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Newsletter June 2013 available now
Snapchat trending in popularity and bullying among teens. Snapchat is popular because the sender can set the number of seconds the recipient can view the message or image before it self deletes. But a workaround lets a recipient save the image and send it on, rendering Snapchat less private. More
Advertisers pressure Facebook
Facebook faces pressure from advertisers to do more to tackle hate speech and remove offensive images faster. Advertisers do not want to appear next to content featuring hate speech or material that encourages violence towards women. The site has said it can and will do better, increasing training and enforcement of its terms and conditions. More 29.5.13 and BBC REPORT
BIG Award to hold major London conference More
Stars of Aussie soap, 'Neighbours' speak out against cyberbullying in a video. James Mason and Jenna Rosenow take part in the video, Rosenow's character, Amber Turner has been involved in a storyline about bullying on Twitter. View the video
Sarah Payne and Shy Keenan campaign for new law on bullying but we argue there is so much we can do right now as BIG Award winners show.
May 10th 2013 Download
Latest Newsletter April 2013
Ofsted evaluates PSHE May 2013 Evidence from inspection indicates that learning was good or better in 60% of schools and that it required improvement or was inadequate in 40%. In weaker schools homophobic and disablist language was commonplace. The report, 'Not Yet Good Enough' can be downloaded here
New report from NSPCC, How safe are our children? Here
One in 13 or (350,222) secondary aged school children is persistently cyberbullied.
17% of children have seen or experienced something on a social networking site in the last year which has upset or bothered them.
24% of 9-16 year olds in the UK say that they have seen sexual images in the past 12 months whether online or offline.
9% of 11-16 year polds in the UK have seen one or more types of potentially harmful content rising to 32% of 14-16 year old girls.
12% of 11-16 year old Internet users have received sexual messages, 2% receiving them more than once a week.
April 22nd 2013
The anniversary of Stephen's murder: a good time to check your Equality work?
On the anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, why not check that your school is implementing the Equality Act Public Sector Duty correctly? Bullying Intervention Group provides a new update. Posted by Adrienne Katz 22.04.13.
Boy's Bullying Hell
Young New Zealand boy tries to commit suicide after years of bullying and isolation due to his chronic excema and weight. More
Is it bullying or a criminal act?
Canada debates legislation in the wake of two teenage girls commiting suicide thought to be linked to sexual assault and humiliating online photo sharing they suffered. How can the law recognise the difference between a teenager uploading or sharing a picture of herself and others maliciously sharing that image? In the case of Rehtae Parsons 17, the boys being prosecuted for sending round photos of her, had been accused of rape by Rehtae and the boys arrested in the case of 15 year old Audrie Pott were also accused of a lethal combination of sexual assault and sharing humiliating photos. Slate, Emily Bazelon, April 12th 2013 More and an account by Rehtae's mum More
Arrest in Sweden's cyberbullying suicide probe.
by The Local, Swedens’s news in English 14th March 2013
Police have arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicions of sex crimes in connection with their investigation into a case of cyberbullying that police suspect drove a 13-year-old girl to commit suicide. The man was arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse and forcing two 13-year-old girls to pose sexually. One of the girls was the same 13-year-old girl who was killed after stepping in front of a passing train in Kumla in central Sweden last week. Police in Örebro have released the man's online alias, bealarsson97, in hopes of identifying more potential victims. …Police remain tight-lipped about exactly what happened to the two girls. "What I can say is that the man is suspected of having published films on the internet that caused problems for those affected," said Police representative, Nylén. More
Do you know how to report abuse? More people in Britain are concerned about websites showing the sexual abuse of children than other types of illegal, illicit or 'harmful' internet content. However, more than half of people in Britain currently say that they either wouldn't know how to report it if they were to encounter it (40%) or would just ignore it (12%). Learn how self generated explicit images that teens often send to one another can end up on other sites, learn about 'weblockers', 'take down notices' and speedy ways in which the IWF protects children online. The Internet Watch Foundation has issued its annual report March 2013
Budget and schools
Osborne protects schools from cuts but other services may suffer. By Gabriella Jozwiak, Tristan Donovan, Wednesday 20 March 2013 Young People Now.
