Anti-bullying

24 Nov 2008

For Anti-Bullying Week, Secretary of State Ed Balls announced a new DVD resource for schools. The short film aims to bring home the message to young people that it is unacceptable to bully their peers with SEN and disabilities. Forming the central part of a DVD resource which will be made available to schools, it builds a story around the subject of SEN and disability bullying. Additional chapters will be added in the near future dealing in depth with each character on the film and the issues highlighted. More resources are available from the Anti-Bullying Alliance.

The National Healthy Schools Programme has also produced new anti-bullying guidance for schools. As well as being available online, it will be distributed to all schools.

This guidance draws together key evidence on anti-bullying practice including research by academics at the University of York conducted for the Children’s Commissioner for England. It also incorporates hands-on practical advice, case studies and reflections from schools themselves, paying particular emphasis to the effectiveness of different anti-bullying approaches.

It will encourage all schools to address the issue as part of a wider approach to improving the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people, and will introduce a range of creative approaches for dealing with all forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying, as well as tools for tackling the fear and stigma surrounding being bullied.