Change starts here. Change starts now. Change starts with us. 

Between 11^th – 15^th November 2019, schools across England will be raising awareness of Anti-Bullying Week, which takes place nationally each year. The aims of this campaign are to help schools, children, parents and carers come together and put a stop to bullying by offering support to everyone who is affected by it.

The effects of bullying, whether physical, verbal or online, can be felt well into adulthood. This is why it is so important that it is tackled and dealt with quickly, with appropriate help and advice given to all involved.

The message this year is all about ‘Change’. As with most things, the prevention of bullying is the best way to tackle the issue. Providing young people with the support and opportunity to change things offers a positive way to tackle bullying – even small changes can make a massive difference.

Some of the small changes that you can make include:

• Talk about the problem
• Speak up honestly
• Let everyone know who they can talk to
• Help young people stick together and spot when someone might be upset
• Encourage acts of kindness towards each other
• Choose respect
• Teach the difference between bullying and falling out
• Celebrate differences between each other

These changes are just a small part of the work we do with our youngest children in Early Years, where positive role-modelling helps them to be respectful, kind, and to cooperate with each other. Continuing to promote honesty, develop self-esteem and establish interpersonal skills throughout their time in school builds on their early learning. With time, perhaps this will stay with them as they move from school into the wider world. 

The Anti-Bullying Alliance have lots of resources available on their website here that are well worth checking out.