Budget protects schools and health from departmental spending cuts but youth work, social care and early years could be hit. More
How do we identify and support vulnerable students online?
For some young people, e-safety education came too late or they missed it. These students take more risks online and are less likely to follow e-safety advice. They are often bullied both on and off line.They report high levels of homophobic bullying. How can we identify and help them? This was the subject of a seminar jointly hosted by BIG Award and EACH at the DfE.. Download the seminar report of our discussions. March 2013
Alarming rise in self-harm says ChidLine.
Self-harming or self-injury, has become the fastest rising cause of calls to ChildLine according to their annual report issued last week. There has been a 68% annual increase in contacts to ChildLine over self harm, mostly from girls. Family relationships were the most frequent reason children contacted ChidLine, with bullying second. The examples of the types of calls about self-harming given by the charity show children facing a toxic mix of troubled family relationships, alcohol, bullying and secrecy. There was also a substantial increase in the number of children calling about potential suicides -up by 39% on last year. Sue Minto of ChildLine said it reflected on how teenagers felt unable to escape pressures in their lives. Miss Minto said the relentless and pervasive nature of moderm technology with texting, social networking and websites - meant children found it hard to escape pressures such as bullying. Posted by Adrienne Katz 10.12.12 More
Parents douse teachers in online poison. Kate Mansey, Sunday Times, 18.11.12
More than one in ten teachers have been victims of online abuse perpetrated by the parents of their pupils. Teaching Unions are alarmed at the growing tide of online abuse, ranging from hate pages set up on social networking sites to malicious allegations of sexual abuse against children. A survey conducted by the NASUWT found that 42% of teachers had received insulting comments, allegations of inappropriate behaviour with a pupil or other derogatory comments posted online.
David Cameron: Hate Crime levels are appalling.
The prime minister made the remarks in a letter of support for last weekend’s London Vigil against Hate Crime in Trafalgar Square. Mr Cameron said:“I am passionate about tackling hate crime. And this government is acting. For the first time we have published statistics on hate crime recorded by the police in England and Wales. And we are highlighting the best examples of what works locally, because we know that hate crime is most effectively prevented at a grass roots level, by frontline professionals who have a deep local knowledge of victims and offenders. by Scott Roberts, Pink News October 22nd 2012 More
Amanda Todd- a tragic suicide linked to cyberbullying
17th October 2012
A Canadian girl’s death after intense prolonged cyberbullying is a reminder of how serious and urgent it is to address this behaviour as yet one more needless death is announced. Tributes to Amanda Todd have poured in since she died but support was not there when she needed it.
BBC Radio 1 newsbeat http://www.bbc.com/newsbeat/19960162
YouTube clip made by Amanda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KRxfTyNa24A
Virtual schools improve outcomes but fail to narrow attainment gap
By Gabriella Jozwiak, Thursday 11 October 2012
Virtual schools are improving outcomes for looked-after children, but the attainment gap between children in care and other pupils continues to grow, a report has found. More
Burnham calls on local areas to prioritise mental health in schools. Gabriella Jozwiak. Children & Young People Now 4th October.12
Speaking at a Labour party conference fringe event, AndyBurnham argued that health and wellbeing boards could be the “best hope” for young people, who are losing out on early intervention to safeguard their mental health because of public services reforms.
“Health and wellbeing boards are the best hope. I can’t think of any other forum that has the health responsibility but also that link in terms of the council’s other responsibilities,” he said. He added that Labour-led councils were being encouraged to combine commissioning decisions over health and education wherever possible, to encourage early support for young people in schools and other children’s services settings. “We’re getting them together in the same room to start talking about health and public health and starting to say, why don’t we all have a consistency in what we do? This needs to be on the education side as well,” he said.
Movie director talks to Metro of being bullied at school.
