Anti-Bullying Week

This week is Anti-Bullying Week - and we only need to glance at the newspaper headlines to know that it's a more pertinent initiative than ever.  

Recent research from Childline and the DfES revealed that just over half of Year 5 students (children aged 9-10) admitted that they had been bullied during the previous term.  

Particularly on the rise are concepts like cyberbullying and 'trolling' (deliberately leaving abusive and bullying comments on social networking profiles). One in five teenagers report that they have experienced bullying or threats in emails, texts or chat rooms. 

It is easy to underestimate such activity, but the impact of online harassment can be serious and the consequences potentially tragic. Earlier this year, a teenage girl committed suicide after receiving abusive and threatening messages on a social networking site, and stories like hers are becoming increasingly common.

Since January 2009, the charity Family Lives has seen calls to its bullying helpline increase by 13% and calls about cyberbullying soar by 77%. The charity offers a useful online guide for parents to help them understand what children may be doing online, the potential risks and where to get help. The charity Kidscape also offer a helpline and plenty of support, including an anti-bullying resource pack for schools.

There is much evidence that disabled children and their families are particularly vulnerable to such bullying and harassment. Reports from the Children's Commissioner and the National Autistic Society show disabled children and young people are far more likely than their peers to become targets of bullying. We all remember the tragic story of Fiona Pilkington who finally killed herself and her disabled daughter by setting light to their car in October 2007 after enduring years of violence, vandalism and abuse.

Thankfully, disability organisations are fighting back against bullying and hate crime. Earlier this year, Mencap launched a three-year campaign called 'Stand by me'. The campaign aims to challenge the police, the criminal justice system and the courts to end hate crime against people with a learning disability within a generation. This autumn also saw the Equality and Human Rights Commission produce the results of their inquiry into the ways in which disabled people are experiencing harassment: 'Hidden in Plain Sight'.

Accepting difference and developing tolerance and respect from an early age is surely one of the keys to tackling bullying. As such, I believe children's books can play a valuable role. Books can be instrumental in helping challenge negative attitudes, explore the consequences of certain actions and helping children to understand, accept and embrace difference.

Rosemary Stones' excellent book Don't Pick On Me has been republished to coincide with Anti-Bullying Week and explores why some people are bullies, how it feels to be bullied and offers helpful advice on how to cope with bullying.

See our booklist for a range of recommended titles on the subject.