New research released for National Anti-Bullying Week 2015 reveals that quarter of young people don’t feel safe at school and 43% of teachers and support staff have never received any formal training on how to tackle bullying. On 16 November Alexandra Palace in London sees over 300 young Anti-Bullying Ambassadors, aged 7-18 from schools across the UK, coming together for a Facebook sponsored event to inspire and support young people to creatively explore bullying issues through drama, singing, photography, rap, graffiti art and public speaking – all led by celebrities.
A panel debate on the issues raised in the research will kick-off the day with cyber giants Facebook, Twitter, Ask.fm and Vodafone. Facebook will run internet safety workshops for teachers and support staff teaching them how to spot issues, report harmful content and prevent instances of bullying online. Edward Timpson MP, Minister of State for Children and Families will give a keynote address.
Related: What to do if Your Child is the Victim of Bullying
The Diana Award is also involved with a series of high profile Anti-Bullying activities throughout the week including:
- 17 November: Cyber-bullying panel discussion with Vodafone sees the launch of Anti-Bullying Emoji’s with Snapchat.
- 18 November: Q&A session with celebrities at Twitter’s London office.
- 19 November: Diana Award Anti-Bullying Ambassador Monica Lewinsky live TED talks at Facebook’s London office on behalf of the Diana Award.
Tessy Ojo, Chief Executive of the Diana Award, said:
“The latest statistics show how important it is to not only empower and give confidence to young people, but also to give teachers and support staff the tools and training they need to tackle bullying in their school. The Anti-Bullying Ambassador Program is designed to do just that. This is critical in implementing an effective Anti-Bullying strategy that prevents and supports young victims of bullying. Bullying, no matter how it happens, is always wrong.”
Rishi Saha, Head of Public Policy, UK, Facebook said:
“The Diana Award Anti-Bullying program provides many of the resources and support tools that young people need to stay safe. At Facebook, we share their commitment that young people have the power to change the world for the better when they are put in leadership positions at home, at school and in their communities. Bullying isn’t acceptable online or offline and we believe in a culture where people feel empowered to address it when they see it. Teachers and educators play a vital role in combating bullying, which is why we work closely with schools and organizations across the country to provide them with the practical advice they need.”
Related: 5 Steps to Take When Your Child is a Bully
The latest research carried out by the Diana Award’s Anti-Bullying Ambassador program with 2,324 young people revealed that:
· 25% did not report feeling safe in school.
· 53% said they have experienced bullying
· Out of the 53% who said they have been bullied:
· For 35% of students, the bullying didn’t stop after they told someone.
· 26% of students don’t know whether their school has an Anti-Bullying or Behavior Policy
· 25% of students don’t know how their school says it will deal with bullying.
A survey given to 430 of members staff from schools across England between November 2014 and July 2015 which was intended to help understand how well equipped staff feel to deal with bullying showed the following:
· 20% not sure whether their school’s Anti-Bullying Policy is effective in preventing bullying
· 19% report that pupils in their school don’t have any say in their Anti-Bullying Policy
· 43% of teachers have not received training in how to tackle bullying
· 18% of teachers have reported incidences of bullying amongst staff in their school
· 79% of teachers perceive bullying to be a problem in their schools
The Diana Award is a core member of the Anti-Bullying Alliance. The Anti-Bullying Alliance coordinate Anti-Bullying week and this year’s theme is ‘Make Some Noise’ and focuses on empowering young people to make some noise about bullying whether it is happening to them or someone else, face to face or online #AntiBullyingWeek.
Bullying is a global issue. And if we don’t address it, man of our youth will suffer from trauma and depression. It’s a huge factor in teen suicides. As always it start from the home, we have to be good examples as parents and we also have to educate them about the consequences of bullying.
I don’t like bullying. I don’t have sympathy for bullies because they are a bunch of cowards, insecure, lowlife forms. I am sorry but I feel that way against them. I was bullied when I was a kid. Although, the bullies never physically hurt me but the emotional anguish they had subjected me when I was a kid brought about irreparable damages to my self esteem.