825 Local Schools Take Part In Anti-Bullying Week - Press Releases - News - Translink

Pictured at the launch of NI Anti-Bullying Forum's (NIABF) poster campaign, sponsored by Translink, are Emma Giblin (11) and Gary Lindsay (11) from Hazelwood Integrated College, Louise Scott, Brand Manager, Translink and Leslie-Anne Newton, Regional Anti-Bullying Co-ordinator, NIABF.

825 primary, post primary and special schools across Northern Ireland are marking this year’s Anti-Bullying Week (Monday 17 – Friday 21 November) with a wide range of events and initiatives on the theme of “tackling the fears of being bullied in a new school”.

Poster displays, themed assemblies, poem competitions and circle time exercises are just some of the school-led activities taking place to engage pupils in understanding their role and responsibility in tackling bullying of school peers.

Now in its fourth year, Anti-Bullying Week, supported by Translink, plays a key role in highlighting the impact which bullying can have on a young person’s life, as Philomena McDermott, Senior Education Officer SELB/WELB, and Vice Chair of the Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF) discusses:

“This year Anti-Bullying Week has set out to challenge the fear of bullying that young people may associate with the move to a new school. This may be because they’re making a transition from primary to post-primary schools, but it can also be for a host of other reasons including families moving home or because a child has had a particularly bad experience of bullying in a previous school. Changing schools can often be a difficult time, and children and young people may feel that ‘they are becoming a small fish in a very big pond.’ The normal worries about making friends, leaving old friends behind, getting to know new teachers and perhaps studying new subjects are escalated by the fear of being bullied.

“NIABF is keen to support schools, children and families to talk together to increase children’s confidence that their “new school” is a welcoming place, whilst reminding pupils of their school’s intolerance towards all forms of bullying. We are delighted that 825 schools are taking an active part in the Week and using it as a stimulus to commit to long-term and sustainable measures to prevent and deal with this problem.”

School bullying can have serious consequences for children, leading to academic underachievement, physical and emotional distress, loss of self-esteem, eating disorders and truancy.

Translink, which is a supporter of this year’s Anti-Bullying Week, will be disseminating anti-bullying messages to the public through poster displays at train and bus stations across Northern Ireland. Louise Scott, Brand Manager, Translink, congratulates those schools taking part:

“The welfare of pupils is a responsibility which a number of stakeholders play a part in. As the leading provider of school transport in Northern Ireland delivering 65,000 school journeys daily, Translink takes its role very seriously.

“With any period of change in our lives, there are worries and concerns and this is the same with the transition period between primary and post-primary education level. For some pupils it may be the first time they have had to access public transport to get to school. We aim to help make this changeover go as smoothly as possible by providing a comfortable, safe and reliable school transport service.

“Working in partnership with schools and NIABF we can help raise awareness of the serious issue of bullying and thereby ensure pupils’ experiences at school are positive and rewarding.”

Resource packs were issued by NIABF in October to primary, post-primary and special schools who had registered to take part in Anti-Bullying Week. They provide anti-bullying themed posters, assembly plans, and suggestions for activities that schools can adopt during the Week to raise awareness of bullying and develop anti-bullying strategies in partnership with their pupils.

NIABF will also be announcing winners and runners up for its short story competition at a special awards ceremony on Friday 21st November at W5 in the Odyssey. Schools across Northern Ireland submitted entries on the theme of “the fear of being bullied in a new school”.

For further information on Anti-Bullying Week log onto www.niabf.org.uk, e-mail Leslie-Anne at info@niabf.org.uk or call 028 9043 1123.

Funded by the Department of Education, the Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum was launched in 2005 and includes representatives from Save the Children, Barnardos, CCEA, CCMS, Childline, Children’s Law Centre, Contact Youth, the Department of Education, Early Years, the five Education and Library Boards, Mencap, NCB, Action for Children, NICEM, NICIE, Parents Advice Centre, Rethink, The Fostering Network, The Rainbow Project, and teachers’ representatives.

For all media enquiries please contact Janet McKay, PR Consultant on 07968 817514 or email janet@janetmckaypr.com

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum:

The Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF) was established in August 2004 and formally launched in November 2005 as an independent body comprising statutory and voluntary organisations involved in the reduction of bullying and creating a safe environment for children and young people. NIABF is funded by the Department of Education and is facilitated by Save the Children.

NIABF is represented on the British and Irish Anti-Bullying Forum that comprises one statutory and one voluntary representative each from England, Scotland, Wales, and from both jurisdictions in Ireland.

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