaviour regarding the issue of gender-based violence among children and teenagers (particularly of vulnerable children and teenagers who are prone to violent behaviours).
Understanding of how gender norms work and specifically how they are shaped by society and how they, in turn, shape individual identities and behaviour patterns that can fuel gender-based discrimination and violence.
Enhancing critical thinking skills and their ability to distinguish between facts and opinion, to realize prejudices and recognise
the various forms of
manipulation.
Increased self-esteem and respect of others.
Understanding gender violence, its causes and consequences on young people’s physical and mental wellbeing.
Collaboration skills and ability to work in teams.
Confidence to be themselves and express their views and put as a priority their mental and physical wellbeing.
Knowledge on the different forms of GBV (physical, psychological, emotional, verbal, sexual, online).
Achieve consensus and positive conflict resolution.
Empowerment to act upon their needs. Cultivate a desire to contribute to the improvement of their school or community and raise awareness that young people have the power to shape their environment and their future.
Understand the elements which constitute healthy and unhealthy relationships.
Ability to express themselves with self-confidence and find ways to resist against gender inequality, discrimination and abuse.
Sense of responsibility for their actions and choices.
Understand ways to ask for support and protection when victims of gender-based violence from their parents, peers and school.
Problem solving skills. Empathy for others
people and confidence so to be able to resist inequality and discrimination.
Learning Outcomes for educators
Knowledge Skills Attitudes
The importance of gamification for lifelong learning.
How to utilise serious games on gender education in a lesson through interactive and non-formal education methods.
Improved attitudes and
understanding of gender-based violence against children because of the impact of the e-game and the developed capacities of teachers &
educators.
Increased and in-depth understanding of the issues of gender equality and gender-based violence.
Design and preparation: ability to design and to prepare a training for young men and women on gender equality and GBV.
Leadership.
Teaching methodologies and coordination.
Coordination / teaching: ability to guide young people to investigate sensitive issues.
Confidence in their ability to influence and train other people.
Understanding the appropriate
strategies for achieving positive change at school or in their community.
Promoting equal participation of individuals in the group.
Confidence in their ability to bring change in their community.
Flexibility: ability to “think fast "and adapt/modify an exercise if the circumstances require.
Motivation to continue engaging with positive psychology activities of non-formal education.
Critical thinking and research skills.
Expected Impact:
● Enhancing young people's knowledge and understanding of the nature of gender-based violence and its root causes related to the imposition of gender norms and gender inequality.
● Creating a safe environment where young men and women can explore the ways in which gender-based violence directly affects themselves and their peers.
● Enabling young people recognize their right to be valued and treated with respect, as well as their obligation to value and respect others.
● Empowering young people with the skills and confidence to become agents of change in their communities by challenging and preventing gender-based violence that affects them and their peers.
● Providing training for staff who work in the context of formal and non-formal education tools to work with groups of young people to prevent GBV.
● Strengthening the role of schools and non-formal education structures in preventing GBV among young people and promoting relationships based on tolerance, respect and equality.
● Reducing incidents of gender-based violence and creation of a safer learning environment for young people and teaching staff in schools.
Advice:
Education for the promotion of gender equality and the fight against discrimination should be seen as an ongoing process, which cannot be limited to a single educational activity within a course. The results of the Children First game will last longer if they are part of an expanded approach to challenging gender stereotypes and empowering young people as change agents across the school or all those involved in youth education.
Tips and practical exercises on how to engage children and teenagers in the game and use it in a teaching lesson.
The Children First game can be used both within formal and non-formal educational settings.
