What is the role of a bystander?

If you don’t know what a bystander is, it’s someone who witnesses an act of bullying. If you know bullying is happening, but don’t do anything about it, that can be as bad as the bullying itself.

At Bully Free Zone and across the anti-bullying sector, we try our best to pass the message on that bystanders must act. We don’t mean you should jump in and stop a bully if they’re physically attacking someone, but you could go and get help. In schools, there is sometimes a culture where the other young people stand around shouting ‘fight’. If just one of those young people went to get a teacher, maybe something can be done to stop what is happening.

When Carol Hill, a dinner lady, pulled a group of boys away from attacking a 7 year old girl with a skipping rope, she didn’t stand by and watch it happen. She stopped the incident.

On seeing the girl’s parents outside of school, Mrs Hill, after the school informed the parents of a ‘skipping rope incident’, told them that she believed it to be an act of bullying. This was considered a breach of ‘pupil confidentiality’ by the school and Mrs Hill was later sacked.

After a battle to save her job, Mrs Hill won a case of unfair dismissal last week, which should allow her to return to her job.

I will ask again, what IS the role of a bystander? As an adult employee at the school, does Mrs Hill have a responsibility to help ensure the safety of its pupils? When faced with parents who know only what they’ve been told and perhaps not the full story, would you act any differently? If it had been another parent who had witnessed the bullying and passed on the information, would they have been in as much trouble?

We believe bullying is EVERYONE’S responsibility, if you see it happen, you can help stop it.

NCB Now: Report on bullying of children with SEN

An evidence review from the Anti-Bullying Alliance and the University of Cambridge has confirmed children with special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are disproportionately at risk of being bullied.

Researchers studied the literature on the bullying of children with SEN and/or disabilities as part of a larger project to discover what works in tackling the bullying of these children in schools.

Some groups of children are shown as having experienced significant levels of bullying including, 83 per cent of children with learning difficulties, 82 per cent of children who are disfluent (those with a stammer), 59 per cent of them at least once a week, and 91 per cent for name calling.

The report says adults generally underestimate the amount of bullying these children experience, and that the practicalities of implementing intervention strategies challenges schools. Recommendations include schools focusing more on the social context of bullying; direct work on communication skills and new approaches to dealing with difference.

For more information, visit www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk.

Article from: Children & Young People Now (11 January 2011)

National Bullying Helpline - Closed!

The National Bullying Helpline was set up by Christine and David Pratt when Christine realised the impact bullying in the workplace has on industry. Since then it has seen an increase in workload and difficulty in securing funding.  As well as a controversial political row in which Pratt claimed the charity had received calls from Downing Street staff.

Despite the row over whether the charity broke confidentiality, by revealing details of calls, being some time ago, the charity is still being investigated by the Charity Commission.

Due to the funding issues and the recent resignation of Christine Pratt as chief executive, the charity has now closed.

Articles about this: Civil Society | The Press Association

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As part of the work we do at Bully Free Zone, we offer a telephone helpline for parents, schools and young people themselves to call up on how to deal with issues of bullying. Whilst we primarily work in Bolton and Blackpool, we do accept calls from further afield.

Our helpline number is: 01204 454958