Empowering the Relationship Between Teachers, Students, and Families to Build Resilience Against Racism, Hate Speech and (Cyber-)Bullying: a Case in Italy

This work presents the main insights of the research in schools conducted in Italy within the framework of the H2020 PARTICIPATION project.The analytical path was specifically designed to conduct an exploratory study aimed at gathering data and experiences on the ways in which polarizing opinions enter and spread in the educational environment. To do this, a group of teachers were involved in a participatory social lab focused on exploring the needs and challenges faced by teachers concerning the dynamics of polarization and radicalization within the Italian public school system. Through participatory approach, the teachers played a central role in co-creating the research outputs, identifying possible solutions and strategies through a reflective process of shared elaboration. The research highlighted that the Italian context is marked by increasing inequalities and social conflict, including racism, hate crimes, hate speech, cyberbullying, cultural discrimination, and a lack of a well-defined regulatory framework to prevent radicalization. Although the results cannot be generalised, our work offers insightful comparative elements contributing to designing participative prevention strategies in the educational setting.