IT’S Anti-Bullying Week – and Police and Crime Commissioner John Dwyer is encouraging everyone to respond to this year’s theme:”Reach Out”.
Anti-Bullying Week is organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance with the aim to raise awareness of bullying for children and young people as well as highlight the ways to prevent and respond to it.
The information collated by the Anti-Bullying Alliance reports that 30 per cent of children have been bullied in the last year and 17 per cent have been bullied online.
Bullying has a significant impact on a child’s life and can often lead to a crime being committed. The effects can also extend into adulthood, with adults who were bullied as children being more likely to experience mental health issues or fall into unstable relationships.
Mr Dwyer, said: “There is no excuse for bullying, and it should not be tolerated in our communities. Unfortunately, bullying is no longer confined to one space, like the school playground, it now follows the victim around in the form of cyber-bullying.
“I talk about hate crime and bullying in my Police and Crime Plan and believe that education is key in reducing this issue. I am committed to ensuring local police officers and PCSOs have the opportunity to talk to young people in schools and other safe spaces about the impact of bullying and other kinds of crime.”
The ‘Reach Out’ theme aims to empower adults and children to do something positive to counter the harm and hurt that bullying causes, promoting the message ‘let’s be the change we want to see’.
Mr Dwyer added: “It is important for those who are being bullied to know that they are not alone. There is always somebody to talk to about what you are experiencing, you don’t have to face the problem on your own. Speak to a friend, a family member, a teacher, or another trusted adult.”
