Bullying doesn’t stop at the school gate - it happens all over the community.
That's one of the key messages from this year’s national anti-bullying week - 'Safer together, Safer wherever', which begins today (Monday 19 November).
Cumbria has an anti-bullying group made up of people from different organisations in the county, including the county council, the Police, and Connexions. This group is working with schools and other groups to highlight the fact that bullying can happen in any number of places, in any number of different ways.
One of the aims of anti-bullying week in Cumbria is to draw attention to the problem of ‘cyberbullying’. This involves bullying somebody by mobile phone or the internet. It can take the form of sending somebody threats, intimidating or harassing them, putting out information and pictures without their permission, or pretending to be that person on the internet.
Cyberbullying is one form of bullying that is on the increase, and is a good example of the fact that bullying doesn’t stop when the school bell rings.
With this in mind, the other areas that Cumbria’s anti-bullying group is highlighting this week, are:
‘Tribes and tolerance’ - demonstrating that different groups of young people can get along without getting involved in bullying activities.
‘Sports, youth and community’ - when youth and sporting groups will be encouraged to tackle issues of bullying issues.
‘Where?’ - young people will be asked where in the community bullying is happening.
Across the week, people will be encouraged to be creative in getting across the anti-bullying message - for example using art, music drama, poetry or video.
Schools across the county will also be having special assemblies and role playing sessions to discuss the issues around bullying.
Cumbria County Council’s Mark Toomey chairs the county’s anti-bullying group. He said:
"We must continue to work together to prevent and tackle bullying in all its forms. This is a priority for young people and parents.
"Bullying doesn't just happen at schools - and that means we all have a role to play in helping to ensure young people respect each other, and feel confident and secure."
Jeff Haslam is the county council's Broadband Officer. As part of his job, he visits schools to talk to teachers, pupils and parents about cyberbullying. He said:
"A recent study by the Antibullying Alliance found that 22 per cent of young people had reported being the target of cyberbullying.
"When children are the target of bullying via mobile phones or on the internet, they often feel alone and misunderstood - and they may not even realise that what is happening to them is in fact a form of bullying, or be confident that the adults around them will see it that way either.
"Previously safe and enjoyable environments and activities suddenly become threatening and a source of anxiety.
"As a local authority we can prevent access to internet sites which are used for bullying - such as chat and social networking sites - when the children are at school but we have no control over how they are using their mobile phones and internet at home.
"The real answer lies in educating children and parents to the dangers of cyberbullying."
For more information about how to deal with bullying, visit the national website at antibullyingalliance.org.uk or for local information go to Cumbria.gov.uk/childrensservices/bullying.
Childnet International, through their Digizen website - www.digizen.org - also has material which is free to download.
Schools and organisations taking part in anti-bullying activities this week include:
- Cumbria County Council - anti-bullying co-ordinators event for young people in residential services at Carlisle United Football Club
- Southfield Technical College - making anti-bullying badges in jewellery club and having an anti-bullying poster competition
- Beckstone Primary School - special assemblies and follow up activities, and in the New Year they will be having meetings of children and adults to see what has been achieved through anti-bullying
- Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary School - discussion sessions and assemblies and drama sessions plus discussions of bullying on a larger scale through history such as Apartheid and the Romans and early Christians
- Maryport Infant School - each child is being given a strip of strong g paper to take home to decorate and write anti-bullying slogans on. They will then bring them back to school and the strips will be joined together to forma chain that will decorate the entrance of the school
- Solway Community Technical College - launching peer mentoring and an anti-bullying board, having special assemblies and the schools council will be presenting role playing based on cyberbullying
- Ullswater Community College - students have attended a peer mentoring course and received a qualification. They are now helping produce an anti-bullying pack for the college
- Roose Community Primary School, Barrow - each class will dedicated lessons to an anti-bulliyng theme on Thursday 22 November and taking photographs to record the day.
- Netherhall School in Maryport - exhibiting their anti-bulling campaign work to the local community
- Mayfield School in Whitehaven - they are having a chair of governor's prize for posters or poetry about anti-bullying and special assemblies
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Further information from Alison Lister, Media Team, on 01228 606335