Moreover, it could be used for both a peer-to-peer learning (educator – student) and in a group setting. In general, it is very beneficial for young people to include gender-equality education and prevention of gender-based violence in schools to reach out to youngsters who would not have had the chance to participate in such interactive and experiential learning workshops in other contexts. This non-formal education (NFE) workshop offers youngsters the possibility to challenge and reflect on their own socially constructed values and develop critical thinking, as well as equip them through discussion with knowledge and skills to change their attitudes towards incidents of gender-based violence. In NFE participation is voluntary, and everyone has the right to share if they want, as much as they want, and they can always stop if it makes them feel uncomfortable. The aim of NFE is to find the necessary tools to make everyone feel safe and comfortable, experience new things, and discuss and reflect to put themselves in the shoes of the other. Below there are some learning activities that you can implement as an educator before and after the game with your students. The exercises below focus on the topic of gender and against gender-based violence, through education towards changing knowledge and attitudes.
Before moving on, it is important as an educator, to be aware of the terminology and the theoretical framework of gender equality and gender-based violence as many terms come from different fields (psychology, gender studies, sociology, education). For that, we recommend that you visit our e-learning platform and enrol in our educational programme addressed to people who work with young people, which consists of a set of theoretical material and definitions on the topics at stake as well as practical examples and exercises that you can implement with your students. Having a basic understanding of the terminology and challenges of teaching gender are important for effectively implementing a teaching lesson.
We also advise you to adapt the activities to your own needs (experience, competence, facilitation style), choosing those which meet your objectives and teaching style as you are the one to know best your students’ gaps and educational needs. Choose diverse types of activities and take into consideration different, non-conservative and engaging and interactive learning styles. As a youth trainer in these topics, you should create a learning environment that enables young people to reflect, change their attitudes and develop basic skills to prevent GBV in their present and future relationships.
Your role as an educator in this process is to:
● Prepare, Implement and Evaluate the educational content – practical tips below.
● Support learning of all participants – as each young person has different learning needs and styles. You as an educator need to adjust the activities so that the learning path is smooth and effective. In non-formal education, young people are supposed to learn from each other and from various discussions initiated through interactive activities.
● Motivate participants to learn and ensure active participation – you need to offer a space to share each persons’ motivation through selective tools. Focus on creating a group dynamic, and a safe and respectful environment through icebreakers and team building exercises (see below).
● Get participants out of their comfort zone – As an educator you should challenge the norms and stereotypes of your students (first do that with yourself). Do that by asking questions on certain issues and reflecting upon possible changes in their behaviour. This happens not by actively devaluing the opinion of young people but from discussing diverse opinion within the group.
● Ensure inclusion and wellbeing of participants – by taking into consideration the needs of your students and by being able to manage any emotional situation or conflict that might arise.
● Be a role model – by firstly challenging your own stereotypes and gender norms. Practice what you preach and acknowledge when you do not know something, as you as an educator are included in the learning process within your group. Trust yourself and know your limitations. It is important to be able to properly close the learning process and extract learning. Ask for help if needed.
● Listen to the experiences and opinion of your participants actively. Avoid giving your opinion on the matter but try to be as unbiased as possible, offering scientific interpretations on the issues at stake. Refer to our educational programme (WP3) to enhance your knowledge and challenge your own binary thinking.
● Be flexible to adjusting and adapting your plan all the time! Even if you are prepared, it sometimes takes more time than we anticipated. It is better to focus on doing less activities
but have the time and space to discuss and reflect, than vice versa. Offer time to go deeper and extract more learning, wherever you see it is needed.
You can check out the ETS Competence Model for Trainers developed by SALTO if you wish to follow up on this:
https://www.salto-youth.net/rc/training-and-cooperation/trainercompetencedevelopment/t rainercompetences/
Age of learners:
As an educator/teacher it is important to be able to assess which of the activities are appropriate for the ages of the children they will be working with. Children First activities are designed primarily for young people aged 12-18. People in this age group are considered old enough to already have some experience inside and outside the school environment in regard to romantic relationships, and are therefore more likely to recognize that the issues raised in the workshop are directly related to their life and/or the life of their peers. For people aged 12-16, there is the added value that they will probably be in education for a few more years and will therefore be able to continue to act as change agents among their peers in these areas and in their school environment. Age balance is recommended when implementing Children First activities.
