The project titled “Bullying Awareness Among Roma Children with Intellectual Disabilities and Their Peers in Türkiye: A Pilot Study” led by Istanbul Medeniyet University academics Prof. Dr. Yeşim Güleç Aslan, Prof. Dr. İlknur Çiftci Tekinarslan and Research Assistant Hatice Ulu Aydın has been accepted into Break the Cycle 21, a prestigious international program. The accepted study will be presented at the Break the Cycle 21 program, which will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 26–28, 2026. The project stands out as a significant academic achievement, as it is the first research study from Turkey to be accepted into the program.
The research aims to develop the bullying coping skills of Roma children with intellectual disabilities and to create inclusive, safe, and supportive learning environments in schools. To this end, training sessions on bullying awareness, individuals with special needs, peer support, and inclusive education will be provided to students, teachers, school staff, and families at a designated elementary school. Based on the data collected, improvement initiatives will be implemented to reduce bullying in the school environment and reducing environmental health and educational inequalities that children face in their learning settings.
The project will be conducted within a comprehensive academic platform that includes one year of mentorship support, monthly scientific meetings, a presentation at an annual conference in Atlanta, and an international publication process.
The Break the Cycle 21 program is a competitive international platform that supports innovative research addressing environmental health inequalities faced by children. The program brings together researchers from different countries to promote interdisciplinary academic collaboration.
