Digital violence doesn’t wait, and now you have a tool to respond

Behind every screen, in every private message or group chat, there may be silence filled with fear, shame, and pain. Digital gender-based violence is not just an “online problem” – it is a reality affecting one in four young women in North Macedonia, yet only five percent of them have the courage to report it. The rest remain silent, most often because they don’t know where to turn or fear they won’t be taken seriously.

This is precisely why schools are the key place where this silence can be broken. Teachers and school professional support staff are often the first adults who can notice a change in a child’s behavior: withdrawal, a sudden drop in grades, nervousness when a message arrives on the phone. But to respond properly, they need knowledge, guidance, and confidence.

The handbook “HANDBOOK ON PREVENTING DIGITAL GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE” was created exactly for that purpose. Written by Elena Dimushevska, with the support of the European Union, it explains in a clear and human way what digital gender-based violence means, how it manifests in the secondary school context, and what the psychological consequences are for young people. But the handbook doesn’t stop there, it offers concrete steps for the first conversation with the child, for communication with school support staff and parents, for crisis intervention, and for long-term support. The five ready-to-use workshop modules allow teachers to immediately apply theory to practice, while the interactive online version with quizzes and mini-games makes learning accessible for young people as well.

The handbook is free and available in Macedonian, Albanian, and English. Download it today and become part of the change. Every child deserves to know they are not alone, that there is an adult who sees them, listens to them, and is ready to stand by their side.