Size of teams and gender balance:
Children First can be implemented with great success in groups up to 20 young people, however due to the interactive nature of the activities, workshops will work better when held in smaller groups of around 10-15 young people, which allows everyone to talk and participate equally. The activities also work best in groups of almost equal numbers of boys and girls, although they can also be used in same-sex groups.
Recommendation:
The activities could be implemented by one educator him/herself but we suggest having a facilitator in this process too, to support you in the implementation of exercises from the technical/logistical point of view. If you have more than one trainer, we suggest having a gender balance too. The boys who participate tend to consider men more trustworthy coordinators and, at the same time, the coexistence of the two gender in the coordinating role
Things to consider before using the game in your teaching lessons:
● Find young people who will be participating in Children First:
o Will you implement the game within your students or is it going to be open for whoever is voluntarily interested? Are you going to involve the entire class or group? Is it going to be implemented as part of the official curriculum and in your taught module or as an additional extra-curriculum activity? How will you invite children to participate?
● Ask for your school’s permission:
o Do you need to ask permission from your school or Ministry to conduct such a workshop?
o Do you need to apply for a special permission if the activity is going to take place on the school premises during the official school hours and curriculum?
o Do you need a parental consent form?
● Materials and Budget:
o Do you have access to all materials, media and technological equipment for the implementation of the Children First workshop?
o Do you need a small budget to acquire these?
● Explore your own attitudes, knowledge and skills in relation to this workshop before implementing it. Study the theoretical material of our educational programme and consider your own perceptions and beliefs you are going to talk about.
o Have you considered getting some further training on gender topics?
o Are there any local organisations specialized in gender that you can collaborate with?
● Recognition of the participation of young people:
o Will you require a certificate for participation to motivate young people?
● Managing potential disclosures of violent behaviour and experiences:
o Does your school have guidelines and/or instructions on how staff should handle cases of abuse and violence of children and teenagers?
o If yes, do you know them? Do young people know these processes?
o Have a list of organisations that can offer support to young people victims of GBV.
o Have brochures or information from support agencies to share with young people.
● Time and context:
o For this workshop you will need 1.30hrs to implement. Can you ask for that timeslot from your school?
o If not, what alternatives are there in order to provide the most appropriate training experience to children?
o Have they learnt about gender issues before or is this their first time?
o What is the context in your country and educational approach on the matter of gender-based violence? Make sure you research and incorporate it in your lesson.
How to prepare for a workshop on gender-based violence in schools
As there is not a right way of doing this, here are some tips that you can follow to prepare your own workshop, using the Children First game.
● Research on existing tools: It is important to be aware of best practices examples and training which have developed similar tools that you can get inspired from, especially if you are not an experienced trainer on issues of gender-based violence. You can check out more projects related to gender-based violence in annex 1.
● Learn the needs of your participants: As a very sensitive topic, be mindful and prepared for the fact that students involved in this workshop could have been or are victims of gender-based violence, or could be observers of violence in their environments. Make sure that you are aware of your participants’ needs and challenges that they face (at least) within their school environment by speaking firstly with other teachers or the principal of your school.
● Define your objectives and plan your approach: Decide in advance your objectives and have them as your basis when planning your activities. You will also need to know the extent to which the students know each other so you plan and choose your icebreaker activities and team building exercises accordingly. See below for a suggested workshop structure that you can also adjust and adapt based on the needs of your students and your set objectives/learning outcomes. Be creative and fun to motivate and engage youngsters in your activities. Experiment with the space of your workshop too (it would be great if you can do the workshop outdoors).
