Anti-Bullying Week 2006

 

Welcome to the first information pack produced by the Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF).  The pack is available for download under Related Documents at the footer of this web page.

 

NIABF has been working very hard tackling the issue of bullying since its 3-year strategy was launched in 2005. Funding for a three year period from DE has enabled the recruitment of a Regional Anti-Bullying Coordinator, and future developments include a local website with up-to-date information for schools, parents and children.

 

Anti-Bullying Week is an annual event and is an excellent opportunity to further promote anti-bullying messages to staff, parents and pupils.

 

The theme chosen for the week is ‘Don’t just stand there’ - highlighting the role of the bystander. The reluctance of pupils to tell adults can be a major hurdle for a school community to address, and NIABF hopes this pack contributes to teaching bystander skills to pupils, promoting individuals to have a voice to challenge and discourage behaviours they view as harmful.

 

Within this pack you will find a range of useful information, including a website list, pupil activities, and an information sheet which can be photocopied and distributed to parents. This information has been sent to you in advance of Anti-Bullying Week to accommodate your planning time. So don’t just stand there – please support Anti-Bullying Week in order to remind everyone that bullying behaviour is unacceptable. Please pass the pack on to members of your staff involved in developing anti-bullying work with their pupils.

 

We are also keen to find out what you as a school will be doing in the run up to and during Anti-Bullying Week. This will help us promote through the media all the fantastic and positive work schools are doing in their local communities. A form is enclosed which can be posted, emailed or faxed. Please complete this and send back to NIABF as soon as possible.

 

If you would like to discuss Anti-Bullying Week, or the work of NIABF, please feel free to contact either myself or Geraldine Loughran, Chair of NIABF, on 028 9043 1123.

 

Finally, I would like to thank you for your support and wish you well for a successful Anti-Bullying Week 2006.

 

Yours sincerely