Joe Wright, Director of new Kiera Knightly film, Anna Karenina was bullied at school because he wore a cravat and was uncool. Wright who is dyslexic, left school with no GCSEs. His successful career includes directing Atonement and Pride and Prejudice.Larushka Ivan-Zadeh Metro.7th September 2012
Tom Jones, legendary singer and judge on TV's The Voice,
says in interview that the trait he most deplores in others is... bullying. Interview in Guardian weekend by Rosanna Greenstreet. 1.09.12
Bullied Bus Monitor forms new anti bullying foundation. USA Bullied Bus monitor Karen Klein, 68 who was seen on video clips being bullied by children, received over 700,000 dollars in donations after a site was set up by a sympathiser. Karen has used the money to set up a foundation to tackle bullying and is touring to publicise it. Accompanying her will be Miss Teen USA who was bullied herself. What next for Lollipop ladies here in the UK? Klein was honoured by a Boston radio station, and became an international sensation after the videos of boys abusing her on a school bus went viral. Posted by Adrienne Katz 28.08.12
Paralympic Cyclist Sarah Storey has a collection of Paralympic gold medals plus 20 world champion titles and 21 European titles, but she recalls how she was bullied at school. 'I was bullied at school because I was different' she told the Sunday Times. 'After I came back from Barcelona (she was 14) I was bullied because I had been elevated to a certain position. Sunday Times 2.08.12
New book on Cyberbullying by BIG Award's Adrienne Katz gives the views and experiences of over 9000 children and young people. It explores how we teach e-safety and what young people make of it. Cyberbullying and e-safety July 2012 published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London and Philadelphia.
Can bullying be beaten? Author Anthony Horowitz writes on bullying. Telegraph online
No Place for Bullying. New report on bullying from Ofsted 18.06.12
In the autumn of 2011 Ofsted inspectors visited 37 primary and 19 secondary schools to explore practice in relation to bullying. This report describes what the best practice looked like and outlines the weaknesses found in some cases. Press release Publications, report and summary
Facebook forced into revealing identities of cyberbullies
Woman wins high court backing after she received abusive messages about a post on The X Factor's Frankie Cocozza. It is believed to be one of the first cases where an individual has successfully taken legal action against Facebook to reveal the identities of cyberbullies. A woman has won court backing to force Facebook to reveal the identities of cyberbullies who targeted her with a string of abusive messages on the website. Nicola Brookes was granted a high court order after receiving "vicious and depraved" abuse on Facebook after she posted a comment in support of the former The X Factor contestant Frankie Cocozza. The Guardian, Josh Halliday, 8th June 2012 Read more
More than 87,000 racist incidents recorded in schools By Divya Talwar
Nearly 88,000 racist incidents were recorded in Britain's schools between 2007 and 2011, the BBC has found.
Data from 90 areas shows 87,915 cases of racist bullying, which can include name calling and physical abuse.
A racist incident is defined as any situation perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.
In response to the local authority figures, obtained under a Freedom of Information request, the Department for Education said racism needed to be "rooted out". BBC Asian Network 23.05.12 More
[The coalition government has ended the advice to record and report racist incidents that had been in place since the MacPherson report, but BIG advises schools to continue to record and monitor incidents so that they can address race issues within their school, comply with the Equality Act 2010 and provide evidence to Ofsted that they have due regard to keeping all pupils safe.]
'Sexting' from peers worries young people more than stranger danger warns study.
A new study involving LSE research reveals the level that ‘sexting’ has reached among teenagers with schoolgirls facing increasing pressure to provide sexually explicit pictures of themselves.The research, undertaken by the Institute of Education, King’s College and the London School of Economics and Political Science and published by the NSPCC, sought the views of 13-15-year-olds at two London schools. 23.05.12 More
SIM card to help parents protect children from bullying.
Parents will be able to control their child's mobile phone thanks to a new type of SIM card remotely managed from a computer. BBC 21.05.12 More
Brighton woman Nicola Brookes tackles 'trolls' after Facebook abuse.