● Get ready for challenging situations: First of all, you need to be aware of the regulations/protocol of action/support offices of your school on how to react, protect and support youngsters in case that it comes into your understanding that a student has been or is a victim of GBV. Before conducting the workshop, have a clear plan on
how you would act in different situations and in case of a sensitive situations where participants get emotional, you can always walk her/him out of the class and listen to their needs. Of course, if you are not a psychologist, do not act as one. Listen actively, be supportive as an educator but refer the student to a (school) psychologist and give information to the student about local help lines and institutions. Report incidents of violence to your school, as your responsibility both as educator and person. In case of violent situations which might occur during the activity (e.g.. laughing, bullying, violent comments), deal with them by intervening and discussing together with everybody or in private with the persons involved the incident, or inform the head of the school if you become an observer of violent behaviour amongst students. At the end of the day your role is to empower young people to react in violent situations by recognising signs of violent behaviours, knowing how to react and knowing where to ask for help and how to report such incidents.
● Stress the importance of a facilitator and arrange the space accordingly: It is always good to have someone act as the facilitator. The role of the facilitator is to support you as the trainer to create the learning environment, support you with any logistical issues and be the mediators in case of need. Be creative with the space – move the tables and create a circle, or you can bring some props.
Step 1: Set some common ground rules.
Taken from Manual Y4Y:https://medinstgenderstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/Y4Y-Manual_digital_v12.pdf
Duration 10-20 minutes
Educational goal Students to define commonly accepted and mutually respectful rules of conduct that will help create a safe and supportive environment throughout the workshop.
Material 1) Flipchart with paper 2) Colourful Markers
3) A sheet with "Basic rules" made in advance Implementation
steps
• Provide students with a brief overview of the purpose of Children First game and the workshop structure.
• Explain what Ground Rules are and why they are useful (they help students feel comfortable and safe sharing their thoughts and opinions especially when the activities will be dealing with sensitive topics like abuse or inequality). Ask students:
What are the Ground Rules you would like to set?
• Write down their responses and compare them to your pre-prepared flipchart with the 10 Ground Rules in the Activity Wrap-up. You can suggest any Ground Rules the students have missed.
• Place the Ground Rules flipchart in a visible spot (e.g. on the wall) where it will remain during all Sessions.
Example of Good Ground Rules
1) Team spirit: We all work as a team.
2) Equality & respect: We respect other’s opinions, even when they’re different to our
4) Be confident to ask questions: There are no stupid or wrong questions! Ask whenever you don’t understand something.
5) Speak freely but don’t feel pressured to share any personal information: Everybody is free to express their opinions but nobody is obliged to share intimate details or discuss things that make them feel uncomfortable.
6) Personal attacks are not allowed: Nobody should accuse anybody of anything.
7) Inappropriate, degrading or humiliating comments have no place here.
8) Respect the timelines set.
9) Information is confidential: Whatever you say and share among you is confidential and is not to be discussed outside the room or shared with others. “Gossip” is not allowed.
10)We all have fun!
Step 2: Create a safe and respectful environment.
As introduced in this toolkit, especially for workshops related to gender-based violence as a very sensitive and personal topic, you will need to create a safe and respectful environment for young people to feel comfortable to share their stories, opinions and experiences.
Icebreaker activities (optional):
● Divide your students into two groups. “One group stands still and is spread out across the room. The other group walk freely around them for a few minutes, some walking close or brushing past the standing participants. Then they swap over. In the full group the participants briefly discuss how they felt when someone else came into their personal space”. Source :http://gbv.mq81.it/index.php/learning_activity/show/id/14
● Crazy banana icebreaker activity:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UakWo5KJWjA If the students you are going to conduct this workshop with do not know each other we advise you to start with some name games and getting to know each other activities. You can find some suggestions here:
● Stand up in a circle and ask everyone to say their name and their favourite character from a movie/cartoon/series and why. Start as the educator and then pass the ball to someone else from the circle.
