«Kikoolol» refers to a teenager who is very prone to excessive use of text message language. This way of speaking results in extreme familiarity which, when negative, can be harmful. «Kikoolol» is also the name of a project to raise awareness of bullying and cyberbullying among young people, run by a Belgian secondary school, La Providence de Champion.
Unfortunately, there are an increasing number of sometimes tragic examples of harassment perpetrated by young people against their peers, exacerbated by the use of social media (the infamous cyberbullying). The unique feature of the «Kikoolol» project is that it brings together pupils and teachers, in order to empower those who are most directly affected – because bullying often originates in the confined and collective space of a school.
In addition to a poster campaign and flyers distributed at Providence College in Champion, the teaching team worked with the pupils to create a short film entitled « Rumours »Directed by two students, Victorien Loriers, director, and Cyprien Grégoire, graphic designer, the film shows the daily life of a young girl who is bullied by her classmates because they find her too different.
«You idiot! Don't bring your g... to class.»
The words and messages of cruel schoolboy humour relayed on social media («Watch out for yourself tomorrow!») led this young student to see no way out other than to take irreparable action. This powerful message follows starkly realistic images in which the young people of Providence de Champion play the role of tormentors with a simplicity that makes us reflect on group behaviour and how easily we can find ourselves in a dramatic situation. Hence the importance of involving potential perpetrators of bullying at an age when it is sometimes difficult to accept being different...
