PEPtalk Prevention - NMS - Nelson Mandela School, Berlin

PEPtalk – Prevention Empowering Parents and Pupils

PEPtalk is a parent initiative which aims to provide NMS parents with information about preventing addiction. We work closely with the teachers and educators to build on the school prevention programme.

Prevention Programme Years 7-10

If you are concerned about a student or an incident at school, please contact one of the following staff members confidentially:
– any secondary educator
– a designated teacher counsellor (Vertrauenslehrer): Ms Birmingham, Dr Milena
– the addiction prevention coordinator: Herr Czwielong.

See our parent FAQs for tips on how to address prevention issues and support your children
Find out where to get help in English in Berlin

If you have any questions or would like to join our team, please get in touch!

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Recent prevention projects:

Cyberbullying
Empowering Parents

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying – Parents’ evening with Berlin Police (January & February 2018)

In case you missed this informative parents’ evening with police prevention officer, Ms Janneck, here are some useful facts and tips.

What is cyberbullying?
When several people bully an individual via social media over a longer period of time (according to German law, more than 4 weeks). Cyberbullying among children most frequently occurs on Whatsapp within a class group. Incidents are usually initiated by one or two bullies but supported by others children who forward messages/do not speak out against them.

Here are some warning signals that a child may be a victim of bullying:

not wanting to go to school (or other social settings), they may claim to be ill in order to stay home.
withdrawing from social circles
noticeable changes in behavior
trivialising incidents they have experienced
withdrawing into an imaginary world (e.g. imaginary friends)

If you a concerned that your child is involved in/a victim of cyberbullying, you should contact the class teachers or educators. If caught early, such incidents can often be resolved through mediation.

If bullying is suspected, do not delete the messages/images as these provide evidence.

Legal consequences of cyberbullying
Insulting or threatening someone online is a criminal offence. Children who participate in cyberbullying (even by forwarding offensive messages/images /videos which were sent by others) are committing a criminal offence.

Children over the age of 14 years are considered criminally responsible in Germany, so if a cyberbullying incident is reported to the police, this could lead to a criminal record and details being stored by the police for several years. This can affect a young person’s chances of finding a job or entering certain professions (which require a police check).

How can parents help their children to avoid involvement in bullying?

Help your child to pay attention to safety settings and age limits online (e.g. Whatsapp minimum age 13!)
Show interest in their online activities, e.g. ask them to show you how the games/sites they use work
Discourage children from giving away personal information/images etc. online
Set clear rules about time and activities online
Keep communication channels open and encourage your child to speak to you if they think messages/images are inappropriate
Help them recognise the difference between ‘online friends’ and ‘real friends’

Online resources in German:

Online resources in English:

Empowering Parents

Empowering Parents seminar (May 2017)

Thanks to all the parents who attended the fascinating and thought-provoking seminar by Anne Wilkening in April 2016. We learnt lots of interesting facts about what happens to the brain during puberty and got some practical tips on how to talk to our kids about gaming and substance abuse. And many of us had some interesting conversations with our kids the next day!

You'll find a wealth of information (in German only) on this website:

http://www.annewilkening.de/

Here are a few important things we learnt:

About healthy media use:
Did you know that too much gaming actually causes you to gain weight?
Playing fast games in particular produces lots of adrenalin which in turn causes your body to produce unhealthy fat. Gaming should always be followed by physical activity!

Here are the maximum recommended weekly time limits for gaming:

Over 12 years – max. 6-9 hours per week
Under 12 years – max. 4-6 hours per week
Under 10 years – max. 2-4 hours per week

The best time to play games/use smartphones/tablets etc. is after getting home from school before homework and long before bedtime! The blue light that screens give off reduces the quality of sleep.

You can find lots of advice about safe gaming and internet use here:

https://www.klicksafe.de/ (mostly in German). There is even a helpline for students, parents and teachers to get advice.

Remember, it is important to know what your child is playing / doing online. Our school IT department has lots of ideas for fun, rewarding media resources you can try out with your kids.

Check out these COOL TOOLS

About brain development:
Young people's brains are under construction from puberty until their twenties. Brain development is complete in young women by about age 23 and in young men by their mid- to late twenties.

About cannabis use:
Did you know that cigarette smoking amongst young people in Berlin has decreased but cannabis use has increased? The cannabis currently available in Berlin is 20 times stronger than what was around 15 years ago!

Cannabis also contains high levels of lead and cadmium which it absorbs from the soil.

Smoking cannabis during puberty permanently affects the parts of the brain and curtails brain development.

If you are concerned about someone you know, you can find information and advice on these sites

https://www.elternberatung-sucht.de/ (German)
http://www.talktofrank.com/worried-about-a-child (English)

Delay, delay, delay!
The earlier that young people experiment with substances (alcohol, cannabis etc.), the more harmful and lasting the effects. So encouraging our kids to wait till they are older before they 'try' things out and helping them to find safe, healthy ways to have fun is vital (sports, music, programming and other hobbies).

If you want to read more about these issues, take a look at Anne Wilkening's presentations (in German only):

For information on in English, please take a look at:

Our FAQs and links to useful websites