ORBIT Cost Action

Despite progress, more than 1 in 5 children still experience bullying every year.

The impact can be devastating - affecting mental health, confidence, and long-term wellbeing.

This is why #AntiBullyingWeek matters. #PowerForGood

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🚨 Anti-Bullying Week 2025 Press Release 🚨

More than 8 million children across the UK are uniting to use their #PowerForGood this #AntiBullyingWeek (10-14 Nov)!

Read the full press release here: anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/aba-our-work...

Follow this thread for key highlights ⬇️

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When school staff take a proactive stance to LGBT+-related issues, such as bullying and discrimination, they better understand the impact of school culture on LGBT+ students. Learn more from this study from the University of Reading: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10..... #bullying #EduSky

We’re proud to share our updated policy recommendations! 💡

They call for, among other things:
🧑🏫 Mandatory anti-bullying training for teachers & staff
📊 Better recording, monitoring & research on bullying
🏫 Whole-school accountability approaches

👉 anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/aba-our-work...

Happy 1st Anniversary ORBIT COST Action!! 🚀💥🥳

In Brussels on October 14, 2024, we started off our ORBIT network!

As of today, 191 researchers from across Europe and beyond are involved in ORBIT to address the issues of religious-based school bullying, children's wellbeing, and cultural diversity.

#Cyberbullying is on the rise!
ORBIT Cost Action Chair Prof. James` O'Higgins Norman with Assoc. prof. Alan Gorman and other colleagues from the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre Ireland have submitted a report to the European Commission's call for #evidence on cyberbullying: tinyurl.com/2rywj67c

#EuropeanCommission is taking action against #cyberbullying by creating the EU Action plan!

A new evidence report is submitted to the European Commission by our ORBIT chair Dr. James O'Higgins Norman with Dr. Alan Gorman from the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre Ireland tinyurl.com/5fkwvy4e

I have just returned from Malta, where I was participating in the Cost Action, ORBIT: Religious Identity, Bullying and Well-being at School: A Transnational Collaboration. An enjoyable and engaging few days @orbitcostaction.bsky.social

We are back in #Brussels 🇧🇪 for another #COST Academy & social media training!

Always a great chance to connect, learn, and share tips on making science and our research on religion-based school bullying more visible online.

ORBIT COST Action in Malta

A truly productive and inspiring two days filled with fruitful #discussions, #knowledge exchange and #research collaboration!

A big THANK YOU to Dr. Glorianne Borg Axisa from the University of Malta, our local organiser for making the meetings a real success!

📣 World Anti-Bullying Forum (#WABF) takes place from 11–13 June 2025 in #Stavanger, #Norway, hosted by the University of Stavanger and Læringsmiljøsenteret!✨🌍Over 700 researchers, practitioners, parents, pupils from all around the world will attend — including many members of the #ORBIT!

In our COST Action, we are working to promote #gender balance and #inclusion of young researchers (YRI) across Europe 👩‍🔬👨‍🔬

📊 Check out this graphic overview highlighting our efforts to build a more inclusive research network.

I am exited to propose and lead cross-national research on the individual and social factors of religious-based cyberbullying within @orbitcostaction.bsky.social

Stay tuned!

I have just spent the past few days in Seville, participating in the Orbit Cost Action, Religious Identity, Bullying and Well-being at School: A Transnational Collaboration. I thoroughly enjoyed discussing these important issues with colleagues from around the world! @orbitcostaction.bsky.social

Working group 2 met again on Zoom to take the next steps in assessing the prevalence of #religious-based #bullying and evaluating schools and national #policies and #interventions across 19 countries!
orbit-costaction.eu

ORBIT COST Action now has 41 dedicated Management Committee (MC) members! Can you guess which countries they represent? Pink and green mark countries with 2 members each and grey with 1 member! Bright colours with lines show where we are still missing MCs!

