LAST week was Anti-bullying week 2014.

It’s a week where children and young people, parents, schools, carers and communities come together with one aim: to stamp out bullying in all its forms. This year, the Anti Bullying Alliance focussed particularly on the bullying of children and young people.

There has been considerable support for anti-bullying week here in the Vale, with the Vale Youth Forum and South Wales Police backing the campaign. The Police have visited local youth clubs to talk to young people about bullying and lots of individuals and schools have been showing their support on social media.

The Welsh Government has also produced new anti-bullying advice, with the Education Minister Huw Lewis stating that:

“Bullying in all forms is wrong. It affects confidence, self-esteem and can have a detrimental effect on pupils’ attendance and academic performance.

“It’s up to all of us to tackle bullying and that’s why we have produced this new material which offers really useful advice to children, young people and parents who are worried about bullying.”

The leaflet and poster; “Are You being Bullied” is available on the Welsh Government’s website to help pupils who are worried about bullying. In addition, the leaflet; “Is Your Child being Bullied?” offers advice to parents about what to do if their child is being bullied.

You can see the leaflet at this link:

http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/schoolshome/wellbeing/antibullying/are-you-being-bullied/?lang=en

The leaflet and poster signpost children and parents to MEIC, the helpline service for children and young people in Wales up to the age of 25. MEIC is confidential, anonymous and free. The MEIC helpline, which is available in Welsh or English, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. MEIC can be contacted by phone 0808 80 23456 SMS text 84001 and instant messaging. Further information can be found on MEIC’s website http://meiccymru.org.

In addition to the new anti-bullying advice, ‘Respecting Others’ is a series of comprehensive anti-bullying materials from the Welsh Government to help schools put in place effective strategies to prevent, respond to, monitor and record bullying. More information can be found on the Welsh Government’s website.

No child should feel threatened, intimidated and afraid because of bullying. We can all play our part in stamping out bullying and creating safe, positive environments for children to grow and thrive.