Anti-Bullying Week is with us again on Monday 12th–Friday 16th November — a time for schools, youth organisations and businesses everywhere to look at ways of preventing and tackling bullying.
Does your school or organisation have a robust anti-bullying policy in place? Does everyone know what to do if they are being bullied or if they know of someone else who is the target of bullying? All incidences of bullying must be taken seriously and investigated where necessary.
How and Why Bullying Occurs
A bully is someone who uses aggression and/or an imbalance of power to get their own way. They may do this by targeting an individual who lacks the necessary emotional skills to respond to the bully’s negative behaviour. Assertiveness is the key. It is crucial that young people are able to develop assertiveness skills which will enable them to gain a sense of ownership over their situation.
How to Tackle Bullying
Physical bullying must be tackled immediately to protect the target as well as any bystanders who may observe the bullying. However, the most prevalent form of bullying today is cyberbullying, which may not be so easy to deal with. This form of bullying takes place online — via social media, SMS, email or some other form of online communication. Young people need to be taught the appropriate skills to enable them to report the bullying which will also help them ‘own’ the situation.
All Resources will be active on social media during Anti-Bullying Week using the hashtag #ABW2018. We encourage you to also get involved.