A professional approach to bullying — now with H.A.B.A.360™

Bullying cannot be handled by following a recipe. It takes a deeper understanding to be able to respond in an individualised way.

In schools and counselling contexts, bullying is not a new topic. Professionals are aware of it, and there are numerous concepts, guidelines and prevention programmes. In theory it is also clear that bullying is a group phenomenon with an imbalance of power, not a conflict dynamic between two children. And yet, in acute situations, people often act at the level of symptoms and according to a conflict logic: mediation talks, parent meetings, appeals to insight, sanctions, increased playground supervision. Sometimes it works in the short term. Often it intensifies the dynamic. And affected children conclude that asking for help does not improve their situation but can even be risky.

This is exactly where the real difficulty lies: recognising bullying is already demanding. Understanding a single case in its full complexity and responding appropriately is a discipline in its own right, because every case is a unique web of relationships, influences and contexts that interlock and extend far beyond the individual class. What would be an effective response in one situation can produce the exact opposite in another. Effective work with bullying therefore does not rely on standard solutions, but on an understanding that does justice to this complexity — and the competence to develop the right response for the specific case from it.

H.A.B.A.360™ conveys precisely this understanding and this competence: step by step, well-founded and practice-oriented.

H.A.B.A.360™ at a glance

H.A.B.A.360™ — Holistic Anti-Bullying Approach — is an international professional training programme for the prevention of and intervention in bullying and cyberbullying.

What has changed compared with the Train-the-Trainer

From 2021 to 2026, the Train-the-Trainer programme “Approaching Bullying Differently” provided continuing professional development to more than 230 multipliers. From this practice, a more in-depth, internationally oriented successor architecture has grown: H.A.B.A.360™.

The core remains — the holistic approach to bullying grounded in individual psychology and systemic thinking. What changes is the structuring of the learning pathway and its compatibility with international standards.

What stays: stance and methodological core

However much the programme architecture has evolved — the stance with which we look at bullying dynamics remains the same:

• Individual psychology according to Alfred Adler as a bridge between depth-psychological insight and systemic practice.
• Systemic case analysis, which understands bullying not as a characteristic of individuals but as a phenomenon of the group and its environment.
• Multipartiality and needs-oriented thinking as a methodological foundation that takes all those involved into view — affected persons, contributors, the environment, the school, the family.
• Context sensitivity as a natural part of the work — every case is read as a web of relationships, influences and contexts that interlock and extend far beyond the individual class. Instead of working with ready-made templates, a case-specific response emerges.
• Working with what is there — HABA adapts to the resources that are actually available (time, staff, structures) and to the cultural context of each school; this makes effective action possible even with limited means.
• Practical relevance with concrete case work at every level — not abstract theory, but an approach that becomes effective in everyday professional practice.

Who can take part

H.A.B.A.360™ is aimed at well-trained professionals from Bachelor level upwards in the educational, psychosocial and medical field. In addition, we open access via an alternative pathway for professionals with demonstrably equivalent training and a sound professional foundation.

Direct access profile

Professionals with a Bachelor’s degree (or higher) from the following fields are admitted directly:

• Psychology
• Education / Educational Sciences / Teaching
• School social workers
• Social Pedagogy
• Social Work
• Special Needs Education
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Medicine

In all cases we decide after reviewing the submitted documents. If you are unsure whether you fit the profile, just write to us at info@edufamily.ch — we reply within a few days.

The three levels currently bookable

At the launch in June 2026, the first three levels are bookable: HABA Basis as the common entry point, Level 1 — Facilitator as the first certifying level, and Level 2 — Coach & Trainer as the comprehensive specialist level. Levels 3 and 4 follow from 2027 and 2028/2029 respectively.

About the prices

The prices shown apply to Region 1 — the highest-price market: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, Scandinavia — and are founding rates for the first cohorts; rates increase from 2027. For Region 2 (Western Europe, North America, Australasia, Asia-Pacific, Gulf States and Israel) the prices are reduced to approx. 75 %, and for Region 3 (Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, the rest of the Middle East and the rest of Asia) to approx. 55 %. The decisive factor is the participant’s region of residence at the time of booking (self-declaration). Instalment payment is available at all levels.

We work with a multi-tier accessibility system: in addition to the regional rate, there is a contribution scholarship, an acquisition scholarship (“bring four people with you and pay 60 % less”) and a full scholarship for hardship cases. Details on request.

What comes after Level 2

The H.A.B.A.360 architecture is designed for the long term. Level 2 is followed by further levels that will be activated step by step from 2027:

Level 3 — Mentor authorised to certify schools and to teach the Basis and Facilitator levels. Level 4 — Senior Mentor additionally authorised to teach the Coach & Trainer level. Both levels are structurally linked to an active HABA licence.

If you would like to take the long-term path as a programme participant, do get in touch — we will add you to the pre-launch list and inform you as soon as Level 3 is announced.

In-house programmes and institutional enquiries

Schools, education authorities, NGOs and advisory organisations that wish to train their team or several staff members together can book H.A.B.A.360 content as an in-house programme.

Available formats on request:

• Online in-house seminars
• Flat-fee models for NGOs and organisations, with travel costs covered

Tell us briefly what you are looking for for your organisation — we will get back to you within a few days for an initial conversation. Contact: info@edufamily.ch

About the programme director

Christelle Schläpfer is the founder of edufamily® and the developer of the HABA programme. She specialises in education and counselling in the school and family domain, with a focus on bullying and cyberbullying.

Christelle’s background and activities span several fields:

• Founder of edufamily® (2011)
• 14 years as an upper-secondary (Gymnasium) teacher (1997–2011)
• Managing Director of Elternbildung Schweiz / Swiss Parent Education (2016–2018)
• 16 years of direct intervention, prevention and counselling work with schools and families
• Lecturing, including at Ramon Llull University in Barcelona (2018 to today)
• 6 years of the Train-the-Trainer programme “Approaching Bullying Differently” (2021–2026)
• Teaching in four languages: German, French, Spanish, English
• International networking

Christelle works as a practitioner and independent researcher in the field. H.A.B.A.360™ is an independent new development that has emerged from this long-standing practice.

Frequently asked questions