19 November 2012
Schoolchildren across Jersey will be wearing blue wristbands this week to mark Anti-Bullying Week from 19-23 November.
Anti-Bullying Week is organised annually by UK charity Beatbullying. The theme for 2012, 'Making Bullying Unacceptable', has been embossed on thousands of blue rubber wristbands that have been supplied by the charity for distribution to schoolchildren in Jersey.
Many schools, both primary and secondary, have been running anti-bullying initiatives during November or are focussing on Anti-Bullying Week itself with assemblies or class activities.
Jon Tarrant, E-Safety and E-Learning Manager for Education, Sport and Culture, said: “Demand from schools for the anti-bullying wristbands has been overwhelming. About 14,000 bands have been distributed to primary and secondary schools, both States-provided and private, and also to Highlands College. The desire shown by schools to demonstrate that bullying is unacceptable is very encouraging indeed.”
Over the past two years about 100 Jersey students have been trained by Beatbullying as 'cybermentors' – volunteers who work on the Cybermentors website to provide online support for victims of all types of bullying. Nationwide, schools that engage with the Beatbullying programme report around a one-third reduction in bullying.
gov.je