Tag: Anti-Bullying Week

Four in five (83%) adults living with sight loss were bullied as children

  • New research released by Guide Dogs today to mark Anti-Bullying Week (13th – 17th Nov) reveals that 72% of people with sight loss said they were bullied as children because of their vision impairment
  • 52% felt isolated in social situations when growing up
  • The majority admitted that being bullied as a child impacted their self-esteem (93%), with 79% experiencing feelings of loneliness at points in their childhood
  • Four in five visually impaired adults (84%) said they would have welcomed having a buddy dog from Guide Dogs, with 78% saying it would have boosted their confidence
  • As the leading provider of services for children who are visually impaired in the UK, charity Guide Dogs is raising awareness of the impact sight loss can have on a child or young person

Four in five (83%) people living with sight loss in the UK were bullied as children – 21% more than people without a vision impairment* – and a shocking 72% said they believed they were bullied as a direct result of their vision impairment.

Many said their experiences led to feelings of low self-esteem (93%), anxiety (62%) and loneliness (52%) when they were young. Thankfully, three quarters (71%) of those with a vision impairment said they had grown in confidence as adults and now feel happier in social situations.

Each year, over 1,400 families are told that their child is losing their sight1. This can be a challenging and isolating time.

Since 2012, Guide Dogs has run the buddy dogs service, matching children who are blind or partially sighted with dogs to help them develop their self-confidence, make friends and positively impact their wellbeing.

Buddy dogs are dogs that are deemed to be more suited to living with a young person and their family than working as guide dogs and the positive impact they have can be transformational.

Four in five (84%) adults with vision impairments say that they would have welcomed a buddy dog in their lives as a child, with four in five (83%) saying it would have helped them feel less isolated, 81% saying it would have boosted their self-esteem and over three quarters (78%) saying it would have increased their social confidence.

Adults living with sight loss say that the top three most valuable benefits of Guide Dogs’ buddy dogs service is that the dog provides companionship (66%), increases the owner’s confidence (52%), and helps young people live their lives more fully (49%).

Harvey has always had a vision impairment since he was little, but was only registered visually impaired five years ago. In 2022, Harvey was bullied and as a result he stopped going to school and took a year out of his education. 

Since welcoming buddy dog Alfie in October 2022, Harvey’s life has turned around. He started a new college this year and is continuing to make positive steps towards regaining his confidence.

Harvey, aged 15 from Devon, tells us: “I wasn’t at school when we got Alfie. I didn’t have a routine and was sleeping a lot but when Alfie came, he gave me something to do. I wasn’t as lonely anymore.

“We take him out for walks in the forest and we’ve even taken him on holiday this year! He’s definitely helped since I left school, I don’t feel as lonely as he’s always there. I wouldn’t change it. I love his character and he has so much love for everyone.”  

Harvey’s mum Adele adds: “When Alfie walks in the room, you see it in Harvey’s face, it lights up. He lost his way a bit after everything that happened at school but his Habilitation Specialist told us about buddy dogs.

“It was incredible to find out Guide Dogs provide so much more than just guide dogs. Having Alfie has been life changing for Harvey. It has rebuilt his confidence and allowed him to return to education.”

As the leading provider of services for children who are visually impaired in the UK, charity Guide Dogs is raising awareness of the impact sight loss can have on a child or young person this Anti-Bullying Week.

Mark Sanderson, Assistant Director of Children, Young People and Families at Guide Dogs, said: “It is vital that people with vision impairments are able to live full and happy lives. Sadly, our research shows that this is not always happening.

“With 92% visually impaired adults saying they struggled with childhood confidence, and over half (52%) having battled feelings of isolation, it’s clear there’s a real need for the wide range of services we have for children who are living with sight loss.

“Our buddy dogs have a truly transformative impact in helping children develop a sense of fun and trust, so we want everyone to know about the huge benefits they bring and encourage those who could benefit to sign up for a life-changing friendship.”

Funds donated to the Guide Dogs charity go towardshelping provide life-changing services for people with sight loss, including buddy dogs, to help support children with vision impairments.

Find out more about the life changing service that buddy dogs can provide and how your donation helps at www.guidedogs.org.uk

Letters: Childline on Bullying

Dear Editor, 

This week marks Anti-Bullying Week, an annual event in Scotland and across the UK that aims to raise awareness of bullying of children and young people. This year’s theme is ‘Listen Up! (Respect our Rights)’ and we would like to highlight the ways in which bullying can be prevented and how to respond to it. 

