Empowering our coding members to Choose Respect for Anti-Bullying Week

Monday 11th November 2024 marks the start of Anti-Bullying week and, this year, the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) have embraced the theme of 'Choose Respect' which The Code Zone full-heartedly supports and endorses. Anti-Bully Week is an annual event that started in 2002 which aims to raise awareness of the effects of bullying and how we as a society can help to kerb bullying behaviour by supporting children and young people. Research has shown that approximately one child in every classroom experiences bullying each day - this is why we strive to ensure that every single club we host at The Code Zone, whether they be online or at one of our in-person sites, is a safe haven for children to find like-minded young people who have a flair for tech, coding an video games. Our clubs are more than just spaces for learning, they are also a hub for respect, community and friendship which are all led by our talented, stem-accredited and DBS-checked mentors; find out more below! 

Online Clubs and Spaces
Our Game Dev Club is an online mentor-led coding session where we focus on practical, long-life coding skills; it is the perfect way for children to learn code in a fun, creative and supported way. Each club session has up to six children to enable each child to have their voice in our online space. The small groups provide the perfect backdrop for supported learning as well as the opportunity to build online friendships. In addition, this is all led and supported by our mentors who have had extensive and on-going training in group management, safeguarding and children with autism. We believe that these fun, creative spaces are perfect for children to explore their interests in a safe way. The Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking Journal describes this perfectly by stating: "Mediated social spaces, particularly online games, hold the potential to be socially advantageous for emotionally sensitive individuals by allowing them to overcome their traditional social difficulties, generate new friendships, and strengthen old ones."

Friendships
Our clubs are not online for learning but also a place where friendships amongst the members can blossom. Everyone at The Code Zone believes in community over competition and all our members support each other through their coding journey. We host a variety events throughout the year known as Game Jams where children can highlight their skills by making their own games. Though making the game is one aspect, many of our members believe the best part of the Game Jams is seeing each others work. We give them the opportunity to give xp to their fellow members and to praise each coder for their uniqueness. The Code Zone is a place of friendship and community for children to learn and expand their knowledge with like-minded individuals. This is especially the case for children with autism; the video chat aspect of our sessions allows them to have control over the sounds an visuals over the experience. They also have the opportunity to be within their own safe-space at home whilst exploring new concepts and  meeting people with the help of our mentors. Famous youtuber Spectrum Gaming once said that: "Gaming with other people is one of those ways that socialising [for autistic children] works. You have a shared medium or an interest which motivates them to want to learn and want to do that with other people."

Positive Role Models
We have highlighted the benefits of our clubs and how children use them as a means of learning and socialising, but what can we do as a group to help children with bullying? Our mentors are role models for our members - they uphold our ethos of kindness and respect. Our mentors talk openly amongst the children, educating them on not just gaming and coding but how to remain open-minded, inclusive and respectful towards their in and outside The Code Zone. We also have the privilege of having all our mentors come from different walks of lives in terms of background, identity and personality. With the breadth of individualism within our team, our mentors are able to help children celebrate differences and build up a child's self confidence. We are a part of their online experience and offer all the tools to make it a positive one for every child. 

If you'd like to find out more about Anti-Bullying Week and what resources are available to you, please check out ABA's website for more information.