A Brighton woman who was abused on the internet is starting legal action to force Facebook to reveal the identities of those who targeted her. Nicola Brookes was falsely portrayed as a paedophile and drug dealer by so-called internet trolls. She is taking High Court action to force Facebook help her identify her abusers so she can then prosecute them.
Facebook issued a statement which said there was no place for bullying on its social networking website. 15th May 2012 Read More on BBC News
Related stories from the BBC:
Research shows tackling frequent bullying could help to reduce self harm.
This longitudinal twin study showed that among those who self harmed, as many as half were victims of frequent bullying. Bullied children who self harmed were more likely than peers to have been malreated, to have a family history of attempted or completed suicide and to experience concurrent mental health problems. Undertaken at Kings College London this study adds to the body of work undertaken by members of this team showing links with bullying and mental health. Read more in our Latest Research page. BMJ 2012;344:e2683 Fisher, H. et al
Statutory guidance on listening to children and young people.
The Government is committed to the promotion and protection of children’s rights, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It believes that children and young people should have opportunities to express their opinion in matters that affect their lives. (This is statutory guidance from the Department for Education. Local Authorities and maintained schools must have regard to it.) posted 16.4.2012 by Adrienne Katz
Teachers report widespread bullying by pupils and parents Two fifths report that they have been abused on Social networking sites, while almost half felt unsupported by their school. An online survey of teachers by NASUWT shows 42% had been a victim of cyberbullying - of these, 61% said pupils had made insulting comments about them on SNS. Report by Helene Mulholland, Guardian 6th April 2012 More
Teachers tell children not to have best friends in primary schools to prevent pain of falling out. Primary schools are adopting a 'no best friends' policy to shield children from the pain of falling out. But critics are warning it is preventing youngsters from learning about the ups and downs of life. Educational psychologist Gaynor Sbuttoni, who provides counselling for children in London, said the practice of teachers encouraging kids to play in large groups instead of developing tight-knit bonds is increasingly common. She said teachers have consulted her about the rights and wrongs of the policy, but stressed they should not be interfering with friendships and that it is natural for children to want a best friend. More
As we think about Fabrice Muamba and hope for his recovery, you may want to do some work with your pupils about his life. May we remind you that BIG has a lesson plan about him at this link. lesson plan.
19th March 2012
Educating Essex school joins BIG.
We are delighted to welcome Passmores Academy to BIG.. March 1st More
Police to tackle crime and bullying in capital's schools. (Scotland)
Police will be drafted in to all secondary schools in Scotland's capital city in a bid to tackle
bullying, crime and anti-social behaviour.A Scottish Government study into campus police in 2010 found they have the biggest impact in deprived areas where communities may lack positive role models and perceptions of the police may be negative.
In Glasgow, a campus police scheme was cited as one reason why the number of pupils excluded or suspended from schools dropped by 53% from 7399 in 2006/07 to 3450 in 2010/11. More Brian Donnelly The Herald, 24th February 2012
Dominic Crouch: I'm so, so sorry for what I am about to do.
On 18 May 2010, Dominic committed suicide by jumping off the roof of a six-storey block of flats near his school in Cheltenham. He was 15. In the note he left his family, hastily scrawled in sloping lines of black ink, he wrote: "Dear Family, I'm so so sorry for what I'm about to do. I have been bullied a lot recently and had a lot of sh** made up about me that ain't true." This thoughtful lengthy article explores the nature of homophobic bullying today.
More. Elizabeth Day, Observer 19th February 2012 (there are several other pieces on this tragic story below)
Debate over advice to teachers has impact after homophobic bullying suicides.
Leaders in Minnesota's largest school district said the long debate over how teachers should handle discussions about sexual orientation probably had a bigger impact than a new policy will.
The Anoka-HennepinSchool District replaced a policy requiring teachers to be neutral in discussions about sexual orientation with a new one requiring them to foster a respectful learning environment for all students.
The change came after six students in theAnoka-HennepinSchool District committed suicide in less than two years. Some had been bullied, and some were either gay or seen as gay. More
By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press COON RAPIDS,Minn.February 14, 2012 (AP)
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One in four children targeted by cyber bullies with 350,000 suffering persistent torment. Makes thousands depressed and even suicidal.