From April 2021 to March 2022, Childline delivered 374 counselling sessions to children and young people in Scotland about bullying. 331 of these counselling sessions were about bullying in-person, an 39% increase compared to the year before when there was the national covid lockdown. 

The top three concerns where a child spoke to Childline about in-person bullying included, insults, taunts, name-calling; bullying about difference and violence. For online bullying, the top three concerns included nasty comments, threats, and intimidation. 

If you’re a parent or carer, it can be tough to know what to do if you think your child is being bullied. Talking to them and reminding them to come to you with anything that might be making them feel anxious or sad is important. You can also show them how to report or block a message that they’ve received from someone online that upsets or worries them. 

It’s best not to take their device away from them if they’ve had a negative experience online, as this may make them feel like whatever has happened is their fault. Instead, suggest they take some time away to do something else they enjoy. 

And as always, parents can call the NSPCC Helpline for advice and support on 0808 800 5000. Children and young people can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or www.childline.org.uk to speak to one of our counsellors.

There are several resources for coping with bullying on the Childline web site that parents can support their children to have a look at. We also have a message board where young people can seek support and advice from other young people for managing bullying.

Adeniyi Alade

Head of Childline Scotland 

Listen Up: It’s Anti-Bullying Week!

Anti-bullying week is an annual event in Scotland and across the UK that aims to raise awareness of bullying of children and young people and highlights ways of preventing and responding to it.

The week is co-ordinated by respectme in Scotland and this year’s theme is: ‘Listen Up! (Respect our Rights)’.

Childline data

  • From April 2021 to March 2022, Childline delivered 374 counselling sessions to children and young people in Scotland about bullying.
  • 331 of these counselling sessions were about bullying in-person, a 39% increase compared to the year before when there was the national covid lockdown.
  • 43 counselling sessions were about online bullying.
  • Across the UK, the top three concerns where a child spoke to Childline about in-person bullying included: insults, taunts, name calling; bullying about difference and violence.
  • For counselling sessions on online bullying the top three concerns included: nasty comments, threats, and intimidation.

One 17-year-old girl from Scotland said: “I am being bullied by a girl in my class. She always says nasty things to me, such as calling me names, swearing at me, and telling me I should die. She also pushes me at school.

“Some of my teachers know about it and they are supportive with how I feel, but no-one ever talks to her about what she is doing and how she is treating me. That is what I want to happen. I experience panic attacks and have anxiety, which have been getting worse since the bullying.”

Shaun Friel, Childline Director said: “Bullying continues to remain a top issue that children turn to Childline about on a daily basis.

“Ever since we moved out of the national lockdown and children returned to school, we have continued to see a rise in the number of contacts to Childline about in-person bullying.

“Those who have called the service about this have spoken to our trained counsellors about experiencing name calling, being excluded and physical violence.

“Whilst many others have turned to the service about being bullied online. Some of those who have contacted our counsellors about this have said that they’ve been threatened online, had rumours spread about them on social media platforms and others have had been made fun of on online chatrooms.

“Regardless of how or where a child is bullied, we know it can have a detrimental impact if they don’t get the support they need. These children often sad, overwhelmed and lonely.

“This Anti Bullying Week at Childline, we want to remind all children and young people that if they are being bullied that this is not their fault and they can always reach out to Childline for immediate support.

“Our counsellors are here to help and can be contacted confidentially, day or night, online or on the phone.”

Advice for children

  1. Share how you are feeling with other young people. Childline’s online message board is a non-judgemental space where you can speak to other children who are in a similar situation to you about your experiences and feelings. This can help you feel less alone and will give you an online support network that you can turn to.
  2. Talk to an adult you trust about the bullying you are experiencing so you feel less alone and so that adult can support you. This could be a parent, teacher or you can speak to a Childline counsellor on 0800 1111 or online at childline.org.uk
  3. Take a break from your device if you are being bullied online and do something you enjoy such as sport, listening to music or art.
  4. Remember the bullying is not your fault.
  5. Report and block someone if they are sending you messages online that upset you.

