A NETWORK of experts is being set up across the country to tackle bullying in schools.
Bullying is a significant problem, with figures suggesting one in five suffer.
Today, the government launched the Anti-Bullying Alliance as part of a national drive to combat all aspects of the problem, , including bullying by e-mail, text messaging and through internet chatrooms.
It will provide support and mediation and promote mentoring schemes among youngsters, as well as setting up a web site and running an annual anti-bullying week.
The alliance - with ChildLine chairman Esther Rantzen as president - was launched by education minister Ivan Lewis.
Lack of motivation
Remembering his own torment at the hands of bullies during his days at William Hulme Grammar School in the late 1970s, the MP for Bury South said: "As the education minister responsible, I cannot be dispassionate about the impact bullying has on young people's lives.
"For the first two years at secondary school, I was targeted by several pupils.
"I recall the daily hope that one of the teachers would come to my rescue or some of the other children would come to my defence.
"I remember how a lack of motivation and disintegrating self-esteem affected my grades and left me at the bottom of the class.
"I don't want my kids to go through that hell and I don't want anyone else's children to suffer that pain and humiliation."
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I feel very concerned about bullying. My daughter has been bullied in a covert way - by that I mean the bullies even pretend they are her friend but they are mocking her. The chaire has been pulled from under her in class and chewing gum put in her hair. She has missed a lot of shcool htis year and fallen very behind with her work. I feel concerned about this. Her grades are rock bottom at the end of year 8. I wonder if parents are given the full story from their child as my daughter kept a lot of it within by not working, being scared at school etc. It is very frightening.
A concerned parent
Its about time something was done about bullying in schools. There must be hundreds, if not thousands of people out there that have grown up with a lack of self esteem and confidence thanks to the ungrateful yuppie lavae that think its ok to attack other people, be it mentally, verbally, or emotionally. Teachers should be doing their jobs and teaching, not just the subject they are in but how a pupil should treat his/her fellow classmates.
The sad thing is that these bullies grow up and become bullies in the workplace. Now that school bullying is finally being addressed, maybe we can address bullying in the workplace as well.
We are a company called Interactive Planet Ltd, we have designed a great website for Schools & Colleges to take advantage of it is called BullyAlert the website allows Parents & Students to report bullying direct to schools anonymously; discreetly via a bully report form, you can even log your submitted report forms. Once more the website is FREE. I hope this helps you.