Filenews 9 February 2026 - by Evangelia Sizopoulou
A very important action, which, in fact, was crowned with great success, was carried out a few days ago by the Children's Department of Infant, Kindergarten and First School Age of the Library of the University of Cyprus, in collaboration with the Education and Culture Committee of the 8th House of Young Representatives.
It was the pioneering educational program entitled "School Violence and Delinquency: Preventing, Addressing and Enhancing Positive Behaviours", which was aimed at children aged 5-9 and their parents/guardians. The action was carried out in the context of the long-standing effort to prevent school violence and strengthen positive, democratic and inclusive behaviours from early school ages.
Through experiential learning and creative dialogue, the children who attended had the opportunity to recognize emotions, understand the consequences of violence and reinforce positive behaviours, while parents received educational material with practical directions to support their children in the family and school environment.
According to the University of Cyprus, the successful completion of the program highlighted the importance of preventing school violence through targeted, experiential and collaborative actions, confirming the need to continue similar initiatives that enhance safety, respect and active participation in the school and social environment. At the same time, he highlighted the crucial role of the Children's Department and the Library of the University of Cyprus, as places that promote education, empathy and creative learning. "Through such initiatives, the Library is not just a reading space, but an active pillar of society, fostering safe, democratic and inclusive environments for children, supporting parents and contributing substantially to the formation of a more sensitive, cooperative and humane society," the academic institution pointed out.
School violence and delinquency are not just isolated incidents of behaviour, but a complex social and pedagogical phenomenon that decisively affects the psycho-emotional development of children and the climate of the school community. Their prevention and early treatment is based on knowledge, the cultivation of empathy and the strengthening of positive behaviour patterns from the very first ages, in a school environment that promotes the acceptance of diversity, the smooth integration of all children, cooperation and an active, responsible attitude towards fellow human beings and society.
For her part, the scientific director of the Infant, Early Childhood and First School Age Children's Department, Nasia Charalambous, implemented games to get to know the children, creating a positive and safe atmosphere and informed the parents/guardians in detail about the program, its structure and goals. She emphasized the importance of parents/guardians effectively empowering children, underlining the need for daily communication with children, talking to them, showing empathy for their feelings and offering them psychological support.
The Head of the Education and Culture Committee of the 8th House of Young Representatives, Elena Kyriakou, underlined that the House of Young Representatives is an institution of active youth participation and meaningful dialogue, which is implemented in the framework of a co-organization between the Cyprus Youth Council and the non-governmental organization Cyprus Youth DiplomaCY. At the same time, he stated that this action is being carried out following the vote in favour of the relevant report by the Plenary in November 2025, which confirms the gravity of the issue of school violence and delinquency, as well as the need to adopt substantial and targeted interventions both inside and outside the school context. It is noted that the report, which includes the committee's proposals, was distributed to the people present for information.
It is worth noting that in the context of the program, the narration of the fairy tale "Melis the Bully" was included by the author Andreas Kapandreou and the members of the Join The Tale team, Vasiliki Papacharalambous and the psychologist Maria Perdikogianni, followed by an experiential workshop for the children, with playful activities and exercises of empathy, cooperation and conflict management, which was implemented by Chryssa Aristidou, School Psychologist and Director of the Institute of Mental Health "Armonia".
The educational material provided is also particularly important. The booklet includes fairy tales, activities and exercises specially designed for kindergarten and first grades of primary school children. The exercises are based on the principles of experiential learning and socio-emotional education and aim to recognize emotions, understand bullying situations, develop empathy, and adopt positive ways of communicating and collaborating.
Through creative and playful activities, such as discussion, painting, storytelling, and role-playing, children are encouraged to express themselves freely, collaborate, and develop conflict resolution skills, helping to create a safe, supportive, and inclusive school environment.