🌟Our final introduction to ORBIT COST Action Core Group Leaders presents Prof. Dr. Sebastian Wachs, our Grant Awarding Coordinator 🌟

Sebastian is a prof. of education specializing in digitalization at the University of Münster, Germany. More details: orbit-costaction.eu/person/prof-...

🌟 Full house in Sevilla! 🇪🇸
Over 70 members of the ORBIT COST Action Network from across Europe are gathered at the University of Sevilla for two days of working group and management committee meetings.

🌟Meet Dr. Ljubisa Bojic, a communication scientist and futurologist, who is a leader of Working Group 5 in ORBIT COST Action focusing on #Socialmedia, #AI and #Metaverse - Impact on Religion and Wellbeing at Schools. 🌟

ljubisabojic.com

🌟 Meet Professor Muthanna Samara, WG4 Leader of the ORBIT COST Action 🌟

Muthanna is a leader in Developmental Psychopathology and a driving force behind the Developmental Psychology Research Group at Kingston University, London.

lnkd.in/d7dCCunZ

In #ORBIT #COST action, prof. #Robert Bowie (PhD) leads Working group 3 with the focus on "Religious Education, Spirituality, Wellbeing, and Inclusion."

Robert is the Chair for Religion and Worldviews Education at Canterbury Christ Church University and Director of NICER.

lnkd.in/dgdE9mSQ

Let's introduce the leader of #WorkingGroup 2 in #ORBIT COST Action.

🌟 Dr. #Glorianne Borg Axisa is a senior lecturer at University of Malta Junior College and lectures at the Faculty of Education of the University of Malta. She holds a PhD from UCL UK.

www.um.edu.mt/profile/glor...

⏳ Less than one month to go! Our general meeting in #Sevilla, #Spain is approaching! 🔜 Have you arranged your travel yet? 🚆🛫

We are looking forward to insightful discussions and networking!

🌟 Introducing Working group leaders at ORBIT! 🌟

Ioulia Televantou - Leader of Working group 1: Religious identity and School Climate Assessment

Ioulia is a Lecturer in Quantitative Research Methods at the European University Cyprus. She earned PhD from the University of Oxford.

lnkd.in/dZUbrsed

🌟 Who is Who in ORBIT Cost Action ? 🌟
Next up: Dr Aleksandar Bozic - Science Communication Coordinator.
Aleksandar is assoc. prof. at University of Stavanger, Norway. He brings expertise in #socialservices, #migration; #school prevention #bullying; #socialinnovation; #community and #thirdsector.

🚀 Exciting News!

The official ORBIT COST Action website is launched!

Visit us for more information about our transnational collaboration on #religious identity, #bullying and #wellbeing at #school.

www.orbit-costaction.eu

Who's who in #ORBIT? Meet Professor Eveline Gutzwiller-Helfenfinger, our Action Vice-Chair!

🎓 Based at Schwyz University of Teacher Education in Switzerland, Eveline brings expertise in educational and social sciences. Her research covers #schoolbullying and #moral disengagement

shorturl.at/SJo8j

Dr Amalee Meehan - DCU Anti-Bullying Centre Dr. Amalee Meehan is an Assistant Professor in DCU School of Human Development and a Research Fellow in DCU Anti-Bullying Centre.

Who is who?

🌟 Dr Amalee Meehan - Grant Holder Scientific Representative of #ORBIT.

She is Assistant Professor of Religious Education at Dublin City University and Associate Researcher at the National Anti-Bullying Centre and at the Mater Dei Centre for Catholic Education.
shorturl.at/u8NcL

Prof James O'Higgins Norman - DCU Anti-Bullying Centre Prof. James O'Higgins Norman is a clinical sociologist with interests in school bullying, cyberbullying and online safety.

Who is Who? ✨ Meet our #ORBIT COST Action Chair: Professor James O'Higgins Norman! He is #UNESCO Chair on #Bullying and #Cyberbullying, and Professor of Clinical Sociology at dublincityuni.bsky.social Institute of Education. He also leads the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre.
shorturl.at/PRIs5