Thousands of children are too frightened to go to school or suffer depression and even attempt suicide after being targeted by ‘cyber bullies’, according to a study.It found 28 per cent of children aged 11 to 16 had experienced bullying on the internet or via a mobile phone.The most common form was a malicious text (13 per cent) and around one in ten said they had received nasty comments through a social network. Chris Brook, Mail Online 6th February 2012 More
Children lack awareness of cyberbullying and its impact
By Janaki Mahadevan Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Children must be taught how to recognise harassment online, academics at the University of Bedfordshire have warned.More
One of BIG’s members sends young delegates to Westminster
On Safer Internet Day, Toby Duckworth and Jack Hardy from St Francis School inWalsall attended events in Portcullis House to discuss ideas for better safety on the internet with their teacher Andrew Symington. BIG was asked by Childnet to invite some young people from the West Midlands and we are delighted that the day was a success.More. 7th February 2012 posted by Adrienne Katz
'Phones exposing children to smut'.
Around 1.2 million children have looked at violent or pornographic websites on their mobile telephones, according to a study that reveals the extent to which parents struggle to monitor their offspring’s activity online.
Children as young as eight are using smartphones to browse illicit content on the internet, the research for Carphone Warehouse has found. Hannah Furness Telegraph, retrieved on Independent.ie January 30th 2012 More
Facebook 'burn' pages banned by police as at least 700 teenagers are involved in hurtful and often fabricated gossip. Young people warned to remove their posts or face police action. Facebook has shut down eight pages after being contacted by police. More. Mail Online Pamela Owen 21.01.12
World marks Holocaust Memorial Day 27.1.12
Events commemorate victims of genocide as survey shows social media may hold role in speaking out against hatred...39% said they had used social media to speak up about something they felt passionately about. However, a quarter regretted something they had posted, almost half because they later considered it inappropriate, and 27% because they thought it had upset somebody. More than a third, 36%, said they had witnessed or been a victim of online bullying, and while 41% of this group said they had intervened, almost 25% said they had done nothing. More than one in four say they have said things on social media they later regret or think was inappropriate.
In a special video message, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams urged people to find the courage to speak up for the rights of neighbours and strangers, "for people like us and also for people not like us".
Read More 27.1.12 The Guardian, Maeve Kennedy
Teachers warned over befriending pupils on Facebook
More than one in 10 school teachers accused of misconduct last year had used social networking sites and email to forge inappropriate relationships with their pupils, an analysis of disciplinary cases has found.
Facebook, Twitter, online chatrooms and emails were used to befriend children in 43 of the cases brought to the regulator, the General Teaching Council for England in 2011. Eighteen teachers were given prohibition orders and struck off, while 14 were suspended. In all, the GTC heard 336 cases of "unacceptable professional conduct" last year. More
The Guardian 23.1.12
“An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere."
Martin Luther King Jnr – his legacy lives on in anti-bullying work as groups in the US mark MLK Jnr day.
More
Despite the school holiday, more than 200 students packed Warren Central High School's auditorium on MLK Day. The athletes and student club members were told to have the courage of Martin Luther King and stand up against hazing and bullying. This was no ordinary assembly. Students learned hazing had killed one of their own. And they vowed to be the instrument of change, signing pledges. Wish TV
Essay contests, songs and other celebrations of diversity took placed in US schools and towns: Martin Luther King Jnr Walk
Stephen Lawrence 5.1.12 Posted by Adrienne Katz
Two are finally sentenced for murder after this groundbreaking case has dragged on for years. Here are seven useful pieces starting with a clip of Doreen Lawrence outside the court after the sentencing, followed by a BBC chronology with pictures and ending with a Met warning to a further 7 suspects. Update your work on racist bullying.
http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16142156 sky news
BBC Chronology of events from murder in April 1993 to Macpherson report in February1999
Edited transcripts from the Macpherson enquiry Guardian.co.uk
Daily Mail comment on how the killers were finally brought to justice Daily Mail
Murder trial Judge Treacy's sentence and comments: Telegraph
Late but fitting justice Guardian Editorial Guardian
Met warns seven remaining suspects ;Don't rest easily in your beds,' Mail online
Bullied under-10s 'are dieting'
(UKPA) 5,1,12
Almost a quarter of children under 10 consider themselves overweight, according to a new survey.
