With the school holidays coming to an end, the thoughts of many are turning to the new school term, and with it, all the highs and lows of school life. For some, it's a fresh start, perhaps starting school for the first time, whilst for others, facing the daunting prospect of switching from primary to second level education can be a fairly scary experience. Some will be quite happy to return to the routine of school life and will enjoy the forthcoming challenges, but for others, the new term poses many problems, the most common of which is being bullied.
Bullying is not a new problem, but it is clear that it has gone on for far too long in our schools and local communities. The facts speak for themselves. The Charities Aid Foundation offers some startling figures, estimating that around 400,000 children are bullied at school each week with a further 500,000 being bullied outside of school and in the community.
An estimated 40,000 young people seek advice about bullying from telephone helplines such as Childline, Kidscape and Beatbullying every year, and most shockingly of all is the revelation that one in five severely bullied children will attempt to take their own life.
During the last academic year, Childline, which has counselled children since 1986, has spoken to 140,000 children. Even though the charity has been contacted about a range of issues ranging from child abuse, sexual abuse and concern for others, the largest percentage of calls made were about bullying.
Beatbullying is the first children's charity to devise anti-bullying strategies for young people. It holds the belief that young people have the ability to shape and create a society in which bullying is unacceptable.
Similarily, Kidscape believes that protecting children from harm is the key and this charity was the first in Britain to be established specifically to prevent bullying and child sexual abuse.
ZERO POLICY
Thankfully, there is a zero policy on bullying in our schools and lots of advice is available to students, parents and teachers on the Department of Education's website, www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying.
Whilst there are many forms of bullying as such, the message from all quarters is clear – don't suffer in silence. If you, as a pupil, have fears, there are certain steps you can take. For example, talk openly to your teacher, your parents, your friends about the subject, organise a questionnaire in your school to assess the extent of the problem, ensure that your school has books in the library on the subject. In many schools, 'peer counselling' schemes have been set up, wherby the older pupils take some responsibilty for the younger children in an effort to tackle bullying.
Parents, too, need to be alert to the problems of bullying by observing and noting any changes in behaviour by their children. Often, a child can become withdrawn, perhaps worried about reprisals from the person bullying them if they tell. The first step in tackling the problem is communication with both the child concerned and the school. Your headteacher and class teachers will undoubtedly have the expert skills necessary to deal with the situation, so talk to them about your concerns.
Bullying is not a problem which will go away by itself, nor is it a problem that is apparent solely in schools. Whilst the mobile, internet and wireless technologies of today's society have made communication easier, so too is the possibility for misuse. 'Cyberbullying' brings a whole new dimension to the term 'bullying' in that it means children can be bullied outside school, even in the relative safety of their own homes, and the perpetrators can often go undetected.
For more information on the subject of bullying log on to dfes.gov.uk or contact Childline direct on 0800 1111.
* Aideen Shannon can be contacted by e-mail a.shannon@ulsterherald.com or write to her at c/o The Scene,
Ulster Herald, 14 John Street,
Omagh BT78 1DW