For Adults:

Signs to spot that your child may be being bullied online:

  • Not wanting to go to school or take part in normal activities.
  • Getting anxious or angry if you go near their device. Feeling withdrawn, upset or angry at home.
  • Problems sleeping or eating.
  • Having angry outbursts that seem out of character.
  • Spending more or less time online than normal.

Signs to spot that your child may be being bullied in-person

  • Belongings are getting lost or damaged.
  • Physical injuries such as unexplained bruises.
  • Being afraid to go to school.
  • Not doing as well at school.
  • Being nervous, losing confidence, or becoming distressed and withdrawn.
  • Problems with eating or sleeping.
  • Bullying others.

What to do if you think your child is being bullied

  1. Talk to your child and remind them to come to you with anything that might be making them feel anxious or sad.  If your child speaks to you about an experience of bullying that they’ve had online or in person, try to remain calm and don’t overwhelm them with questions and reassure them that it will be ok, and that you’re always there for them.
  2. Show them how to report or block a message that they’ve received from someone online that upsets or worries them.
  3. Don’t take their device away if they’ve had a negative experience online. Although you may want to do this if they are upset, this may make them feel like whatever has happened is their fault.  Instead, suggest they take some time away from the app they received the messages on and do another online activity they enjoy like playing a game. 
  4. Know where you can get further support. Adults can call the NSPCC helpline for advice on 0808 800 5000. There is also further advice on the NSPCC website.

Responding to news of a 400% increase in reported bullying at Edinburgh schools, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “While it is great that young people are now confident enough to report bullying, it is also worrying to see a truer picture of the levels of bullying in our schools revealed.

“Bullying has been a major concern in many schools, and not enough is being done to tackle it.

“The fact that this new reporting system has highlighted 537 racist incidents is shocking, but not surprising. We were all aware that racism was an issue in schools and while it is good that this is now being reported and the data is finally being collected, it is incumbent upon schools to ensure that racist and other discriminatory bullying is rooted out.

“It is saddening to see young people targeted by such behaviour which often continues to affect people well into later life. Nobody should be made to feel belittled or discriminated against in our society, let alone at such a young age.

“I want the Learning Directorate to take action immediately and offer schools the support they need to tackle these issues as well as to help parents take more responsibility of how their children behave.

“The mental wellbeing of children and young people is key to their educational progress and everyone should feel safe in our schools.”

Anti-Bullying Week: Childline advice and counselling sessions for children in Scotland

Anti-bullying week (Nov 15th – 19th) is an annual event in the UK that aims to raise awareness of bullying of children and young people, and highlights ways of preventing and responding to it.

The year’s campaign theme, One Kind Word, has been co-designed with young people before being adapted by the UK’s leading anti-bullying organisations, including respectme in Scotland.

Childline data – Scotland

  • In 2020/21, Childline delivered 334 counselling sessions about bullying to children living in Scotland.
  • More than a quarter (29%) of these were about online bullying.
  • In 2019/20, Childline delivered 558 counselling sessions about bullying (in person and online) to children living in Scotland.
  • The data shows that there was a 40% reduction in total counselling sessions about this issue in the year of the pandemic, which included lockdowns and children not attending school for months. However, there was only a fall in counselling sessions about bullying in person (464 sessions in 2019/20 and 238 in 2020/21). There was no reduction in the number of sessions for online bullying (94 sessions in 2019/20 and 96 sessions in 2020/21).

Childline data – UK wide

  • In 2020/21, Childline delivered 6,654 counselling sessions about bullying.

One teenage girl who contacted Childline about bullying said: “School was not great today. Due to the coronavirus there are new rules, and I have to sit next to the most horrible boy ever in almost every class. 

“He tells me to do stuff, calls me names, spreads rumours and tells me I should hurt myself. I am so fed up with it and I can’t get away from him.”  (Girl, aged 14, from Scotland) 

Adeniyi Alade, Head of Childline in Scotland, said: “Each year, we hear from hundreds of children in Scotland who are being bullied. We know that the pandemic has been extremely tough for children as they have grappled with home schooling, being isolated from family and friends and worries about the virus. On top of this, some children were also being bullied.

“Children experiencing bullying online have told our counsellors that during lockdowns it felt even more overwhelming. The extra time they were spending online for their education, entertainment and to keep in contact with friends and family was making the bullying feel inescapable.

