Get involved in this year’s Anti-Bullying Week, held between the 12th and 16th November.
Organised by Anti-Bullying Alliance, the aim of the week is to raise awareness in all schools, settings and organisations of the short and long-term impacts of bullying.
Bullying can affect anyone, from young children to adults; it is important for us to tackle this behaviour in our settings to ensure everyone’s safety. Anti-Bullying Week recognises this need, helping us all to think about ways to be proactive in supporting those around us.
A recent survey suggests that one child in every classroom has been bullied every single day during the past six months. More than four in five of the 1,000 children surveyed saw pupils bullying each other, while more than two in five have witnessed adults bullying each other over the past six months. These instances occur in both face-to-face and online interactions.
With these statistics in mind, we need to think about how we’re communicating anti-bulling messages in schools and settings. The theme for this year’s Anti-Bullying Week is ‘choose respect‘, encouraging children and adults to be mindful about using respectful language towards each other. Whether you’re speaking face-to-face or online, words carry great power and can easily stick, causing long-term harm and potential trauma.
Anti-Bullying Week activities
The #ChooseKindness resource: click here
Anti-bullying advice activity: click here
Sometimes it can be difficult to know what to do if somebody is being bullied. This is a great resource to use with young people. Please bear in mind that themes include suicide and violence; do not use this sheet if you feel this may be triggering for those you are working with.
Go through each ‘agony aunt’ problem, asking young people to think about what they might do in a similar situation. How might they support a friend experiencing the same thing?
Superhero masks: click here
We really like this resource for younger children. Invite them to colour, paint, or use whatever they like to decorate their own superhero masks!
They are perfect for any budding superhero who wants to make a different in their school or setting, standing firmly against bullying and encouraging perpetrators to think a little more deeply about their actions.
If you’d like to find some more resources to look at in your school or setting, including flash cards and a debating activity, please click here.
Anti-Bullying Alliance are encouraging everybody to wear blue for this year’s event. Whether you’re dressing up, taking part in anti-bullying activities or raising money, we’d love to see your photos!
Share them with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or via email.
Remember to use the hashtags #antibullyingweek and #abw18 – we look forward to seeing what you’re all up to!
Related posts:
Read an insight into the use of ‘banter’ as a mask for bullying behaviours. It is crucial that we identify when this word is being used to cover-up problematic behaviour.
Will you be Designating a School Mental Health Lead?
Our mental heath can be severely impacted if we are bullied. In rarer cases, poor mental health can cause us to exhibit bullying behaviours. Click the above link to read more about appointing a mental health lead in your setting.