Awareness Raising
Regular anti-bullying activities can help ensure everyone has a shared understanding of what bullying is and how it should be dealt with. Although Anti-Bullying Week provides a great opportunity for whole-school/community campaigns, the anti-bullying message needs to be ongoing with workshops put on to tackle particular issues. Schools can adopt a cross-curricular approach to raising awareness of bullying and all staff should feel confident they know what bullying is and can therefore raise awareness of what to do about it. You can download an anti-bullying charter here.
Posters and information boards can help create an anti-bullying ethos and a variety of resources should be used to tackle bullying in different ways. Circle time provides an appropriate environment for children and young people to express their views on bullying in a safe and secure place where everybody’s opinion is respected and listened to (Bliss and Tetley, 1993). Simple, positive rules encourage the group to focus on their feelings and those of others, listen to one another and tolerate other people’s views (Mosley, 1996). Bullying can be discussed using a problem solving approach.