Blog – Latest stories tagged 'cyber_bullying'

Young people and mental health in a changing world

On October 10th, people around the world will be taking part in the annual World Mental Health Day, drawing attention to the importance of mental well-being.

Organised by the World Federation for Mental Health since 1992 and supported by many of the national and international charities, this year the theme will focus on young people and mental health, highlighting the additional stresses faced by today’s youth that can lead to mental health issues.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, around 1 in 10 children and young people are affected by mental health problems including depressions and anxiety. However, they report a more worrying figure in that 70% of those young people have not received help at a sufficiently early age.

UK charity Young Minds report that half of mental health problems are evident by the age of 14, reaching 75% by the age of 24 – this goes to reinforce the importance of early intervention wherever possible.

WFMH President, Professor Alberto Trimboli adds: “This year, World Mental Health Day will talk about the issues facing young people and cover a small portion of the great research, stories, ideas and programs out there to help the next generations be strong and resilient in the face of hardship, life changes, discrimination and destruction. This information is only the beginning – there is an abundance of great information, organizations and advocates out there fighting for the wellbeing of young people

We ask that you join the 2018 World Mental Health Day campaign and help us create a larger audience, a greater impact and a unified voice for global mental health!”

The key topics being addressed, particularly focusing on young people, in the activities supporting World Mental Health Day this year include:

Bullying and cyber bullying

The effects of trauma

Major illnesses

Suicide

Gender identity

Ultimately the goal of WMHD is to look for a way forward: “We all know that a young person with support, stability and the information will usually lead to a positive, healthy adult. So, how do we make sure our young people have all the skills and support they need to achieve that? Early interventions, prevention, resilience support and programs to educate young people and the world around them. Following are just a few examples of ways we can help create an environment that leads to resilience and happiness.”

For more information about the campaign, visit the World Foundation for Mental Health website

For a range of mental well-being resources including teaching materials, parents guides and staff training, join our Safeguarding Essentials service.

Next week sees both Stand Up To Bullying and Stop Cyberbullying Day address the issue of bullying

In figures released by charity Ditch the Label in their latest bullying survey, 1-in-2 young people have experienced bullying, with 1-in-10 having been bullied within the past week. In addition, their research revealed that young people feel that social networks are not currently doing enough about online bullying, with many feeling unsafe online.

Empowering pupils to take the lead on tackling bullying can help in schools, and participating in the forthcoming anti-bullying campaigns taking place next week can help enforce the message.

Stand up to Bullying Day - June 13th 2018
Stand Up To Bullying Day was started in 2016 by The Diana Award with HRH The Duke of Cambridge and aims to raise public awareness about bullying and its long term effect, create understanding about our collective role in tackling bullying and to empower the public with the tools to stand up to bullying; wherever they are.

Whether you're looking to support on social media, run a session in your school or review your anti-bullying policy there's plenty to get you going. Schools can download a resource pack with ideas for activities and fundraising events to support anti-bullying and the Stand Up To Bullying campaign. There is also a Thunderclap where schools can show their support.

Stop Cyberbullying Day - June 15th 2018
Stop Cyberbullying Day was founded by The Cybersmile Foundation on June 17th 2012, to promote online positivity and good digital citizenship.

Since then, every year on the third Friday in June, Stop Cyberbullying Day has become a growing force of positivity.

Stop Cyberbullying Day encourages people around the world to show their commitment toward a truly inclusive and diverse online environment for all – without fear of personal threats, harassment or abuse.

To get involved you can use the hashtag #STOPCYBERBULLYINGDAY on the day with your content (images, videos, articles) to let people know you are participating on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube - supporting a brighter, kinder internet. Schools can also sign up to pledge their support via the Thunderclap campaign leading up to the day.

Join our FREE Membership service for our bullying assembly resource. E-safety Support members can also download cyber bullying specific resources and distribute Internet safety training. Safeguarding Essentials members have access to the full suite of cyber bullying and bullying resources including policies, teaching resources and staff training. Find out more.

Is there a line between banter and bullying?

We all talk about bullying, we know it’s a serious issue which can have devastating consequences and we know that thanks to social media, bullying doesn’t stop when the school gates close. But what exactly is bullying?

As pointed out in the latest Ditch the Label Annual Bullying Survey "the very nature of bullying is subjective, meaning everybody has a different idea of the behaviours that are considered to be bullying". The report identified that 12% of young people had bullied somebody based on their own definition of bullying, while 54% of respondents said that they had been bullied at some point.

In research released by TES in the latter part of 2017, figures revealed that from over 1000 secondary school teachers interviewed, over half thought that bullying was a problem in their school, with more than a fifth saying that bullying in their school was on the increase. Rather more shockingly, 40 per cent declared they knew of pupils too scared to attend school because of it.

To help identify bullying, the Department of Education define it as “behaviour by an individual or group, repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally”, while the dictionary definition adds that a bully will often force the victim to do something they do not want to do.

Types of bullying
Bullying and cyber bullying can take on many forms including (but not limited to) physical assault, emotional taunting, verbal abuse, social exclusion, hostile actions based on sexuality – the list goes on. And (as stated in the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance) all staff should be aware of the specific safeguarding issue that bullying presents. Ofsted will also hold schools to account for how well they deal with bullying behaviour. This can include behaviour which takes place outside the school premises.

What can schools do?
In order to raise awareness of bullying issues and help prevent it taking place, schools can develop a number of strategies. In the first instance, anti-bullying and cyber bullying should be included in the curriculum. It is also key to ensure that parents are clear on their responsibilities and know where to go to for support. To enable this, the school should have clear guidelines and policies in place and should work with external agencies who can provide support and advice.

Empowering pupils to take the lead on tackling bullying can help encourage speaking out if situations arise and taking part in awareness days such as anti-bullying week or stop cyber bullying day can help enforce the message.

In short, it is important that schools deal with bullying as they have a duty of care to help pupils learn in a safe environment.

If you would like to share your thoughts on bullying issues or have ideas you would like to share with fellow teacher, please use the comments section below.

Members of the Safeguarding Essentials service have access to specific teacher training on this topic, along with additional teaching and school management resources. Login to access now.