Some 28% have been bullied because of their weight, while 26% have skipped a meal in the hope of losing some pounds. The poll of 1,500 young people aged seven to 18 also found that more than 40% of under 10s worry about their weight and almost a quarter (23%) have been on a diet in the past year.The survey was commissioned for ITV1
More
Hillary Clinton delivers groundbreaking speech on gay rights.
7th December 2011 Stephen Gray
The Secretary of State said gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people were “human beings born free and bestowed with equality and dignity, who have a right to claim that, which is now one of the remaining human rights challenges of our time”.
Pink News More BBC More
Positive for Youth, new government scheme (19/12/11)
Publishing the Government’s new vision for young people and youth services, Children’s Minister Tim Loughton called on every LA to get young people involved in local decision-making. The Government also wants LAs to build stronger partnerships with voluntary organisations and local businesses to develop opportunities for young people in their local communities. More
Cyberbullying: The night I heard my 16 year old tough guy son sobbing.
Irish Independent Sarah Slater 14.12.11
Three weeks after hearing his son berate himself out loud while in his bedroom alone, Kevin finally found out what was happening. "There were numerous derogatory remarks that my son found on the Facebook page," says Kevin.
Colin had only found out about the page when his peers told him to look at it.
"When he looked at the Facebook pages, he found that there was an avalanche of other internet links created to other awful sites that were very upsetting." The internet page had received a huge number of comments on it. His computer and mobile became no-go areas. Kevin (not his real name) says 'It was like being hit by a train' More
Rugby star Ben Cohen launches foundation in the UK to raise awareness of bullying and homophobia.
I am working a lot with young sportsmen and women in schools and colleges to encourage them to start the ball rolling in their own environment. I am asking them to look out for those who are suffering and simply stand up next to them when they need it the most. As parents, teachers or simply adults, we are not necessarily there when the bullying takes place, but the youngsters are.
By bringing an awareness generally we feel that we can create a movement where the young people themselves no longer tolerate the bullying in their schools and communities. It's about gracefully standing up alongside someone who may not be strong enough to stand up for themselves at that particular moment in time.
BBC 7.12.11. More
Safer Internet Day 2012 – 7th February 2012
Each year Ins@fe organise 'Safer Internet Day' to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile devices. This message particularly applies to children and young people across the globe.
The theme for this year will be centered around 'Connecting generations and educating each other', with the slogan: "Discover the digital world together... safely!” The focus theme aims to looks at the reach of the online world across all generations and cultures and encourages families to work together to stay safe online. More Posted by A.Katz 2.12.11
Father of boy who committed suicide over homophobic bullying is found dead. Dominic Crouch was 15 when he jumped off a building after being homophobically bullied after a school trip. Today 1.12.11, the death of his father Roger was announced. Roger, 55 had become a crusader to get services and schools to respond to homophobic bullying after he lost his son. He will be sadly missed. LGF 31.08.11 BackgroundPink News, 29.11.11. Comment. Observer editorial and Guardian, Comment is Free. Roger talked about his beloved son Dominic on YouTube Daily Mail Read More
Janet Devlin brave to reveal her bullying hell, says mum. 24.11.11. Mirror
Janet told this week's Now magazine that bullies made her life hell. More
An outline of an assembly on this story is now on our secondary assemblies page.