“Although for other children, the lockdowns provided some respite from the bullying they had previously experienced. But this meant that they felt anxious at the thought of returning to school.

“As we continue to move out of the pandemic and adjust to the new normal, it is essential that children know where to turn to for support. Our trained counsellors are always here for children and believe that no child should have to deal with bullying alone.”

Advice from NSPCC and Childline

For children

  1. Share how you are feeling with other young people. Childline’s online message board is a non-judgemental space where you can speak to other children who are in a similar situation to you about your experiences and feelings. This can help you feel less alone and will give you an online support network that you can turn to.
  2. Talk to an adult you trust about the bullying you are experiencing so you feel less alone and so that adult can support you. This could be a parent, teacher or you can speak to a Childline counsellor on 0800 1111 or online at childline.org.uk
  3. Take a break from your device if you are being bullied online and do something you enjoy such as sport, listening to music or art.
  4. Remember the bullying is not your fault.
  5. Get into a healthy routine and make sure you look after yourself by eating healthily, getting enough sleep and taking time out for yourself.
  6. Report and block someone if they are sending you messages online that upset you.

For Adults:

Signs to spot that your child may be being bullied online:

  • Not wanting to go to school or take part in normal activities.
  • Getting anxious or angry if you go near their device.
  • Feeling withdrawn, upset or angry at home.
  • Problems sleeping or eating.
  • Having angry outbursts that seem out of character.
  • Spending more or less time online than normal.

Signs to spot that your child may be being bullied in person

  • Belongings are getting lost or damaged.
  • Physical injuries such as unexplained bruises.
  • Being afraid to go to school.
  • Not doing as well at school.
  • Being nervous, losing confidence, or becoming distressed and withdrawn.
  • Problems with eating or sleeping.
  • Bullying others.

What to do if you think your child is being bullied

  1. Talk to your child and remind them to come to you with anything that might be making them feel anxious or sad.  If your child speaks to you about an experience of bullying that they’ve had online or in person, try to remain calm and don’t overwhelm them with questions and reassure them that it will be ok, and that you’re always there for them.
  2. Show them how to report or block a message that they’ve received from someone online that upsets or worries them.
  3. Don’t take their device away if they’ve had a negative experience online. Although you may want to do this if they are upset, this may make them feel like whatever has happened is their fault.  Instead, suggest they take some time away from the app they received the messages on and do another online activity they enjoy like playing a game. 
  4. Know where you can get further support. Adults can call the NSPCC helpline for advice on 0808 800 5000. There is also further advice on the NSPCC website.

39 Scottish Primary Schools to begin mental wellbeing challenge

  • 39 Scottish schools start I Can’t to I Can mental wellbeing challenge on 8th November to build self-confidence, resilience and self-esteem mental ahead of Anti-Bullying Week
  • The 5-day Challenge was created as a response to anxiety pandemic amongst young people during these uncertain times
  • Half of all mental health conditions present themselves by the time a child reaches 14 but most cases remain undetected and untreated
  • I Can’t to I Can provides teachers with resources to teach simple brain hacks that can last a lifetime and turn around a child’s negative thinking within a week

The ongoing pandemic, concerns about climate change along with the endless horrific news headlines are enough for any young person to deal with. Add into the mix the normal issues of growing up magnified through the lens of social media and it’s no wonder that young people are 50% more likely to have a mental health problem than they were three years ago.

From 8th November, 39 schools in Scotland will be taking part in the RTT 5-Day ‘I Can’t to I Can’ mental wellbeing challenge.

The aim is to provide children aged 7 – 10 with a series of mind hacks to help build confidence, self-esteem and resilience. This will give them the mental stamina to cope with these challenging times and skills to support them throughout their life if they learn to practice them daily.

Available online, the free resource is based around the RTT concept of the inner cheerleader. Everyone is born with an inner cheerleader as without that driving force encouraging us, babies would give up after taking their first, unsuccessful attempt at anything.

Sadly, the inner critic can kick in as young as 5 which is why the skills taught in ‘I Can’t to I Can’ are so key and it takes just a week to instil positive new approaches in children aged 7 to 10.

Commenting on the challenge, Dr Sian Peer, therapist and Director of the RTT School said: ‘As a parent myself, I know how crippling anxiety can be for a young child. We wanted to share some of the incredible mental wellbeing tools that are the cornerstones of RTT to help primary school children understand and manage their emotions.

