Child Safety professionals in Powys now have front-line allies from the Welshpool area in their battle against bullying .
Thanks to the unusually named group ‘Eat Carrots. Be safe from Elephants’ – which represents 11 – 18 year olds - the county’s Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) has a direct line to the views and experiences of young people’s lives.
The Group which, comprises 20 young representatives from across the county, shares its knowledge, opinions and ideas with members of the board as they make decisions on how to keep children and young people safe.
The success of the initiative is being highlighted by the Welsh Assembly Government as part of Anti-Bullying Week 2010, (November 15 – 19) which is designed to help young people across Wales combat bullying and support those who are being bullied.
Latest figures* indicate that around 30% of 10-12 year olds in Wales had been bullied in some way over a sample two month period. In addition 15% of 14-15 year olds said they were bullied over the same period.
Despite this, there is some evidence that the level of bullying has declined in Wales since 2005/06, which is attributed in part to school anti-bullying programmes promoted by the Assembly Government.
‘Eat Carrots. Be safe from Elephants’ meets during the school holidays and brings issues of concern to the attention of the Local Safeguarding Children Board. Its meetings are facilitated by Tros Gynnal, which is an independent advocacy service for children and young people.
The Group has written an anti-bullying guide, advising young people about different forms of bullying and how to deal with them. The guide, which is distributed to youth organisations and schools across the county, explains what bullying is, how it can be tackled, what help is available and how young people can get involved.
It states: “Bullying is a serious issue. We would like you to know there is somewhere you can go to get help and that you will be listened to. We know bullying won’t go away overnight but we believe all children and young people in Powys deserve to be respected and not be bullied.”
They have also produced a DVD that helps children and young people make their voices heard.
The DVD, which includes young people’s experiences of being bullied and a range of other issues important to them, will be launched at Powys Local Safeguarding Children Board conference at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells on November 24.
Education Minister Leighton Andrews praised the Powys youngsters’ project and described Anti-Bullying Week as a valuable opportunity for teachers, parents and students to discuss bullying issues and how to implement anti-bullying measures:
He said: “Any form of bullying is unacceptable and we have to learn to deal with it effectively to avoid the potential long-term damage it can have on some young people. It’s important that education professionals have the right skills and tools to recognise when a child is being bullied so they can deal with it effectively, and put preventative measures in place. I hope Anti-Bullying Week will enable professionals, parents and students to share best practise and learn from each others’ experiences.”
The Welsh Assembly Government has committed substantial funding to support children and young people who are facing problems, such as bullying. There are now trained professional counsellors in all secondary schools in Wales who deal with all kinds of issues that young people face.
There is also the all-Wales advocacy and advice helpline called ‘meic’ which provides information, support and independent advocacy for children and young people who feel that they are not being listened to on matters that affect them and who may need support to stop, start or change something.
Trudie Jordan, project leader for Tros Gynnal, which provides independent advocacy for children and young people in Powys, said: “Bullying is an issue that affects all children at some time in their lives and young people need to know where to turn to if they are being bullied.”
“The group’s DVD encourages children and young people to seek support and not to suffer alone. One young person has written a poem about her experience of being bullied and how she felt. Writing is often a way for young people to cope with difficult emotional experiences.
“Bullying is widespread across society and it doesn’t stop with children and young people. That’s why Anti Bullying Week is hugely important to highlight that this is a common issue that affects everybody,” she added.
*Data from report ‘All-Wales Survey of Bullying in Schools’, by the Department of Children, Education, Lifelong Learning & Skills, Welsh Assembly Government (December 2009). Information gathered from 7,400 pupils across Wales.
Picture caption:
Members of the ‘Eat Carrots. Be safe from Elephants’ group from across Powys.