● Two truths and one lie: Ask everyone to write on a post-it note their name, two truths and one lie about themselves, without revealing which is which and put it somewhere on their body. Then, everyone should go around and in pairs of two guess which is everyone lie. If this workshop takes place online, you can use google jamboard as an interactive note tool.
● Speed dating cards: Put two chairs to face each other in a line in the classroom with a speed dating card for each pair with getting to know questions (of your choice) that the
two people should discuss about in 1 minute. Then, you will switch the pairs until everyone speaks with everyone.
Step 3: Initiate the discussion on gender-related issues.
Gender Boxes – an exercise adapted by the Y4Y Manual:
https://medinstgenderstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/Y4Y-Manual_digital_v12.pdf
Educational goal The goal of this activity is to initiate a discussion with your students around gender and gender stereotypes of our socially constructed gender norms of femininity and masculinity. The aim is to deconstruct any gender stereotype which might arise and critically discuss with children and teenagers the impact of gender inequality and discrimination on their emotional wellbeing.
Learning Outcomes ● Explore their beliefs concerning what it means to be a boy or a girl in the society they live in.
● Challenge gender stereotypes and the ‘accepted’ or ‘normalised’
beliefs about masculinity and femininity.
● Recognise the negative impact of rigid gender norms for both boys/men and girls/women and explore how these stereotypes limit the choices of women and men.
● Understand the link between gender socialisation, gender inequalities and hierarchies of power.
● Understand how the enforcement of gender norms contributes to gender-based violence.
Duration 35 minutes
Materials If this activity takes place physically then you will need two flip charts, sticky notes and colour markers. If this activity takes place virtually, some interesting and interactive tools that you can use are: a) Google Jamboard & b) Mentimeter
Description Preparation:
● First of all, explain to your students that the aim of this exercise is to deconstruct gender roles and norms.
● Then, if possible, you can ask students to sit in a circle. If you have more than 15 students, or students that do not know each other well, separate them into two groups.
● Use a flipchart (per group if you separate students into smaller groups) and write the word ‘girl’ and use another one writing the word ‘boy’ and put the sheets on a shared table/blackboard/floor.
Implementation:
● Give students a sticky note and a marker each and tell them to write down the first words that come in their mind when hearing
corresponding flipcharts. Their word choices should be as impulsive as possible.
● Suggestion: if you have more than 10-15 students, you could separate them into two different groups with a gender balance (if possible) in which they can do the same thing, discuss within their groups their findings and then put the flip charts next to each other and compare what they have written, initiating the discussion from there on.
● Explain that these are gender boxes and that they encircle how we expect people to act, depending on the society’s idea of what is considered masculine or feminine behaviour. Explain that the box encircles what we call gender roles for women and men.
Follow-up discussion:
● Try to initiate a discussion based on the words under each section and attempt to make as many connections as possible between the words under ‘girl’ and ‘boy’. Highlight that they are no right characterisations that should fit in any of these categories; on the contrary, we are trying to break free from those norms and stereotypes that bind our gender identities.
● Discuss their opinions and their word choices and how they underpin some gender norms and stereotypes. Explain why stereotypes exist and how they are perpetuated in a patriarchal society and show how binary thinking limits the potential of individuals to their gender and impacts the wellbeing (emotional and physical) of those people who do not ‘fit’ into the acceptable norms of masculinity and femininity.
● Ask them how they felt during this exercise, and ask if they have realised something new. Explain that gender is a social construct and that we should never treat anyone in a way that will make them feel less valuable – we are all different but equal.
Advice Avoid making general statements which might further encourage binary thinking. Instead, be open and communicative with all opinions which will be sent. We advise you to take the training programme for educators, developed under Work Package 3 of our project, where more theory on gender equality is presented along with practical tools for implementation. At this stage you will need to be aware of the difference between sex and gender and how gender roles and norms are socially constructed. Refer to the definitions if necessary, as presented in our educational programme, chapter 2.
Some questions you can ask your students to initiate the discussion are:
● Did any statements surprise you?