“The 5 Day Challenge provides teachers with a daily lesson plan over a week, each building on the learning from the previous day. There are videos, fun exercises and ideas to do at home making the whole experience interactive and memorable.’

Although most schools will participate in the challenge during the week of 8th November, the resources are going to be accessible to schools on an ongoing basis.

Schools interested can visit www.rtt.com/method

A parents’ guide to cyberbullying

How to keep your child safe online

According to the NSPCC, there were over 12,000 counselling sessions with young people who talked to Childline about online issues last year, with an 87% increase in sessions over the past three years. Enigma Digital Limited works with families all across the UK to restore peace of mind to parents that are worried about their children being bullied by providing Enigma Recovery, the number one smartphone data recovery solution provider that allows users to retrieve stolen or deleted data. Continue reading A parents’ guide to cyberbullying

Tonight’s the night it really Matters

NEYPF’s latest ‘Matters2Us’ newspaper focuses on anti-bullying

ForumThe second edition of the North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum Matters2Us (anti-Bullying issue) is being launched tonight in Craigroyston Community Hgh School at 5.30pm.

CLD worker Clare Gibson, who supports the group, said: “North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum have put a lot of work into this research, the publication and the launch itself and would really appreciate it if you could let them know if you intend to be there tonight for the launch of the second edition of their version of The Matter: Matters2Us; this issue will focus on Anti-Bullying.

In July 2013, the Young People’s Forum were successful in their application to the Respectme Anti-Bullying fund to produce a second edition of their newspaper, this time asking the question:

‘How would you like to be supported if you were being bullied or see someone else being bullied?’

The group then consulted with over 100 pupils across two primary schools in North Edinburgh, going into classrooms over two days, spending time with the young people and finding out their thoughts on bullying.

The Young People’s Forum would now like to share what the young people who they met with said and would like to invite you to attend the launch of this second edition tonight at Craigroyston Community High School at 5.30pm.

There will also be an opportunity to hear from a local parents group on how they have made a user friendly guide to their schools Anti-Bullying Policy to support parents, young people and the community to understand it.”

If you plan to attend, or require further information, contact Clare.Gibson@ea.edin.sch.uk

bully

The Scottish Government is to introduce guidance to help give pupils better protection online and in the classrooms, it has been announced.

Schools will get advice on promoting the safe and responsible use of mobile devices to protect pupils and staff from the potentially harmful consequences of misuse.

Speaking at the Respectme conference during National Anti-Bullying Week 2013, Minister for Learning Alasdair Allan unveiled the guidance on responsible use of phones, tablets and other mobile devices and an e-safety website. He said:

“We want everyone in Scotland to grow up free from bullying and to have respect for each other. All bullying behaviour is unacceptable but no one reading the recent horrific accounts of cyber-bullying, blackmail and exploitation can help but be outraged.

“It is unrealistic to expect young people to turn away from technology. We need to look practically at what can be done to change attitudes and stop people using these resources for abuse.

“All schools must have anti-bullying policies that are regularly updated to ensure that pupils are safe and protected from potential harm, both within and outside school.

“That is why I am launching guidance to help schools develop and update policies to promote the safe and responsible use of mobile technology in schools along with an e-safety review tool – an interactive way for schools to review their e-safety provision and to develop an action plan for improvements.

“This guidance and tool will help schools find the right balance between the use of mobile devices in the classroom without them causing disruption or being misused.”

Dr Allan also confirmed that a summit of internet providers and anti-bullying partners such as Respectme would go ahead on December 4.

He added: “Technology moves on leaps and bounds very quickly and teachers and parents need support to help keep up with it. That is why my colleague, Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell, and I are hosting a summit in December to see what more can be done to help everyone feel that they can go online without fear.”

David Wright, Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre at the South West Grid for Learning Trust, said: “It is fantastic that schools across Scotland will have access to a reflective, non-moralising and empowering tool to review and improve their own Internet safety policy and practice.”

National Anti-Bullying Week 2013 takes place from Monday 18 to Friday 22 November.

Advice for parents, young people and schools is available from the national anti-bullying service Respectme www.respectme.org.uk/ and CEOP’s thinkuknow