Facebook and texting 'exposing girls to cruelty 24-hours a day’ Telegraph 22.11.11
The popularity of Facebook, Twitter and text messaging means many girls are now exposed to a 24-hour-a-day barrage of bullying, England’s communications champion warned yesterday. Jean Gross said social media and texting had given girls more ways of excluding each other.Mrs Gross suggested that girls could read and discuss Margaret Atwood’s book Cat’s Eye, or the Hollywood film Mean Girls, both of which deal with girls excluding each other. More
Ofsted Annual Report 2010/11 22.11.11
Ofsted launces Annual Report for 2010/11, drawing on over 31,000 inspection visits across schools, early years, children's social care and learning and skills sectors in England.
The report finds:
A year on year reduction in the number of schools judged to be in special measures,
Over a fifth of schools judged inadequate at their previous inspection are now good or better.
But Her Majesty's Chief Inspector Miriam Rosen, raises concerns about the lack of ambition being displayed by high numbers of schools, colleges and childcare providers, as well as serious concerns about the number of local authorities that are providing inadequate safeguarding services for children.
Read the report and the response of education minister Nick Gibb.
Being left out is worst form of bullying NFER research finds.
www.nfer.ac.uk/asur November 2011 Tom Benton
A study of 35,000 children aged 11-18 found that this type of bullying is more strongly associated with poor emotional wellbeing than any other type‘Being left out’ is more common amongst girls than boys. However, it was found that the link between this type of bullying and poor emotional wellbeing is stronger in boys.
1 in 12 adolescents self harm: links with 'social scaffolding' and changes to the brain found.'...It is so pressurising growing up in this society with all the social networking and bullying.' said Lucy Russell of Young Minds commenting on new research on self harm in the Lancet.
Sarah Bosely, The Guardian 17.11.11 More
The framework for the inspection of initial teacher education 2012 - Ofsted consultation
Ofsted is proposing to raise expectations of providers of teacher training to help ensure that more trainees are better prepared with the practical skills that teachers need most, such as the ability to manage behaviour and teach reading effectively. This consultation publishes proposals to revise arrangements for the inspection of initial teacher education which will be introduced from September 2012 Closing Date: 31 January 2012 More
BIG’s Val McFarlane on the airwaves in November
BBC Tees radio, Metro radio and Star radio. BBC Radio Newcastle and Real Radio
bbc radio Tees The Ali Brownlow programme about 1 minute 23 seconds into the programme.) BIG launches new workplace award due to demand. www.bigawardatwork.co.uk
bbc radio Tees Star radio
The National Autistic Society Education Roadshow, sponsored by Axcis Education Recruitment, aims to help teachers and other professionals learn the tools and strategies they need to support children with autism effectively. The next education roadshows are taking place on: 30 November 2011 - Birmingham; 1 February 2012 - Exeter; 28 March 2012 - London. To find out more, visit the NAS website. If you can't make it, watch the event live online free of charge. On the day of the roadshow just follow this link to get access.
Katherine Jenkins targeted by Cyberbully on Twitter.contactmusic
Opera star Katherine Jenkins has been the target of an internet bullying campaign for the past year.
The Welsh singer claims she has been the victim of a harassment campaign on Twitter.com and has now gone public with her cyberbullying ordeal in a bid to stop the drama More
Wales launches extensive Anti-Bullying Guidance More
What is the real picture?
Large scale surveys are being carried out during Anti-Bullying week. Lincolnshire is questioning pupils, while Suffolk and four West of England local authorities are undertaking the Cybersurvey with added questions on the extent of cyber-homopobia. Suffolk is also helping vulnerable adults to take part to explore the e-safety education they have had. If you are collecting local data do let us know about it for a databank. We can publish 'Trendwatch' items to help your anti-bullying work.
Why is school such a bad place to be gay? Guardian, 10.11.11 Charlie Condou
Despite the high profile of young characters such as Kurt and his boyfriend in TV show Glee, two-thirds of gay teenagers are still bullied at school. Charlie Condou, who plays a gay character in Coronation Street, considers why – and what is being done to stop it. More
Elton John speaks out for Anti Bullying Week.
'I want Zachary to grow up in a world without homophobia'. Guardian 4th November 2011.