● What can we learn from the differences between sex and gender?
● Where do we learn these gender norms?
● When do we begin learning them? Who teaches us these norms?
● Do we see these attitudes in our parents?
● What differences do you observe in the way that women and men are expected to behave?
● Does one of the two genders seem to have more power or a stronger position in our society?
● Considering the box that encircles all the qualities you have mentioned, how easy is it for boys and girls to stay ‘in the boxes’?
● What if a girl or boy acts in a way that is outside the gender box?
What happens to them? How are they treated by their families, peers and the community if they look or behave differently than what is ‘expected of them’?
● Alternatively, what happens to people who conform and seem to fit in? What keeps us in the box?
● Is there a system of ‘rewards’ and ‘punishments’ in place? How does this system affect the choices we make?
● You can refer to our programme for educators for more activities on educating children and teenagers on gender-based violence. You can use interactive exercises to increase your students’ engagement and motivation either in a physical or virtual lesson,. An example of a tool for interactive presentations is KAHOOT.
Step 4: Play the game.
This exercise has been adapted from the Y4Y Manual for the purposes of the Children First workshop
Duration 50 minutes
● 15 minutes for students to play the game scenarios. You can either assign them a scenario to play as the trainer, or perhaps students would prefer to choose the scenarios they think represent them the most. We suggest that you spilt the scenarios among the group (or sub-groups if you split them into more groups) to avoid everyone playing the same scenarios. They can play more than 1 scenario within those 15 minutes, in which case you can suggest that they play one boy and one girl scenario.
● 35 minutes for discussion and debriefing.
Materials Smart phones for children to access, download and play the game (or tablets if
Flipchart and markers
You can find the game scenarios developed by our consortium in annex 2.
Suggestions for using the game in this activity
Suggestions for how to use the game:
1) Divide the students into groups of 2. Give each pair one scenario from the above to play. Tell each student to download the game in their phone and play the scenario you have allocated by themselves.
Then ask them to share between them their choices and feedback received based on their end result, and discuss the choices provided and other possibilities and feelings that have arisen based on their own experiences too.
2) Divide the students into groups of 5. Give each group, three different scenarios (gender and setting balance) and tell them to play them together. Ask them to speak about their thoughts and feelings about those two scenarios and compare their own and/or peers experiences.
3) You can play all together with the students as many scenarios as you think will be best to initiate the discussion on gender-based violence.
You can ask them to tell you which dialogue option you should choose, and you can always come back to those decisions of them to challenge them or in that way you can generate a debate or a dialogue on gender related issues.
Discussion questions Here are some general debriefing questions that you can use to discuss with your students after they play the game:
● Would you define your character’s experience as gender-based violence? If so, how was the abusive behaviour your character experienced gender-based?
● What types of violence were your character in the scenario subjected to?
● How do you think your character would have felt?
● Why were the people in the scenarios subjected to these types of abusive behaviour? (If not mentioned, probe for peer reinforcement, hierarchies of power, victim blaming, GBV as ‘acceptable’ or ‘normal’ behaviour, ‘just a joke’, teachers not intervening etc.)
● How do you think this experience might have affected your character’s wellbeing?
● How did you feel while playing this character?
● Do you think that your character’s experience is common among young people? How and why?
● Do you think this abuse is normal? Did the person who received the abuse in your scenario deserved it in any way? Can anyone really provoke violent behaviour?
● What were the ‘perpetrators’ trying to achieve with their behaviour in your scenario?
● What relationships of power did you observe? Who has the power in these situations? Why?
● What should the person who is being abused do? What might stop them from speaking out or taking action?
● How would you advise your friend if you were in your character’s shoes?
● What do you think should be done to prevent such situations in youngsters’
experiences in the future?
Advice: You can select the ones you think are the most appropriate ones or think of new ones yourself. You can always use some for the small group discussions (in between children themselves) and some for the whole group discussion (all together).
