More than half of Monmouthshire children have been bullied says report
Between 51% and 55% of young people in Monmouthshire
have been bullied, a report by Monmouthshire
County Council shows.
The report, ‘Bullying amongst children and
young people in Monmouthshire 2009', is based on responses from 1207 children
and young people, nine parents and 19 professionals.
Children and young people in Monmouthshire
said they felt strongly that there was an issue with bullying in and outside of
school.
Children were open about the support they
had received when they had experienced bullying:
"My friends
helped me through it and I remembered what they said in the course about being
a peer mentor". (Anonymous respondent)
However, overall children and young people
agreed that there needs to be more support for those being bullied:
"All the support
is to help the bully stop but there is no help for the people being bullied".
(Anonymous respondent)
During anti-bullying week (16th
- 20th November), Monmouthshire's Children and Young People's
Involvement Worker, Rhian Cook, will be visiting schools to talk to children
and young people about how the council is fighting bullying.
Rhian said:
"It is essential that the children and young
people of Monmouthshire are aware of the results of this report.
"Making the information clear so that they
are able to understand the results of the report was my main aim.
"I would like to thank children and young
people from Shirenewton Primary and King
Henry VIII
Comprehensive School
who provided much needed insight into how they would like the information presented
and what they wanted to know from the report.
"The report which will play a vital role in
tackling bullying in Monmouthshire and shape the way bullying is dealt with."
All across Monmouthshire schools will be
presenting special assemblies and lessons around anti-bullying. Schools will be
linking with their Police School Liaison Officer.
A bullying prevention group has been set up
by Monmouthshire's Children and Young People's Partnership who will be using
the report to write an authority wide bullying prevention strategy.
For a copy of the report on bullying, email
EmmaTaylor@monmouthshire.gov.uk .
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