From Cyberbullying to Solutions: Digital Empathy Lab in Debrecen

Content
In Debrecen, Hungary, Kreatív Ifjúsági Akadémia Magyarország held a follow-up workshop to the Yerevan-based training, focusing on cyberbullying and digital peacebuilding. The session, led by David Szabó, explored how IT tools can protect young people online and foster safer digital spaces.

Workshop Goals

  • Understand cyberbullying: how it happens, where it appears, and how to recognize it.

  • Explore IT solutions that support online safety, education, and respectful communication.

Key Activities
The workshop began with a case study on a university “confessions” page, where anonymous comments crossed the line into harmful territory. Participants discussed how to define cyberbullying, where it occurs, and the thin boundary between jokes and harm. A lively discussion followed on whether society or government authorities should act first.

The group also reviewed AI-based comment detection algorithms, and brainstormed an app idea to help identify online hate speech in real time. Participants suggested launching an educational campaign alongside the app to raise awareness about the issue.

Participant Reflections

“This showed me that coding isn’t just for jobs—it’s also for peace.”
“It was powerful to share personal stories and turn them into digital solutions.”

Outputs and Legacy
A participant team is now preparing a prototype app focused on cyberbullying prevention. Youth mentors from Debrecen will support its development, and the idea will be pitched during the fall school forum series hosted by the academy.

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