Expected outcome and activity wrap up
In the activity wrap-up you may choose to ask students to identify one thing they have learned from the scenarios. The take-home messages are:
● Gender-based violence happens in all environments of children and young people and it is very common. This, though, does not mean that it is right.
● Gender-based violence is not only about physical violence, it is not normal and should not be justified. Young people often find it difficult to recognise non-physical forms of violence. They may also believe that experiencing psychological abuse has minimal negative consequences for victims or that it is normal or even justified under certain conditions.
● Gender-based bullying is incredibly hurtful and damaging to victims.
● Victims do not provoke violence with their behaviour/appearance.
● Acts of violence are the conscious choice of the perpetrators (perpetrators could have dealt with the situation in different ways but opted to act abusively).
● Violence only stops with an intervention. Silence, impartiality or denial only perpetuates the problem and does not break the cycle of violence. An intervention could include assertive behaviour, saying no, putting boundaries, asking for an adult/ teacher/ parent/friend to intervene
Advice to educators when conducting a workshop on gender-based violence
● Note to the students that deconstructing gender stereotypes does not always mean rejecting them. For example, it is okay for a girl to dance ballet or a boy to play football if that is what they want, and it is a conscious choice. There is a difference to when they do it, because they are forced to by the expectations of others around them or their society. In addition, make sure that you associate gender stereotypes and norms to power relation and the question of inequality and violence.
● The problem of gender-based violence is “normalised” in our society and does not only have to do with men but instead with the patriarchal system that socially constructs our gender identities and behaviours. Men are part of the problem of violence and should be part of the solution too as gender equality and feminism concerns them too.
● You should approach GBV through a multidisciplinary perspective, which means that you should look at this issue through the lens of ethnicity, social and economic background, religion, disability, race, sexuality, class, etc. We should analyse the issue of GBV through an intersectional approach, considering the multiple and multi-level discriminations which affect young people today to further explore how discrimination and violence intersect and affect the social realities of people in different ways.
● Make sure that you mention the causes and effects of GBV amongst children and teenagers and focus also in the romantic relationships of youngsters or the school-related GBV. You can find more information about this in our educational programme if you wish to expand your knowledge and challenge your attitudes on the matter.
● The question of “why do people stay in abusive relationships?” is important to raise and discuss. It is related to violence in intimate relationships: young people enter the relationships and, even if they want to, they might not be able to leave. Our education process should focus
on activities which aim to empower young people to react towards gender-based violence and enhance their self-esteem.
● Discussing about victim-blaming and taking action against it is also another topic to be emphasised. This workshop can serve as a way to develop/increase students’ communication skills, conflict management competences and assertiveness to deal with cases of GBV. These competences can be crucial when it comes to dealing with any types of violence.
● Finally, if possible, include (or do not exclude from your workshop and discussion) the struggles of people with different gender identities and sexual orientations. Young people who face different gender-related struggles and have different realities will not only empower youngsters who are traditionally underrepresented, but it will also make the space more inclusive and diverse.
Step 5: Debriefing and evaluation.
A follow up discussion is always needed in non-formal education settings. Extract learning from activities – it is as important to reflect as it is to do different activities. This process is usually defined as debriefing or follow up discussion and evaluation process – when an educator helps the group to reflect on what has been discussed, what has been learnt from this experience and the learners’ feelings and emotions. The competence of asking good questions is essential for that.
Assessing young people's participation in Children First, for instance what they have learned, what skills they have acquired and if they liked participating, will allow you as an educator to:
● Measure the impact of Children First e-game on young people's knowledge and attitudes.
● Improve the programme by taking into account the views and suggestions of the young people who participated.
● Inform other interested parties about the implementation of the programme, e.g.
colleagues, external organisations, parents, etc.
● Develop qualitative evaluation by young participants by getting a summary of the views of those who participated in the game. For this purpose, you can use open-ended
