The Observatory on Violence in Schools (PA.VI.S.), of the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, organized an online workshop, on 12 March 2022, on "Prolonged Pandemic - Mental Resilience - School Violence/Violence". The conference was attended by teachers of all levels, who had the opportunity to be informed by renowned - in their field - speakers/researchers about the consequences (psychosocial, pedagogical, etc.) of the prolonged pandemic in schools, with particular emphasis on the issues of violence and delinquency that arise. In addition, participants received practical suggestions for (a) more effective management of this situation and (b) mental empowerment of themselves and their students.
At the beginning of the Workshop, an introduction was given by the Coordinator of P.V.I.S., Dr. Elena Hadjikakou, First Officer of the Pedagogical Institute. Then the Director of the Pedagogical Institute and President of the Interdepartmental Committee for the Prevention and Handling of Violence and Delinquency, Dr Athena Michaelidou, addressed the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, Mr Prodromos Prodromos. During the reading of Mr Prodromou's greeting, it was stressed that building and shielding the mental resilience of children and teachers to deal with the consequences of the pandemic is a new priority of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture from March 2020. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the first objective of the MoHFW has been the early identification of potential socio-economic, digital or other inequalities, followed by immediate intervention with actions to eliminate inequalities and include all.
Speakers at the Workshop were Dr. Konstantinos N. Fellas, Senior Vice Rector of the University of Nicosia, member of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of the Ministry of Health on COVID-19, Dr. Zoe Dorothea Pana, Specialist Paediatrician, Lecturer in Paediatrics at the European University Cyprus, Consultant to the Minister of Health, member of the COVID-19 Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Health and Dr Kostas Fantis, Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology at the Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus (PC) and Director of the Laboratory of Developmental Psychopathology (PC). Due to Dr. Fanti's unscheduled absence, Dr. Hara Demetriou, Registered School Psychologist, Specialist at the Centre for Mental Health of the University of Cyprus and Scientific Associate of the Laboratory of Developmental Psychopathology of the University of Cyprus, gave the presentation.
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