Designing an Intelligent Virtual Assistant for Preventing Bullying and Cyberbullying in Education

In educational settings where bullying and cyberbullying often go unnoticed, there is an urgent need for innovative solutions to tackle these issues. This article introduces the design of an intelligent virtual assistant focused on preventing bullying and cyberbullying in schools, acting as a valuable institutional resource. Powered by artificial intelligence, the assistant offers immediate support and guidance to students facing intimidation in both physical and digital environments. Through a tree-structured conversational design, advanced natural language processing, and behavior analysis, the assistant detects bullying patterns in both digital and in-person interactions, providing tailored resources to each user confidentially. The detection of bullying situations can be carried out by analyzing patterns in the students’ responses. This is done by asking if they have witnessed or experienced similar bullying situations, inquiring whether the experience was personal or involved others, and whether the individuals affected were close friends or other people. These responses can generate alerts that will be assessed by the institution, allowing potential bullying cases to be identified and enabling the development of appropriate awareness and prevention strategies to effectively address the issue. Additionally, it includes interactive learning tools that foster socio-emotional and digital competencies. Serving as a reporting mechanism, it aids victims and witnesses of bullying, functioning as a protective and preventive measure against these harmful behaviors in educational contexts. Beyond its protective role, this tool also serves as an innovative pedagogical resource, addressing a complex social and educational challenge while raising awareness and promoting sensitivity around school and digital violence.