Aims We describe two experiential programmes toward school shaming and bullying (S/B), aiming at prevention, identification and early intervention.

Methods Teachers attended a 2-day train-the-trainer workshop. 1stday: 8 simulation-based S/B scenarios, where communication with pupils and with parents role-played by actors was exercised. Teacher-actor encounters were video-recorded to be screened during debriefing sessions. 2nd day: Teachers were trained to conduct school discussions on S/B with other school staff, utilizing video-recordings of their own training. Teachers completed a 4-grade-Likert-scale questionnaire rating the workshop’s quality, value, and relevance for approaching S/B situations, as well as open ended questions regarding their workshop’s experience.

Results 91 teachers attended 6 train-the-trainer workshops. The average rates for the workshop’s quality, value, and relevance were 3.86, 3.57 and 3.71 respectively. A unanimous satisfaction was expressed with a plea for further training and professional supervision. Work in progress: Following the teachers’ programme, we developed an S/B experiential one-day workshop for secondary school pupils. It included: a. An Internet-based-survey regarding psychological effects of S/B; b. A child psychiatrist’s talk on outcomes related to S/B victims. Perpetrator-victim characteristics were emphasized and tools for identifying and coping with S/B were suggested; c. A virtual-reality scenario (developed in collaboration with Openmind 360 Inc.) of cyber-shaming that allows the viewer to choose different pathways that may follow the shaming situation. A social worker led a discussion about the shaming scenario and the alternative pathways; d. A stage performance: a teenage boy (actor) proudly tells a friend about himself bullying another boy. He then admits being a violence victim at home. A discussion of the scenario was led by a school counselor; e. A discussion based on the results of the pupils’pre-lecture survey and the experiential exposure in each group concluded the workshop. In the course of 2 school years 690 10th grade pupils (48 groups) attended the programme. Analysis of the pre-workshop surveys and the workshops’ impact within the schools is in progress.

Conclusions Simulation-based educational programmes addressing S/B for both teachers and pupils were valued as relevant and helpful for prevention, identification and early intervention. Long-term evaluation of their effectiveness is in progress.