...As another Anti-Bullying week approaches, homophobic bullying is still almost endemic in thousands of schools across our country...More
Anti-Bullying Week 14th -18th November
Useful ideas for your activities will be regularly posted on the site in members' pages. Please visit the resources page of primary, secondary or FE Colleges for a specially created members' resource.
Meera Syal calls for action on cyber-bullying Telegraph 05.11.11 Julie Henry
Meera Syal, the actress and writer, has called for action on cyber-bullying after her teenage daughter was the subject of an online hate campaign. More
Ofsted has launched Parent View 21.10.11
A new online questionnaire that will allow parents and carers to give their views on their child's school at any time of the year. The 12-question survey will help other parents as they make important choices about their child's education and provide Ofsted with information about schools that will help inform priorities for inspection. You can access the site at http://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/
Free school suspends boy, 11, over haircut 3mm too short.
Evening Standard October 21st 2011. Anna Davis. A boy has been excluded from lessons over his short 'Barak Obama' style haircut. Headteacher Thomas Packer said it may sound 'trivial' but the school has to crack down on hairstyles and uniforms to send a message about discipline to other pupils. 'If I didn't apply the code consistently it breeds bullying and unpleasantness,' he said. Do you agree? Email us at info@bullyinginterventiongroup.co.uk with your views More
USA: CNN explores bullying and Education Dept. hosts a summit.
Posted by Adrienne Katz 15th October 2011
Anderson Cooper of CNN USA, runs a week of programmes exploring bullying plus the US Education Department hosts a major summit to explore the issues. You can follow this online on the CNN website and view the film clips.
or read about the summit
The DfE has unveiled new research that shows that around 47% of complaints against teachers are 'unsubstantiated, malicious or unfounded'17th October 2011
Nearly half of the allegations (1234) made against school teachers were found to be unsubstantiated, malicious or unfounded. Almost a fifth of school teachers (459) were suspended whilst the allegation was being investigated.
New advice from DfE issued in July is intended to address this. (See Law & Policy in the members' pages)
More DfE
Badly behaved parents putting teachers off job
Jessica Shepherd Guardian 3rd October 2011 More
British parents are increasingly badly behaved and neglectful, a poll of teachers has found. More than half, 52%of the 1922 teachers who responded to a Guardian Teacher network survey admitted they had considered quitting the profession. 81% said that parents’ failure to perform their role adequately and the break up of the nuclear family were to blame. 49% said parents were less supportive of teachers now than when they started their careers. 62% said excessive interference from government threatened to drive them out, while 50% named poor pupils behaviour as the main reason.
Ofsted's new inspection framework for 2012 has now been published.
30th September 2011
From January 2012 your school will be expected to deliver on four core areas; pupil achievement, quality of teaching, behaviour and safety and the quality of leadership. The documents are published in draft subject to the passing of the bill.
Associated resources
Internet 'troll' jailed for mocking dead teenagers on Facebook More
BIG launch media release read here
The 5th US young suicide linked to homophobic bullying.
September 11th International Business and Health
14-year-old upstate New Yorker, Jamey Rodemeyer, was found dead outside his home this week, apparently the latest string of teenage suicides in the U.S. caused by mental harassment and bullying over sexuality, police said. This follows a period last autumn when a spate of similar deaths occurred within a few weeks. More
Child Well-Being Report (Sep 2011)
New research by Ipsos MORI for UNICEF UK shows that children in the UK feel trapped in a "materialistic culture" and don't spend enough time with their families. The research compares experiences of over 250 children across the UK, Sweden and Spain. Children in all 3 countries said that their happiness is dependent on having time with a stable family and plenty of things to do, especially outdoors, rather than on owning technology or branded clothes.
Despite this, parents in the UK felt tremendous pressure from society to buy goods for their children; this pressure was felt most acutely in low-income homes.
The research also shows that parents in theUK are committed to their children but lose out on time together due in part to long working hours. They often try to make up for this by buying their children gadgets and clothes.
Consumer culture in the UK contrasts starkly withSweden and Spain, where family time is prioritised, children and families are under less pressure to own material goods and children have greater access to activities out of the home. More |
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