🧠 TeenLife Daily
Taking a Stand Against Bullying, One Click at a Time
May 2nd marked the International Day Against Bullying, a powerful call to action to confront the aggression, exclusion, and intimidation that many teens face every day, especially in digital spaces. . Bullying can affect mental health, self-esteem, and even academic success. It is a serious issue with lasting consequences. Silence is not an option, and bullying must be stopped!
In Latin America, nearly 1 in 3 students report being bullied at school, with verbal aggression and social exclusion being the most frequent forms (UNESCO, 2019). In Costa Rica alone, over 50% of students say they’ve witnessed or experienced bullying, often linked to appearance, gender, or social background (UNICEF Costa Rica, 2023).
At TeenSmart, we believe that access to truthful, direct, and age-appropriate information is a powerful tool for prevention and healing.
Through JovenSalud.net, we offer free, confidential, teen-friendly support —online courses, blogs, and 1:1 coaching— to help teens understand, prevent, and respond to bullying —whether they’re experiencing it firsthand or witnessing it among their peers.
Also, our trained coaches provide personalized guidance in a safe, supportive space. Teens learn how to recognize abuse, act assertively, ask for help, and rebuild confidence.
By standing with youth and providing them with reliable resources, we’re not only preventing bullying—we’re cultivating a culture of empathy and action that values respect, solidarity, and peace!
🌟 Impact in Action
Let’s break the silence!
f you think your child or a young person in your circle might be experiencing bullying, here are some tips to help you support them:
🔸 Listen without judgment: Create a safe, trusting space. Choose the right moment, ask open-ended questions, and most importantly — listen carefully.
🔸 Observe closely: Watch for changes in behavior, social withdrawal, or repeated conflicts.
🔸 Encourage emotional expression: Validate their feelings and keep an eye on how the situation develops.
🔸 Act immediately: Don’t ignore or downplay what’s happening. Intervene with firmness and respect.
🔸 Define what bullying is: Use clear language to explain, without aggression.
🔸 Boost their self-esteem: Acknowledge their strengths and encourage confidence.
🔸 Teach them how to respond: Help them learn how to react to aggression and seek help when needed.
🔸 Talk about cyberbullying: Supervise technology use with open, honest conversations.
🔸 Model respect at home: Lead by example through empathy and respectful communication.
🛑 If you suspect the young person might be engaging in bullying:
🔸 Guide them: Encourage self-reflection and set clear, educational consequences.
🔸 Involve the affected families: Communicate openly and constructively to reach a resolution.
🔸 Promote a culture of respect: Integrate empathy, peaceful conflict resolution, and healthy relationships into everyday learning.
🚀 Looking Ahead: 2025 on the Move
At TeenSmart, we’re boldly stepping into the future by deepening our impact where it matters most: the emotional and mental well-being of Latin American youth. Thanks to a transformative collaboration with AWS, we’ve scaled our culturally relevant mental health interventions across the JovenSalud platform, using cloud-based services like EC2, S3, RDS, and Lambda. These technologies allow us to reach thousands of underserved teens with secure, efficient, and engaging digital tools designed to improve their emotional health—right when and where they need it most.
With youth at the center of our process, we updated key mental health interventions such as the “Building Emotions” course (now in three age-specific versions), the “Emotions in Harmony” micro-learning sequence of messages, and various Infórmate Ya blog posts—based on feedback from over 1,000 teens from 18 countries and our GenZ Advisory Committee.
The results speak volumes: 497 users have already completed the new courses, with a 260% enrollment increase in the pilot and a remarkable 99% completion rate. In total, over 6,000 users have accessed at least one mental health-related resource or content. As we head into 2025, we’ll continue launching powerful tools and partnerships to foster resilience, confidence, and hope. Stay tuned—this movement is just getting started!
💡 Faces of Change
Meet Nataly, an empowered Gen Z leader that is immersed in a great study and life adventure by knowing that she has the potential and power inside of her. 🌍 “JovenSalud gave me the confidence and tools believe this was possible for me.” – Nataly Vindas, 24 years old.
Listen to her story on how she achieved amazing goals and how is JovenSalud part if such accomplishments!
📅 What’s Coming Up?
Get ready to connect, play, and roll! On May 31st, TeenSmart is hosting an exciting afternoon full of interactive fun with our users. We’ll be gathering valuable feedback through live, game-based experiences—yes, learning can be that fun! 🎮
The day wraps up with an energizing skating session, because we believe in movement, laughter, and building strong youth connections. Every guest will gain access through a gamified invitation —so let the adventure begin!
Don’t miss this youth-powered celebration—it’s going to be a blast! 🚀🛼
